Metro Voice News Celebrating Faith, Family & Community
The best new thing to watch on television isn’t on Netflix, Disney Plus or broadcast television. In fact, you can’t even watch it on satellite or cable TV.
It’s Season 2 of the Christ-centric series The Chosen, and it launched on Easter weekend at TheChosen.TV and several other platforms, including The Chosen app.
On Facebook alone, 1 million people watched the first episode of the second season..
On YouTube, 2 million people tuned in.
The series, directed by Dallas Jenkins (The Resurrection of Gavin Stone) and released by Angel Studios, tells the story of Jesus’ life as viewed by the disciples he knew. The first episode of Season 2 focused on James and John, the sons of Zebedee. Season 1 included episodes about Matthew, Peter and Mary Magdalene, among others.
It may be the best movie or television series — ever — about the life of Christ.
The acting is top-shelf, the sets and costumes appear authentic, and the storylines are gripping. The series does take some artistic license with dialogue — most Bible-based films do — but nevertheless stays true to Scripture by basing each episode on one or two specific biblical scenes.
The series has been streamed more than 110 million times since it debuted in 2017.
The Chosen is the rare Christian project that has drawn high praise from seemingly every segment of Christendom — Baptists and Methodists, Reformed individuals and Charismatics, Protestants and Catholics. It’s even united two groups that seemingly never agree about films: those who love Christian movies … and those who hate them.
It has a 100 percent score from critics at Rotten Tomatoes and a 99 percent rating from viewers.
Why is it so popular? Perhaps it’s because it’s easy to identify with the characters. You, too, are a disciple who has fallen short of God’s glory. You, too, were desperate for the Good News. You, too, needed the touch of Christ. And in each episode, we see someone impacted by those eternal truths.
Download The Chosen app, or visit TheChosen.TV to watch.
Also worth watching this month:
Made in a Day (Disney Plus) — Have you ever wondered how sneakers are made? Or helicopters? Or tractors? Or even hot sauce? If so, then this National Geographic series — now on Disney Plus — is for you. It’s one of the most educational (and family-friendly) shows on television, and is similar to the popular series Modern Marvels. Each episode is 22 minutes. TV-PG.
America Unearthed on the History Channel (YouTube) — You don’t need cable to watch this interesting series looking at everything from Egyptian artifacts found in the Grand Canyon to Aztec pyramids found in Wisconsin and Lost relics of the Bible. All episodes are available free on YouTube.
All Creatures Great and Small (PBS) — Follow veterinarian James Herriot at the start of his storied career in rural Yorkshire in the 1930s. The series is a beautiful remake of the popular family drama that aired on British and American television from 1978 to 1990.
Secrets of the Whales (Disney Plus) — It’s a magnificent nature series that follows five types of whales into the ocean depths: humpbacks, orcas, belugas, narwhals and sperm whales. James Cameron served as executive producer, and well-known National Geographic photographer Brian Skerry helped film it. It’s a four-part series — and a celebration of God’s creation. TV-PG.
Miss Scarlet & the Duke on Masterpiece (PBS) — Building on the phenomenal success of Sherlock, viewers can follow private eye Eliza Scarlet, Victorian England’s first-ever female sleuth, as she solves crimes – and sometimes flirts – with her partner and childhood friend, Detective Inspector William “The Duke” Wellington.
Pioneers of Television (Kanopy) — Kanopy is the free streaming service available to those with a library card. Check your local library and if they don’t participate, you are allowed to apply for a virtual library card from larger systems. In this intriguing series directors look at the stars of the small screen in the early years of television, when much of the nation came to a halt whenever their shows aired. As the originators of these innovative television formats, they provided an essential escape for millions of viewers.
Earth Moods (Disney Plus) — It’s billed as a “visual and soundscape experience,” and it delivers in five serene episodes that showcase stunning and peaceful nature cinematography — minus any narration. The series explores frozen landscapes, beaches, deserts, forests and nighttime city lights. You just watch…and relax. TV-G.
Storm Boy (Amazon Prime) — Storm Boy is a loving and heartwarming film that’ll charm the whole family. Starring Geoffrey Rush as Michael Kingley, a retired businessman experiencing fleeting visions of his past. As the film unfolds, we learn that in his youth, Michael spent his days on a largely uninhabited part of the Southern Australian coastline. It was here that he rescued and formed a close bond with an extraordinary pelican he deemed Mr. Percival. A rather faithful adaptation of a novella by Colin Thiele and the second film adaptation of the source material.
By Michael Foust and Dwight Widaman | Metro Voice
