The Bible mini-series starts March 3

 
The Bible is an epic five-week, 10 hour television mini-series premiering March 3, 2013 on the History Channel from Emmy Award winning husband and wife team, Mark Burnett and Roma Downey. For two hours each Sunday night millions of viewers will see “The Bible” come to life in a way never before seen. The final episode of the series will air on Easter Sunday and will feature the death and resurrection of Jesus. To help insure the accuracy of the miniseries, many Christian scholars served as advisors and hundreds of Christian leaders have given their endorsement. – (Outreach Magazine) “It is also a project close to Mr. Burnett’s heart. In the past couple of years the 52-year-old former paratrooper says he has become deeply religious, a transition he credits to Roma Downey, his wife since 2007. “It wasn’t until I met Roma that I truly understood my faith and it’s been a dynamic shift for me,” Mr. Burnett said. — Wall Street Journal

Famed television producer Mark Burnett tackles his projects with passion, but The Bible is a special labor of love. The 10-hour, five-part docudrama, which premieres March 3 on the History Channel, will span the Bible from Genesis to Revelation, presenting some of its best-known stories, including Noah’s Ark, the Exodus, Daniel in the lions’ den and the crucifixion and resurrection of Jesus. Former Touched By an Angel star Roma Downey, Burnett’s wife and fellow executive producer, heads a large international cast in the role of Mother Mary. Keith David, an Emmy winner for voice-over performances, will narrate with a musical score by Oscar- and Grammy-winning composer Hans Zimmer. “In terms of importance, nothing we’ve ever done, not Touched By an Angel, not Survivor, not The Voice, not The Apprentice, none of this could possibly compare to The Bible,” Burnett says.

“To us, as a family, we love the Bible. This is not a TV show to us. It’s images and sound and sacred text that people will still watch, way after our grandchildren are old people.” Since the entire Bible can’t be covered in 10 hours, the miniseries, which was filmed in Morocco, focuses on a select group of stories and features such compelling figures as Abraham, Moses and David. Some stories had to be compressed for artistic purposes. “In the end, what we’ve done is a meta-narrative, a grand narrative of emotionally connected stories. We know we’re not qualified to teach the Bible. We’re qualified to be good television producers and storytellers. By telling these emotionally connected, big stories, hopefully millions of people will reopen their Bibles,” Burnett says.

Downey came up with the idea for the miniseries a few years ago. “It is our obligation to tell the stories as written,” he says. “The stories are so brilliant and compelling.” The project will have broad appeal, he says. “If you know the Bible, you’ll enjoy seeing the stories come to life. If you’ve never read the Bible, I think you’ll love the stories,” he says. “There’s a reason the Bible is the most widely read book in the world.” – USA Today

According to Jim Daly, Focus on the Family President,

This husband-and-wife team has a fervent desire to tell people about Jesus. Mark Burnett and Roma Downey are executive producers of the “The Bible” miniseries, which will premier Sunday on HISTORY (formally called the History Channel). The episodes will bring to life the stories of the Bible from Genesis through Revelation. The series begins March 3 and will run each Sunday for two hours before it concludes on March 31, Easter.

Daly served as one of the show’s script consultants. He said the series may “serve as a spark to rekindle or kindle” the faith of viewers who may have strayed from Scripture. “(That) should be a great source of excitement for all of us.”

On Feb 25, Frank Wright, President/CEO at National Religious Broadcasters, wrote:

The Bible miniseries about to premier this Sunday on the History Channel is one of the more remarkable cinematic events of our time. While anyone familiar with the history of Bible-themed moves and programs knows that the apparent tradeoff between cinematic quality and biblical fidelity (with few exceptions) is often a source of disappointment, The Bible miniseries, produced by Mark Burnett and Roma Downey, is a dramatic exception to that rule.

Having viewed various elements of the series, I would I rate their endeavor an unqualified success! The Bible mini-series rises above its forebears, shining with cinematic artistry, dramatic creativity, and essential biblical fidelity.

Here is a link to sample the quality of the series:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Wir4fH6hUxw

Perhaps your network would profit (in the right senses of that word) in receiving a heads up from you – Starts Sunday March 3 @ 8 pm on the History Channel.