A.D. The Bible Continues

After the rousing success that was "The Bible", NBC brought the format back with "A.D.: The Bible Continues". While the ratings weren't near the original, in terms of quality the series was very well-done and just as entertaining as its predecessor.

The main plots of "A.D." revolve around three main topics:

1. The disciples of Jesus, led by Peter (Adam Levy), who are given the creed to preach His word. The problem, of course, is that Jerusalem is under strong Roman control, leading to unending conflict.

2. Pontius Pilate (Vincent Regan), Roman official stationed in Jerusalem, trying to deal with the "Jesus followers", while being advised by wife Claudia (Joanne Whalley).

3. Caiaphus (Richard Coyle), leader of the Jewish temple, and wife Leah (Jodhi May), who are caught in the middle of the Roman/Christian conflict.

The strength of this miniseries is that it shows a very intriguing "what could have been" scenario about the start of the spread of Christianity by the Disciples. You relaly get a look at how they were likely thinking/feeling in relation to their relationship with Jesus and his teachings. Too often, individuals from the Bible are looked upon as "larger than life" or somehow separated from the "average man". However, that was not the cause whatsoever. These are real people trying to comprehend the plan for God's kingdom, so obviously that is going to cause some mistakes to be made and many conflicts to arise. "A.D." doesn't shy away from any of that.

The acting and overall production value is also quite strong. This is a far cry from some cheesy re-enactment one might find on a religious network. "A.D." is a bona fide dramatic series. It just happens to be telling a story from the Bible instead of a story that someone penned in a script.

Simply put, I enjoyed "A.D." nearly as much as I did "The Bible" (the sheer breadth of the latter probably sneaks it ahead of the former by just a bit). I mainly appreciated how it didn't "preach" to the audience and chose rather to give a more individualized perspective of events: how the Disciples (and those around them) chose to react to the Resurrection and Jesus' creed to preach his word. Scholars of the Bible would likely enjoy this series, but I think its biggest fan-base would come from those who a bit more "layman" in terms of Biblical knowledge, for this one shows not just the faith of early Christians, but also the "nuts and bolts" of how that faith changed the world.

I have watched the only season that exists on Netflix repeatedly and each time that I watch it it makes me want to see more. I really hated that the plug was pulled on this show, it deserves way more credit. Jesus healed people, he loved all people, and it's sad to say that when I have visited certain ministries some of them don't believe in the power of the holy spirit, living in Christ is more than positive thinking we cannot forget the helper the comforter, the power that Jesus left for all people to access. I have received more food from this show while we are still in search for a good ministry that truly operates in all that Jesus did and taught. A place where it is not always about money, control, man or woman worship or a show but a real authentic ministry. Please continue this show, some of us love to see shows like this!!!!

Much better than The Bible. There less meaningful variances to what best sources indicate. But there are a few ... like Sapphira who admitted keeping money with excuses, when she actually denied keeping any money back -- and it makes a difference. Apparently, more than the Bible was consulted, as hints of Josephus, the Jewish historian might be seen here, as well as other sources. Production quality is remarkable. Sets, CGI, costumes, etc. are top flight. MGM did well. This is quality. It gets quite brutal at times, but it WAS a brutal era. Overall, the sense, the power, and the message gets through pretty well ... so far. Only 5 of 12 seen!

I'm honestly surprised by the reception of this series, it seems to be rather mixed compared to the original production. In all honesty I prefer this to the original Bible production, though the original had the benefit of being a genuine surprise coming from History.

What I prefer about this is that the passion remains strong, and the stories are well flushed out. By balancing a bit of pop-cinema with heart felt efforts to bring the bible to screen they are able to present a story that should be familiar to all Christians, but yet also keep you in a "wow, what will happen next week" state of mind.

The acting is very solid, I get a very strong sense of the evangelical zeel of the early church, and a good sense of hanging on by a knifes edge. As of this writing Saul of Tarsus has been introduced, and I feel he is very well played. I highly recommend watching this. No, this is not an attempt to provide you with a production where actors read scripture. But it is honest, and it will draw you into that time.

I really enjoyed this series as it is an intense, plot driven epic that has the viewer on edge and in anticipation for more. As a historical epic, it is great, but don't consider this to be a movie about the Book of Acts.

To keep a dramatic flair to the series, the producers have taken great liberties with regards to history. A lot of the stories are merged or expanded with extra details for the viewer's benefit and not based upon the actual biblical texts.

The portrayal of Pontius Pilate as a brutal tyrant was perhaps the most disappointing aspect of the series. Pilate's life, and his decision to have Christ executed, is a very deep subject and the series sadly did not address this well, simply portraying Pilate as a vicious killer who enjoyed spilling Jewish blood.

Overall, a great series, just don't hold it to Gospel (no pun intended) as a historical work about the early Church.