Posted on 03/08/2013 6:45:31 AM PST by SeekAndFind
Up until now, the year’s big cable-ratings story has been the ever-growing success of zombie drama The Walking Dead on AMC. Sunday night, though, History channel had the highest-rated scripted drama on cable for the year, for the beginning of a story in which only one main character rises from the dead, and that not until nearly the end.
The first two hours of History’s Mark Burnett miniseries adaptation of The Bible scored 13.1 million viewers, more than any fiction cable show of the year–and, as the New York Times notes, dwarfing anything on NBC for the past month. (The biblical epic numbers did not quite match The Walking Dead in viewers aged 18 to 49, the demographic that determines advertising rates, but it did get a healthy 5.6 million.)
Those are the kinds of numbers that get TV executives’ attention, and “attention” in the TV business means copying. Last year, History pulled meganumbers with Hatfields and McCoys; now NBC is developing a Hatfields and McCoys series. So I wouldn’t be surprised to see more religious epics coming to TV–stories aimed, like The Bible miniseries, at the comfort zone of believers. (I haven’t watched the entire History miniseries, but the first two hours were sort of a Picture Bible come to life, with the Old Testament violence dialed up and the Old Testament sex dialed down, and the kind of stiff dialogue that avoids seeming to “disrespect” Biblical figures by making them sound like people rather than animatronic figures.)
(Excerpt) Read more at entertainment.time.com ...
Was there aliens or Sasquatch?
Anyone with a thorough knowledge of scripture will find it awful. Tons of details wrong on things clearly detailed in scripture, and incredible license inserting things NOT written, over dramatizing them, and having characters say things totally contradicting what is known about them character-wise.
It’s 50% accurate at best, with 25% being contradictory to what is said/revealed in scripture.
And, tons of important stuff left out. But I can overlook that as they are cramming so much in such a short viewing time.
The characterization of Abraham was way out of sync with scripture re: his attitudes and thinking. And when Isaac was born, he was 100 and Sarah was 90 - but the characters portraying them looked to be in their 60’s.
Cecil B. DeMille’s version was far more accurate....
This is a typical rendition of scripture by people who are not students of it - nor true believers.....
IMHO, of course......
We outnumber them, but they rule us. Think of the Israelites in Egypt. It is only a matter of time before we are informed of our daily mud-brick quotas.
Gee, no bias from TIME there.
Bible-lite is right. I thought “Ninja Angel” was amusing, and also got a chuckle out of how PC-ism crept into the story with black and Asian angels. I’ll try to watch more but I don’t hold out high hopes for it.
I agree that the show started slowly, but it improved. Yes, they left out some Bible stories and yes, they used "creative license" to embellish some of the action; but overall, it was good and a great introduction for anyone who has never read (or not read in a very long time) the Bible. The Producers hope the series will motivate people's curiosity to see what the original source actually says.
Don't give up on it so soon. I hope you'll watch it all.
Or, the NIV Sodomite Revisionists Bible...
History Channel’s The Vikings also premiered with ‘good’ numbers, higher than many broadcast network programs.
Broadcast Networks are experiencing low viewership:
Zero Hour, pulled after 3 episodes.
Do No Harm, pulled after 2 episodes.
Cult, relegated to the Friday night dark zone.*
Golden Boy, relegated to Friday night. Late update, Golden Boy to remain in timeslot, Vega to move to Friday night.*
[* Could be worse — they could be relegated to Saturday night.]
It’s pitiful!
The personalities are weak, and the heart of the story is lost.
When Moses comes down from the mountain, they don’t even show his breaking of the Tablets, or the crowd behaving badly.
You didn’t really expect the History channel to teach any of the lessons of the Bible, did you?
The Chuck Heston version even had better special effects.
NBC would like it if we all named our kids Dr. Quinn and Medicine Woman.
My view on it:
Our culture has been completely cut off from the Bible. If you asked people on the street to tell you about a story in the Bible, they might be able to say the words “Noah’s Ark”, but that’s about it.
For there to be a huge exposure to the Bible is a good thing. But people will pick and argue about the little things. The phrase “you can’t see the forest for all of the trees” comes to mind.
Putting the Bible into people’s minds, even if it isn’t 100% accurate, is better than not exposing them to it at all. If 1% of the 13.1 millions people were to pick up a Bible to read the stories that were touched on in the series, then I think it’s wonderful!
I wrote a book called “Bible Stories for Grown-Ups” just for people who do not have any idea what fabulous stories are in the Bible. And if people will learn about the stories of the Bible whether by reading or watching, then it is seeds being planted in their souls. The Holy Spirit can then work in them.
Well, I love The Walking Dead....it’s the best show on TV, IMO. That’s where we will be on Sunday nights.
But I’m DVRing “The Bible”. Haven’t watched the first episode, though, because frankly I find it hard to believe that the History Channel didn’t give it a PC spin. If I see any of that, I’ll stop watching immediately.
Amazing. I didn’t watch it and I still believe.
I tuned in and was pleasantly surprised. Many people are very stuck on the sodomy issue... but remember, it’s supposed to be viewing for the whole family.
terrible... just terrible.. I lasted for 1/2 hour. seemed like it was a X-Box game just waiting to happen, with all the face grimacing, etc..
this is serious business, The Bible, and they have turned it into a greatest hits package..
awful...
I think the point being made here is that a historical story got more viewers than any of the fiction cable shows.
I know. But remember, we are talking about TIME magazine.
The actors were not the greatest but performed their roles well enough - there were a few clinkers and a few shining lights in that group. Visually it looked pretty good - no massive historical anachronisms in there. Effects were maybe a bit on the cheap/cheesy side but still better than your average Sci Fi Channel "Sharktopus" type movie.
Between The Bible, The Walking Dead and The Vikings, I was pleasantly entertained all Sunday evening.
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