The success of the television series “The Chosen” has caught even its creator off guard.
“Early on, our primary audience was believers, because that’s who was more attracted to a Jesus show,” Dallas Jenkins says. “But as the buzz has been building, we’re hearing all the time from atheists, agnostics, people in the industry — even the friends and family of our casting crews, many of whom are not believers themselves, who just loved the show as a regular show.
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“Hopefully, it’s making them think more about who Jesus was and wanting to look more into it.”
Now in its second season, “The Chosen” is the first multi-season series based on the life of Jesus Christ and the largest crowd-funded media project in history. Since its premiere in November 2017, episodes of “The Chosen” have been watched more than 150 million times and translated into more than 50 languages
What has surprised and excited Jenkins most is who “The Chosen” has touched over the last several years.
“One woman told me about her mom, who is in her 80s and has Alzheimer’s,” he said. “Her brain is, for all intents and purposes, gone. And yet every time ‘The Chosen’ comes on, she engages, she responds, she laughs. Her daughter told me that the show is their opportunity to reconnect with their mom because of Jesus. That was pretty extraordinary.”
Numerous parents of special-needs children have shared how the show has ministered to their families.
“We hear about these young children with extreme special needs who, when they watch the show, light up,” he said. “It doesn’t make sense, because the show is complex. It’s not a simple, easy-to-follow Sunday school story. I believe that with this show, God is removing all these barriers and removing the scales from our eyes to allow us to see Jesus very clearly, from the very young to the very old.”
Executive Producer Derral Eves said the goal is for “one billion people to see the authentic Jesus” through the show, adding, “I believe that we can inspire other people to have the values that Jesus Christ taught as we share ‘The Chosen.’”
“I truly do believe this show has impact, and it has power,” he said. “The world needs ‘The Chosen.’ If there’s ever a time that the world needs Jesus, it’s now — and not just Jesus, an authentic Jesus that people can literally connect with.”
–Alan Goforth | Metro Voice
