The CW Debuts Jesus Christ Drama ‘The Chosen’ in July

The Chosen on The CW
(Image credit: The CW)

The CW has acquired the Jesus Christ drama The Chosen, which will premiere July 16. The network acquired the first three seasons of the show, which has Jonathan Roumie as Jesus. Dallas Jenkins created the series. 

The Chosen will run throughout the fall, the seasons running consecutively, with the season three finale on Christmas Eve. 

There are 24 episodes. 

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,” said Brad Schwartz, president of entertainment at The CW. “This show has already connected deeply with viewers around the world, and The CW will expand its audience even further.”

The CW calls The Chosen a historical drama about Jesus as seen through the eyes of his followers. Set against the backdrop of Jewish oppression in first-century Israel, the show offers an intimate look at Jesus’ revolutionary life and teachings. 

The fourth season is in production.

The CW has always been bold and unique, which is perfect for us,” said Jenkins. “Plus, Brad Schwartz made it clear a while ago he loves and respects The Chosen, so we know it’ll be in great hands.”

Season one is on Netflix and Prime Video. The series has also streamed on VidAngel, a network that allows viewers to filter out content they deem to be objective. VidAngel initially crowd-funded the series. 

The Chosen is written, directed, produced and created by Dallas Jenkins and is distributed globally by Lionsgate.

Seven seasons are planned. 

Michael Malone

Michael Malone is content director at B+C and Multichannel News. He joined B+C in 2005 and has covered network programming, including entertainment, news and sports on broadcast, cable and streaming; and local broadcast television, including writing the "Local News Close-Up" market profiles. He also hosted the podcasts "Busted Pilot" and "Series Business." His journalism has also appeared in The New York Times, The L.A. Times, The Boston Globe and New York magazine.