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'The Bible' Is Most Watched TV Program for Second Consecutive Week
Christian Post ^ | 03/12/2013 | Katherine Weber

Posted on 03/12/2013 12:49:57 PM PDT by SeekAndFind

The History Channel's "The Bible" miniseries once again raked in the ratings this past weekend, drawing in 10.8 million total viewers for its second episode, thus making it the most popular program in all of television on Sunday night.

Although the historical miniseries was down 18 percent in total viewership from its premiere on March 3, it still managed to attract 3.2 million adults, ages 18-49, and 3.8 million adults, ages 25-54, according to Deadline.

These high numbers made the new miniseries the most watched television program on Sunday from 8 p.m.-10 p.m. According to Channel Guide Magazine, over 50 million cumulative viewers have seen some portion of "The Bible" since its premiere on March 3, whether on the History Channel or on the Lifetime channel, which also re-airs episodes.

In its season premiere two weekends ago, "The Bible" attracted over 13 million viewers, making it the most watched cable entertainment telecast of 2013, as well as the No. 1 scripted program on television.

Some critics blame the second week's drop in ratings on national Daylight Saving Time, which also occurred Sunday.

The Hollywood power couple behind the new miniseries, producer Mark Burnett of "Survivor" fame and Roma Downey of "Touched By An Angel," have attributed their profoundly successful series to God.

"The hand of God was on this. The edit came together perfectly, the actors came together perfectly, it just comes to life," Burnett said of the series in a previous interview with Entertainment Weekly.

The show has also gained the attention of religious leaders as well as the tech world.

Pastor Rick Warren of Saddleback Church in Southern California promoted the show, saying that it is by far the best Bible movie he has ever seen.

Additionally, Lightside Games has launched a digital game carrying "The Bible" theme, which will be accessible on Facebook, iPhone, and iPad.

This past weekend's episode left off with the Prophet Nathan confronting King David on his sinful, adulterous ways as found in the second Book of Samuel.

The series' third episode, titled "Hope," will begin to cover the New Testament, as well as introduce Jesus, played by actor Diogo Morgado.

The 10-part miniseries airs on the History Channel every Sunday from 8 p.m.-10 p.m. EST.


TOPICS: History; Religion; Society; TV/Movies
KEYWORDS: bible; bibleseries; biblicalhistory; godsgravesglyphs; history; historychannel; letshavejerusalem; markburnett; moviereview; romadowney; thebible; top10; tv
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To: headsonpikes

LOL...


21 posted on 03/12/2013 1:17:38 PM PDT by pgkdan ( "Those who hammer their guns into plows will plow for those who do not." ~Thomas Jefferson)
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To: SeekAndFind

“Samson, the Ancient Near East judge known for superhuman strength and long hair, was portrayed by a black actor,”

So what? Most pictures of Jesus show him looking very Nordic.


22 posted on 03/12/2013 1:20:01 PM PDT by Daveinyork (."Trusting government with power and money is like trusting teenaged boys with whiskey and car keys,)
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To: SeekAndFind

Hopefully It does cause some people to actually
begin to study the Bible.

The show is like reading the “Cliff Notes” for a book.
except with even less accuracy and detail

It appears as if the bible was written for
entertainment.


23 posted on 03/12/2013 1:23:13 PM PDT by right way right (What's it gonna take? (guillotines?))
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To: RetiredArmy

allah, aka satan, the first radical to reject THE God...and sealed his fate in hell for eternity.


24 posted on 03/12/2013 1:24:24 PM PDT by newfreep (Breitbart sent me...)
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To: SeekAndFind; windcliff; stylecouncilor

I’ll stick to the book, thanks.


25 posted on 03/12/2013 1:25:54 PM PDT by onedoug
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To: SeekAndFind

“....both the guy and girl turn around to wave to their respective husbands...”

Holy cr@p, that seals it! Between Charles Manson Moses & dreadlock ghetto Samson, and now with Super Bowl ads eager to offend, I’m outta here & back to the ol’ KJV.

Thank goodness I still know how to read.


26 posted on 03/12/2013 1:26:41 PM PDT by elcid1970 ("The Second Amendment is more important than Islam.")
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To: SeekAndFind

It didn’t include every detail and had some images that don’t exactly match my mind’s eye when I read the Bible, so I hated it.


27 posted on 03/12/2013 1:26:57 PM PDT by SoothingDave
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To: SeekAndFind

The guy who played Samson was in another excellent movie called the Lost Legion..
What the rating do not adress are those who DVR’d the episodes and are watching later..


28 posted on 03/12/2013 1:30:00 PM PDT by cardinal4 (Constitution? What Constitution?)
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To: Wiser now

Seems that what this OT version is all about God helping Jews to acquire land killing off whoever was there. I would prefer more on Sodom and Gomorrah type teachings on good and bad. But it seems we have to wait for Jesus for more on this.

