Following the ratings success of The Bible mini-series on History, NBC ordered a sequel — AD: The Bible Continues. Has this mini-series been the answer to the network’s prayers? Will they want a second season?
Produced by Mark Burnett and Roma Downey, AD: The Bible Continues tells the tale of the later chapters of biblical history (following the Crucifixion of Christ). It focuses on the disciples who had to go forward and spread the teachings of Christ to a world dominated by political unrest. The cast includes Juan Pablo Di Pace, Adam Levy, Richard Coyle, Vincent Regan, Greta Scacchi, Babou Ceesay, Chipo Chung, Emmett J. Scanlan, Jodhi May, Joanne Whalley, Ken Bones, Kevin Doyle, Helen Daniels, and Fraser Ayers.
The series debuted on April 5th to a respectable 2.33 rating in the 18-49 demographic with 9.68 million viewers. Unfortunately, the numbers saw severe drops in weeks two (falling 28%) and three (falling 31%) and the rating have kept coming down nearly every week. AD has hit series lows of a 0.7 rating in the demo and little more than four million viewers.
Though this was billed as a mini-series, the producers have said that their writers have been working on scripting season two. Just in case the network wants a second season, they need the additional lead time to have episodes ready for next Easter.
Still, based on the ratings, there doesn’t seem to be much reason for NBC to order a second season of AD. They could make the show an annual event but the audience numbers really aren’t big enough for a network.
Burnett and Downey could however choose to take the project back to cable where The Bible was a big success for them. That also did very well with DVD sales. In today’s ever-shifting marketplace, they could find enough outlets to keep producing Bible-based series for years to come without being on a network.
What do you think? Would you like to see a second season of AD: The Bible Continues on NBC? Would you watch it elsewhere?
7/3 update: NBC has cancelled the series. They won’t air a second season but…
Yes yes yes!!! Please season 2!!!! Me and my mother absolutely love this show!!! We were sad to see it end!!! Please renew!!! Don’t let it end there!!!
We definitely want to see another season!!!!!
Yes! I would definitely watch it. The series was amazing.
Love this show- please continue! !
Loved it!
Please continue the series.
My family does not have cable or satellite and can only watch it via antenna on network tv.
This is an excellent show for family time and discussion. Thank you.
I am so disappointed. I am sitting here as i have for every Sunday since Easter waiting on AD to come on. To my surprise it didn’t come on. Now know NBC has the right to but as a viewer I am really pissed. We have to watch all these shows with profanity in every other sentence, open gay relationships, Half naked people on everything and yet we can’t have one descent show to watch. This is some bull and I’m so pissed right about now! I hope ratings on everything you try and replace AD with fails!
I really enjoyed the series and enlighten my knowledge of the Bible!
Please continue AD The Bible continues. We enjoy watching the shoe and pray it will bring others to Christ.
I would love to see this show come back again I started to DVR it every night it came on since,
I work evenings it sad to see that shows that have JESUS in them they are willing to cancel we
really need more shows like this.
Please get this show back in asap! It’s the only series I look forward to seeing every week.
Put it back on tv …we love this show!
NBC don’t chicken out of this one, sign up and show the show, There are born again Christians all the time, and next year you may get a rating of 20 million or more. Don’t lose this show to another network or you will lose me and others who are devoted to watching only Bible based things. Even non watchers this year may be interested in the Bible stories next year, wanting to know these true stories that were never filmed before of the new testament. And frankly this country needs it. Don’t let us down NBC, I thank you… Read more »
Please please please continue AD it is awesome. Great tv for us all. More things like this need to be on then the trash of today. Please put it back on ASAP. our family looks forward to Sunday night and now it’s not on were lost on what to watch
Please continue A.D. The Bible Continues for another season! I don’t care if NBC wants to carry it. Put it elsewhere if they don’t want it. There is enough junk on TV. This has been a refreshing addition to TV.