Easter is just around the corner and that brings a flurry of Jesus-themed TV programming.
NBC's series A.D. debuts on Easter Sunday and picks up where last season's The Bible left off. The series, from the husband/wife producer team of Mark Burnett and Roma Downey, explores the aftermath of events following the crucifixion of Jesus.
Meanwhile, National Geographic Channel retells the story of Jesus' life with Killing Jesus at 7 p.m. today.
The ambitious three-hour production is based on the Bible and the 2013 best-selling book Killing Jesus: A History by Bill O'Reilly and Martin Dugard. It comes not without some grumbling from those who prefer their biblical movies to be unambiguous religious affirmations.
In other words, the recent Noah and Exodus were too worldly.
Exploring the historical aspects of a subject is what O'Reilly and Dugard are about in their Killing series, which includes Killing Kennedy and Killing Lincoln. National Geographic turned both those books into movies. This latest one might ruffle some feathers and Nat Geo acknowledges that.
"Son of God, son of man, or threat to Roman rule?" the teaser asks. "In ancient Judea, he was something different to everyone. How his story unfolds has everything to do with who is telling the story."
What happens? As one critic put it, "It's the one story where spoilers are impossible." Chances are you already know how it ends. Jesus is crucified and three days later either (1) he was resurrected or (2) his body was stolen so he'd appear to be resurrected.
Filmed in Morocco, the respectful treatment goes for authenticity and spectacle in telling the intimate details of Jesus' life and the political machinations that preceded his death: how his message led to his persecution and execution by those who saw him as a threat.
It begins with a brooding, wild-eyed Kelsey Grammer as King Herod and his dream of a child born in Israel -- the prophesied Messiah -- who will one day usurp him as "King of the Jews."
Enter the evil Caiaphas (Rufus Sewell), who advises Herod to pray on it. Herod's decision is to send mercenaries to hunt down and kill all male infants under the age of 2. But Jesus and his family have already escaped.
True Blood's Stephen Moyer portrays Pontius Pilate, and Lebanese-American actor Haaz Sleiman (Nurse Jackie, 24) portrays Jesus.
First of all, kudos to Burnett/Downey for casting a Jesus who actually looks as if he comes from the Middle East instead of the blue-eyed Nordic matinee idol who appears in many depictions of Jesus.
The film reminds us that Jesus lived in an age when the Roman Empire ruled the Western world, and he made powerful enemies while preaching the radical philosophy of redemption.
After Herod's failed attempt to kill Jesus, the film quickly moves 26 years into the future as Jesus begins his ministry.
We witness John the Baptist (Abhin Galeya), Jesus' 40 days and nights in the desert, and his quiet gathering of devoted followers. They include Simon/Peter (Alexis Rodney), Mary Magdalene (Klara Issova) and Judas (Joe Doyle).
Jesus' growing popularity and his confrontation in the Temple of Jerusalem bring him to the attention of powerful enemies.
In addition to Caiaphas, those keeping a wary eye on Jesus are Herod's son Antipas (Eoin Macken) and Caiaphas' father-in-law and fellow member of the wealthy Jewish priestly sect, Annas (John Rhys-Davies).
They believe Jesus is an agitator, a false teacher and a dangerous figure. They begin to plot extreme measures to solve "the Jesus problem."
The events that began on Palm Sunday are familiar to most and receive thorough treatment here.
"Killing Jesus, as a whole, is different," Sleiman tells National Geographic, "because it gives you a bigger sense of what the story is about. It makes Jesus human, which you don't really see as much in other productions.
"I didn't want to go in the direction of making Jesus otherworldly. I thought it was more important to focus on his humanity and how he related to other people."
Sleiman is a Muslim. He acknowledged that may not sit well with some. Nonetheless, he defended his casting.
"In Islam, we believe Jesus is a prophet and respect him and follow his teachings and put him beside the Prophet Muhammad," Sleiman said. "A lot of people don't know that. As a person who was raised Muslim, it's an honor to play that. Personally, I've been heavily shaped by his teachings."
• Dead finale. When last we saw Rick Grimes, he had gone postal and Michonne cold-cocked him from behind. Now it's time for the thrilling 90-minute season finale of The Walking Dead at 8 p.m. today on AMC. Expect lots of blood and gore.
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Style on 03/29/2015