As expected, NBC has decided not to move forward with a second season of AD: The Bible Continues. The 12 episode mini-series wrapped on June 21st and has now been cancelled.
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 Jesus 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 ratings saw severe drops in the weeks that followed. The finale hit a series low with a 0.7 demo and 3.56 million.
Though NBC doesn’t want a second season, the story isn’t over. Producers Mark Burnett and Roma Downey have said that their writers have been working on scripting season two for some time.
Now that NBC has cancelled the show, the producers see it as a tentpole for the launch of OTT. They have been working on the online channel since partnering with MGM to form United Artists Media Group last fall. The online channel is envisioned as a base for faith and religion-based content but won’t be launched until 2016 or 2017.
The castmembers of AD are being released from their contracts because the next incarnation won’t be filmed for awhile. As a result, there may be some recasting when production resumes.
What do you think? Should NBC have cancelled this show? Will you watch the next season online when it becomes available or prefer to watch on DVDs. Would you pay to watch this kind of programming?
This was the only show on NBC that I ever watched . It is sad to me that even though millions of people were tuning in, it was still canceled .
I will watch it wherever it goes, this was such a well written and clean programming .
we need more good biblical programs on TV. Unfortunately television is full of disgusting and morally sick shows. We will not be watching NBC anymore .
So true
I looked forward to watching it every week. I am still looking forward to watching season 2 whenever it becomes available, if I have to wait, then I have to wait.
My husband and I looked forward to the show every week. We are sad to hear there is no season 2.
I can’t believe it was cancelled! The one show that I never miss. Why do channels carry trash, like the Kardashians and cancel a wonderful show like The Bible A.D.? What does that say about TV executives????
The executives carry out the will of the people. Not enough people watched it.
Actually, the ratings are based on a select group of people who have a machine that registers what they watch. Not everyone has one and, now with most people having a DVR to record and watch at their convenience, it makes ratings difficult to calculate.
The select group of people are a good enough sample size to reflect America as a whole, it’s accurate up to a small percentage. This is also how political polls are conducted. DVR ratings are also recorded.
I really enjoyed the series. With all the violence and sexual exploitation on TV anymore, this was a godsend. Please reconsider. We need more of this type of series. I looked forward to watching every week.
my husband and I look forward to this show every week . It should not be cancelled it is a wonderful depiction of history and a very needed kind of show at this time in the world ! Please reconsider
God is not here or he wouldn’t have let this show get cancelled! Oh, but he can’t even help suffering children, much less a show about him. Mysterious ways ‘n’ all that, eh?
No,no,no, the show shouldn’t be cancelled.. It troubles me and saddens my heart, thatit will not air I feel we live in a world who has forgotten our Lord and all his mercy that has been shown to us in a world so far away from him. What will replace it? Another series of fiction and nonsense that I can’t watch with my child because of cursing and so forth. I would rather watch the truth and the sacrifice of reality of a gift that was given to us if you have faith and believe. Even though the ratings did… Read more »
I really hope you reconsider and have season 2 this is a wonderful series,
Please have season 2 this is a wonderful series i hope they reconsider
Excellent show. Series should continue
Apparently by episode 3, the sponsors starting rapidly bailing out. In my opinion, there has to be a LOT of power “somewhere” that does not “like” this series. I don’t think it was an “NBC” decision at first. They responded to the funding issues as any business would do. Also, as I have mentioned before… viewers who are not familiar with the Bible New Testament as a historical story line, the story is not “interesting yet” and can’t be understood. The required audience has to be people already somewhat familiar. Even older children don’t have enough information yet for this… Read more »
No!!! I was so exited to see season 2!!!! Please bring it back! I don’t buy seasons of shows but but I had to buy season 1 of A.D. And I will buy season 2 as well. Is a big mistake that it got cancelled 🙁
I loved the series, its a shame its not going to be renewed.
I really looked forward to AD every week. I am so disappointed it has not been renewed. It was different than so many of the shows offered now. I think NBC should reconsider.
I found this show extremely interesting and enlightening. With the dozens of mini series that ended with the death of Christ, AD Bible picked up where they “all” left off. Watching this was much easier to comprehend than trying to read the bible from cover to cover. Yes I will continue to watch in whatever format it returns.
Just finished watching the series on Shomi here in Canada. I thought the series was excellent and after the last show was happy to see that the story continued. When I looked online to see when the next season would start I was saddened to see that the series was cancelled. I think that the casting was excellent. I will be looking for the series when it comes out in the next couple of years. I hope that they will be able to bring back some of the old cast. It is sad that they did not promote this series… Read more »
I’ll follow this wherever it goes and/or buy it. I have to be careful how I spend my resources, but this show is a priority. I am so impressed with the details and context it has added to my already adequate knowledge of the New Testament… and so much more. So sad that secular people are very unlikely to have adequate interest (or entertainment?) from this well done, fine project. Without prior knowledge of the material, there is little “interest holding” action and/or dialog. It is “out of context” to the previously uninterested persons. The more I learn from each… Read more »