Bible Stories on TV: Formula for Success?

CBNNews.com

Friday, April 03, 2015

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What happens when you mix biblically themed entertainment and Hollywood? It appears to be a boom in ratings.

This year entertainment has seen a steady increase in the number of films and television shows that tell stories based on the Bible.

National Geographic saw it's biggest weekend audience ever when they showed "Killing Jesus," a story of the crucifixion of Jesus. The show boasted 3.7 million viewers.

On CNN, "Finding Jesus" was No. 1 on it's debut weekend with nearly 1.2 million viewers, making it the second highest-rated CNN original series premier ever.

CBN News' spoke to Gary Schneeburger, with Grace Hill Media, on the growing trend. Click HERE to watch.

‘Killing Jesus’ Breaks NatGeo Ratings Record With 3.7 Million Viewers. Next on Fox News Channel

‘Killing Jesus’ Breaks NatGeo Ratings Record With 3.7 Million Viewers

Deadline
Lisa de Moraes1 day ago



© Provided by Deadline


Killing Jesus nabbed 3.7 million viewers across Sunday night — the biggest audience in National Geographic Channel history. The channel also noted the 8 PM premiere’s 1.0 rating in the adults 25-54 demo is the highest rating for that demo since the net’s November 2013 premiere of Killing Kennedy, which clocked a 1.1, and 300% higher than NatGeo’s Sunday 8-11 PM average this calendar year.

The film also premiered last night on Nat Geo MUNDO in the U.S., and will air globally in 171 countries. And, Fox News Channel will repeat Killing Jesus this Friday at 8 PM ET/PT and on Easter Sunday at 8 PM ET/PT.

Fox News Channel star Bill O’Reilly wrote, with Martin Dugard, the best-selling book on which the movie is based. Their two earlier books, Killing Kennedy and Killing Lincoln, also were adapted for NatGeo, and had been the two most watched programs in the network’s history until last night’s Killing Jesus unveiling. Killing Kennedy nabbed 3.4 million viewers in its November 2013 launch, and Killing Lincoln had clocked 3.35 mil in February 2013. Before the Killing franchise came NatGeo’s way, NatGeo’s largest crowd came way back in August 2005 with Inside 9/11 which had logged an initial 3 mil.

Last night’s numbers were good news for NatGeo’s new series The Big Picture With Kal Penn, debuting tonight, and Neil deGrasse’s new late-night talk show StarTalk, debuting April 20; both shows were promoted heavily during the Killing Jesus premiere.

Cast of Killing Jesus included Kelsey Grammer as King Herod the Great; Stephen Moyer as Pontius Pilate; Haaz Sleiman in the title role as Jesus; Rufus Sewell as Caiaphas; Emmanuelle Chriqui as Herodia; Eoin Macken as Antipas; and John Rhys Davies as Annas.

Source: MSN "Killing Jesus" Movie

When Actors Played Out This Prophecy, Something Supernatural Happened

3/31/2015 JESSILYN JUSTICE  charisma news

While filming this scene in National Geographic's version of 'Killing Jesus,' the actor who plays Peter says the Spirit was moving. (YouTube)

Palm Sunday came and went a few days ago, but as the Killing Jesus re-enacted it before the scene before cameras, something startling happened. 

Alexis Rodney, who played Peter in the televised version of Bill O'Reilly's book, revealed in a podcast that as Christ entered into the streets and extras were shouting "Hosanna!" the Lord really showed up.

"There was a scene where Jesus was fulfilling the prophecy of Zechariah ... where he's riding the donkey colt into Jerusalem, and the people are laying the palms on the floor and there was a moment where it reached near rapture," Rodney says on The Church Boys 

"The people—they were going to cut, we had finished the scene—these were people in an absolute state of rapture. They were just screaming 'Hosanna!'

"They weren't stopping. They were paid supporting actors ... and the camera operator used his good thinking and just carried on filming ... I felt like a biblical superstar. It was just absolutely amazing."

If a prophetic re-enactment can have that sort of impact on paid actors, what could this mean for the world?

Having a diverse cast allowed the producers to expand the audience to include nonbelievers, Rodney tells The Church Boys.

"It takes in a younger, perhaps more skeptical audience," Rodney says. "It will open up more to them."

And allow them to prepare the way of the risen Lord?