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…
Great series, bring back for season 2.
i loved the series and was excited each week to see the stories build and with the
tech available, this series has done things that were never possible before for a Christ-Based film and mini series. I pray it comes back and shows the love of My Savior Jesus Christ
Someone told me about the show after they watched a couple of episodes. I wasn’t planning to watch it but since he was so impressed with the series, I decided to watch it on Hulu. WOW! I am hooked! Couldn’t wait to see each week’s episode and am so sad that we are now in a holding pattern. Please renew the show. The writing, acting, and pacing of the show is phenomenal. It is a good reminder that no matter how tough things are today, we have many more freedoms today than the first church had.
Please bring us a second season of The Bible Continues. I love it. Lots of interesting history. We need more shows with some real values. A lot of what’s on TV now is just garbage. Ty
I would love to have the series to come back.
I really enjoyed watching this. Please Please bring it back.
PLEASE have another season! I know so many people from my church that have looked forward to this program!
This series does not follow the scriptures to the letter but the underlining spiritual meaning of, follow Jesus Christ and choose him as your Lord And Saviour is there. This program will inspire people who want to know more about Jesus and the spreading of his message of salvation, to search his word in the bible from Genesis to Revelation’s. We need this message of salvation about our Lord Jesus Christ from death, burial and resurrection to salvation through The Name Of Jesus Christ by baptism. So we definitely need this series and would like the followers of it to… Read more »
Yes please!!! We want a second season!!! I believe it is a great way to make the bible come alive for people these days! The way the series has portrayed the lives of the disciples after Christ just makes us understand a little bit more of how incredible this message of salvation is. My family loved it!
Season 2 please ! Loved season 1…The acting is good, the special effects credible and bible facts well weaved into the story line.
As a Jewish believer in Messiah, I have been following this since The Bible series on the History Channel. I do not watch much secular television, but if you do not air another season, I will gladly follow the programming wherever it airs. I never had much use for NBC anyway. This is the one thing going for you. I am standing with those who have left comments. I hope you will give us a second season or like me, I am sure these brothers and sisters will follow the program elsewhere.
Please continue this fantastic series. The actors are all phenomenal. It would be such a shame to cancel this great series. My husband, who was not a true believer, even though he was raised in a Christian home and we are a Christian family, looked forward to watching the show every Sunday night. It actually changed his views on Jesus. Thank you for that. Please don’t cancel this awesome and inspiring show.
Really enjoyed this show. Hope there will be a season 2.
I was so dissapointed that the mini series ended. We loved the series!! It was a weekly event that my husband and I always look forward to watching together. It’s a shame that there may not be a second season. It’s always the good shows that are taken off the air. Please bring it back!
This series was awesome! We don’t have TV so we watched it faithfully every week on Hulu.com! I don’t think their ratings are accurate if you consider the many many of us in that age demographic that watch things online… at any rate, I’d love to see a season 2!
Yes i loved it and would love a second season.