The CW Picks up Faith-Based Streaming Favorite in Broadcast Debut

A religious drama has risen under The CW – the network has picked up The Chosen for its first three seasons. Creator, director, and producer Dallas Jenkins (The Resurrection of Gavin Stone, What If…) created and produced the series about Jesus’ life, and Jonathan Roumie portrays the eponymous “chosen.” The show premieres on July 16 and runs through the fall, culminating on Christmas Eve with its Season 3 finale, reported Deadline. Peacock, Netflix, and Roku already stream episodes of The Chosen. This is its first U.S. broadcast home. “The Chosen is based on the biggest IP of all time and is truly a one-of-a-kind series that tells this historically significant story in a captivating, dramatic and premium way,” The CW’s President of Entertainment Brad Schwartz said in a statement. “This show has already connected deeply with viewers around the world, and The CW will expand its audience even further.” Jenkins added, “The CW has always been bold and unique, which is perfect for us. Plus, Brad Schwartz made it clear a while ago he loves and respects The Chosen, so we know it’ll be in great hands.”

Lionsgate’s President of Worldwide Television Distribution, Jim Packer, states, “As part of our global representation of this coveted property, we are pleased that The CW will become another great partner for The Chosen. This groundbreaking series already has a massive global following, and The CW platform will provide the perfect opportunity for the show to reach existing fans and inspire new ones.” A multi-season series on television, The Chosen is described as the first of its kind. The seven-season series explores Jesus’ revolutionary life and teachings in the midst of Jewish oppression in first-century Israel. The fourth season is in production at the moment. Initially a crowdsourcing project on the Angel Studios app, it has now been viewed by over 110 million people in 175 countries and will be translated into 600 languages.

The series has gained 6.5 million followers through social media, made $35 million at the box office through special-event openings, and inspired apparel lines, best-selling books, DVDs, and graphic novels. In an interview with Logos, series co-writer Tyler Thompson discussed where he draws inspiration for the show, noting, “We’ve basically ignored and avoided every previous creative portrayal of Jesus. We have drawn some inspiration from Dorothy Sayers’ Introduction to the printed text of her BBC radio drama play cycle The Man Born to Be King.” When asked how much Western culture has influenced his portrayal of Jesus, Thompson said, “It’s generally agreed upon that the historical Jesus was very different from the one who has been portrayed in art through the centuries. Since our aim is to influence the current culture through art, we portray a Jesus who speaks English (the historical Jesus obviously did not), uses modern idioms, and is sarcastic and funny in ways we have no guarantee of knowing would be true of the actual person in A.D. 30. But it’s all generally in keeping with the spirit of what we do know about Jesus, and what would make him appealing, authentic and understandable to a 21st-century audience.”