New TV shows looking to the Bible for divine inspiration

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This article was published 18/04/2026 (197 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Hollywood, its seems, has gotten the message. It’s safe and profitable to promote religious values again.

Outlets like Hallmark have always stressed squeaky-clean family programming. But most networks have been largely quiet on the family and spiritual front, preferring sappy sitcoms and action thrillers.

All that may be changing with the introduction of shows like the Fox series, The Faithful: Women of the Bible, which premiered March 22 and aired over three consecutive Sundays ending on Easter, April 5.

Celebrating the Passover and Easter season, the limited series is based on the Old Testament’s Book of Genesis and is told through the eyes of the women whose descendants would help establish three of the world’s most influential religions: Judaism, Christianity and Islam.

Minnie Driver leads the cast as Sarah, Jeffrey Donovan plays Abraham and Natacha Karam is Sarah’s servant, Hagar.

Sarah’s great-niece Rebekah is played by Alexa Davalos. Sisters Leah and Rachel are portrayed by Millie Brady and Blu Hunt, respectively.

Producer Carol Mendelsohn, who’s famous in TV Land for her work on all the CSI programs, Melrose Place, Wiseguy and Stingray, changes her métier with Women of the Bible.

“The Faithful is a passion project for me and my partners, Julie Weitz and Rene Echevarria,” she says.

“We were inspired to tell our stories through the lens of the extraordinary women at the center — women whose names are known, but whose inner lives have rarely been explored. Each of us brought a unique perspective: Christian insight, Jewish foundation, and a secular voice,” she says.

It’s been almost 50 years since Franco Zeffirelli’s reverent Jesus of Nazareth swam in the mainstream, though there have been some attempts to match its efforts. But viewing began to change with the unexpected triumph of the TV series, The Chosen.

Starring a relatively unknown cast, the show examines Jesus’s life and the multi-dimensional people around him — from the apostles to the Roman soldiers to the ordinary citizens who were drawn to him.

The first season was crowdfunded, making it the most successful crowdfunded TV series ever. Seasons 3 and 4 premiered in movie theatres before being released to various streaming platforms. It’s estimated that 280 million people worldwide have seen the series. And there’s more to come. The final two seasons will deal with the crucifixion in Season 6 and the resurrection in the series’ finale.

In another spiritual undertaking, Nicolas Cage stars in The Carpenter’s Son, a movie available for rent on Plex, Prime Video and Apple TV.

Cage plays Joseph, FKA Twigs is Mary, and Noah Jupe portrays their teenage son, Jesus. Though the family has lived under constant psychic fear, it does not veer from its faith and traditions in spite of the threat. While the film was drubbed by the critics for its “horror” underpinnings, The Carpenter’s Son is a new (and possibly heretical) take on the early years of Jesus.

Ruth & Boaz, streaming on Netflix, is a modern telling of the biblical love story from Tyler Perry and DeVon Franklin. Their partnership anticipates the new affinity for value-based entertainment as the Franklin and Tyler Perry Studios’ have joined Netflix in a far-reaching enterprise which will produce faith-based films.

And the battle between David and Goliath isn’t forgotten. Season 2 of The House of David lands on Prime Video March 27. The series continues after David has trounced the giant Goliath and is transformed from lowly shepherd to a valiant warrior.

Michael Iskander plays David with the versatile Stephen Lang as the prophet Samuel and Ali Suliman as Saul, Israel’s first king.

Animation has not escaped the trend either. All 14 episodes of The Chosen Adventures is streaming on Prime Video. The 11-minute shorts follow the explorations of nine-year-old Abby and her pal, Joshua, in the forgotten city of Capernaum. Their encounter with Jesus of Nazareth proves providential for the pair. Thirteen-year-old Romy Fay stars as Abby, Jude Zarzaur plays Joshua and Danny Nucci portrays Abba.

Filming is completed in New Mexico for the upcoming Joseph of Egypt, the tale from the Old Testament about the man who rose to power second only to the Pharoah. Adam Hashmi stars as Joseph.

— Tribune News Service

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