NBC’s A.D. The Bible Continues — executive produced by Roma Downey and Mark Burnett — picks up where History’s miniseries The Bible left off, following the crucifixion of Jesus. The limited series premieres April 5 at 9 p.m. ET. The following are reviews from TV critics around the web, compiled by B&C.
“Opportunistically picking up where The Bible left off on History channel, NBC’s A.D. The Bible Continues is strictly more of the same, a thuddingly earnest interpretation of the scriptures from producers Mark Burnett and Roma Downey, who have virtually copyrighted the book. Preaching to the choir, this continuation of Jesus’ story is populated by fine British actors, but feels less stirring than calculated.”
—Brian Lowry, Variety
“It’s also because they have focused on the drama of the story — the personal and the political arena of the at-first-struggling Apostles and the swords and centurions of the unforgiving Roman Empire — as well as the faith. The result is somewhat House Of Cards meets Game Of Thrones – which as source material goes, isn’t bad at all.”
—Dominic Patten, Deadline
“Thanks to the success of the first version, however, A.D. is not simply a retread — and does not have to recycle old footage. A larger budget has allowed for better production values, and some rethinking has allowed for a stronger and more diverse cast, led by Juan Pablo di Pace as Jesus, Greta Scacchi as Mary, Chipo Chung as Mary Magdalene, Adam Levy as Peter, Richard Coyle as Caiaphus and Vincent Regan as Pontius Pilate.”
—Robert Bianco, USA Today
“Is this the account of one of the most significant events in human history, or just another entry in the Kick-Ass movie franchise? The series pretends to stay true to tradition, yet seems to care very little about presenting Jesus with due dignity, if not reverence.”
—Tirdad Derakhshani, Philadelphia Inquirer
