The Brainerd Dispatch - Today's Entertainment Magazine
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2 • April 5 - 11, 2015 • Brainerd Dispatch By Lydia Peever TV Media E aster is one of the holiest Chris- tian celebrations of the year. It's a time when many people can gather to share in the joy of the resurrection of Jesus Christ, and now, television audiences can share their spirit with stories that have stood the test of time. This Easter Sunday, a very fitting program returns to TV, but this time on a new network. The 12- week miniseries "A.D. The Bible Continues" airs its premiere April 5 on NBC, and it follows the events after the crucifixion of Je- sus in History's "The Bible." As the first installment, "The Bible" had made its home on the cable chan- nel, but NBC jumped at the chance to broadcast the second iteration. And who could blame them? "The Bible" set a ratings record at the time — the greatest story ever told captivated 13.1 million view- ers, becoming the most-watched cable program of 2013 at the time it first premiered. After 10 epi- sodes, viewership didn't even fal- ter all that much. "The Bible" wrapped up with the riveting cru- cifixion of Christ and saw 11.7 mil- lion people tune in. At the helm of the project are executive producers Roma Downey ("Touched by an Angel") and well-known reality TV produc- er Mark Burnett ("Survivor," "Shark Tank"). The husband-and- wife team wanted to translate timeless stories into modern mas- terpieces so that audiences would be entertained by both "The Bi- ble" and "A.D.," while also being able to relate to the characters. The duo put a lot of effort and fo- cus into research, costuming, ac- curate set pieces and perfecting the casting, which required a spe- cial amount of attention. "There isn't anything in our lives that doesn't begin with prayer and doesn't begin with intention," Downey told KPRC Houston. "The intention was to create something beautiful that would touch peo- ple's lives and bring them closer to God. We want people to see them- selves in this story. The cast had to be racially diverse." "The Bible" had a very select, diverse cast, and though the talent pool for "A.D. The Bible Continues" was overhauled, the actors and actresses brought in still reflect that desire. Stepping into the honored role of Jesus in "A.D." is Argentinean ac- tor Juan Pablo Di Pace ("Dallas," "Mamma Mia!," 2008), and at the NBC winter press tour in January, he said it was a very humbling experience. "I come from a Christian family, a Catholic family. My mother is a religious mentor and we grew up with these stories our whole life," Di Pace said. "Once you get into these charac- ters' lives and what they experi- enced, it makes them incredibly human. They are like the most hu- man people that ever lived, so to put yourself in those shoes, it humbles you and makes you want to live your life in a dif- ferent way." The massive cast also in- cludes Adam Levy ("Coro- nation Street") as the apos- tle Peter, Jodhi May ("Emma," "The Jury") as Leah, Babou Alieu Ceesay ("Getting on") as the apostle John, Richard Coyle ("Cross- bones," "Coupling") as the high priest Caiaphas, and Chipo Chung ("Camelot") as Mary Magdalene. "A.D. The Bible Continues" isn't shaping up to be a plain-Jane re- telling of stories from the Bible, ei- ther. At the NBC press tour, Chung promised that there would be ac- tion, which is fitting for the time period. "It's completely action-packed," she said. "We are creating a world that is very gruesome, which is what it was. Crucifixions were ac- tually quite common. The Romans crucified thousands of people. It just happened to be this man, cru- cifying this man, that changed the world." Of course, there will be some truth-stretching involved to make the story more suitable for TV, but one of many theological consul- tants on the film, Father Jonathan Morris, assures viewers that "A.D.'s" script and the scripture can meet in the middle. "Now, don't be shocked: not ev- erything you see in 'A.D.' is from the Bible," Father Morris told Patheos.com. "The producers and writers rightly took artistic license to fill out the story. You couldn't make a 12-part series for television with only what we read in Acts. But the truth is, a lot more happened in the lives of the first Christians than what we know from the Bible. I be- lieve they did a great job of being faithful to the Bible while at the same time taking the viewer on a fascinating and logical journey of what else might have happened." For those that like a little more dissection to their viewing, NBC announced there will be a com- panion talk show, though it will be in digital form. On the NBC web- site and select streaming audio services, "Beyond A.D." will have interviews with the creators and talent behind the show, will be hosted by "E! News" co-host Ja- son Kennedy and will be taped in front of a live audience at the Real Life Church in Southern California. Let curiosity and conversation lead from milk chocolate and Eas- ter lilies to the blood and stone of ancient history. Follow the journey of the Christian Savior on one of the holiest days of the year as "A.D. The Bible Continues" premieres Easter Sunday, April 5, on NBC. Jodhi May and Richard Coyle as seen in "A.D. The Bible Continues" A second coming Biblical sequel comes to NBC Cover Story this week "Your One-Stop, Locally-Owned Medical Supply Company." FREE Delivery in our service area! • 8-5:30pm M-F, 9-12 Sat. 206 W. 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