It has always bothered me - the contrast between the OT and the NT. The God of the OT was about earthly land and war while the God of the NT is about heavenly land and peace. Maybe someone has this figured out.


29 posted on 03/12/2013 1:30:31 PM PDT by ex-snook (God is Love)
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To: SeekAndFind

Mel Gibson’s story about Jesus did pretty well with audiences, too.


30 posted on 03/12/2013 1:32:44 PM PDT by clustertruck
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To: SeekAndFind

Watched the first one on demand with my son. They kind of lost when they got to “Crouching Angel, Hidden Gemorrah.”


31 posted on 03/12/2013 1:34:49 PM PDT by Pan_Yan
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To: SeekAndFind

Yeah, I saw that and am unwinding from Amazon. Is it really Amazon’s duty to help mainstream homosexuality? Is that the job of any American business?

Can we expect Amazon to weigh in on other social issues such as abortion? How about polygamy?


32 posted on 03/12/2013 1:37:47 PM PDT by Obadiah (High speed, low drag.)
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To: SeekAndFind

The whole series is horribly produced. The acting is terrible, very amateurish. In the episode with Sampson, the man who earlier had blinded him was holding a metal cup of some kind. You could see the plastic mold seem on the side of the metallic cup and a sticker on the bottom. LOL


33 posted on 03/12/2013 1:56:48 PM PDT by NY Cajun
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To: ex-snook

I think the Old Testament is a narrative about man’s inability to follow God’s laws. After a period of exile or slavery (loss of their lands) Israel would repent and live according to God’s laws for a while, then a new ruler would begin to commit sin and the people would follow him.
The whole of the Bible is about our need for a perfect Savior.


34 posted on 03/12/2013 1:57:37 PM PDT by Wiser now (Socialism does not eliminate poverty, it guarantees it.)
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To: Obadiah

“How about polygamy?”

Polygamy has been accepted for quite some time it’s just that society hates people who don’t do it in an acceptable manner. Charlie Sheen and Hugh Hefner do it and no one cares. Arnold Schwarzenegger did it and he’s not in jail. Lots of American men do it just that they call their second wife a ‘mistress’ and then it’s acceptable. No end of black men practice polygamy and then have the state support their mates and their children with little to no consequence. Cable TV even celebrates black polygamy with ‘All My Babies Mamas’.

My point is that we normalized polygamy a long time ago. Now all we have to do is stop being hypocritical about it.


35 posted on 03/12/2013 1:58:22 PM PDT by MeganC (The left have so twisted public perceptions that the truth now appears pornographic.- SpaceBar)
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To: MeganC

Hadn’t thought of it quite like that. You may be on to something.


36 posted on 03/12/2013 2:05:27 PM PDT by Obadiah (High speed, low drag.)
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To: MeganC

Nonetheless, companies (outside of Hollywood) don’t go out of their way to support or promote things like that. Why is Amazon promoting homosexuality?


37 posted on 03/12/2013 2:06:31 PM PDT by Obadiah (High speed, low drag.)
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To: Wiser now

Thanks for insights about the difference in OT and NT. I have a long way to go.


38 posted on 03/12/2013 2:07:16 PM PDT by ex-snook (God is Love)
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To: SeekAndFind
Well, the ninja angels who struck down the sodomites in Sodom and Gomorrah was comical!
Angels performing Bruce Lee moves was a bit of a risky interpretation.

I liked it. Those were some pretty bad ass angels. Nice armor too. They show up in later scenes as well, dressed equally as cool. You don't mess with God's angels - that's clear. Also, having kick ass angels is a nice selling point to help draw the modern action oriented TV/movie crowd. Why not? Why do you have to portray them the way Renaissance painters did, like pansy looking bird men? Ninja angels are much better. They rock.

39 posted on 03/12/2013 2:29:26 PM PDT by MCH
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To: SeekAndFind

Thanks for the thread.

Thought the 1st one was good - nothing heretical or blasphemous.

Not thrilled about the 2nd one - spent waaay too much time on Sampson - it really is just a very brief mention in the OT - I didn’t mind the black Sampson, though - spent a few months in Israel and there are quite a few black Hebrews (but no black Irish). Some people had a hard time with Noah’s Scottish accent last week - I asked if they would have preferred a Bronx accent, or maybe Mexican....

I’ll give it one more shot - see if next week balances a little better. Having read the Bible cover-to-cover many times (in five different translations) I understand it is difficult to cover much territory on the screen - I’m trying to extend a bit of grace to the producers.


40 posted on 03/12/2013 2:34:23 PM PDT by Psalm 73 ("Gentlemen, you can't fight in here - this is the War Room".)
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