Churches welcome BBC Passion series
A major drama series on the last days of Jesus is to be broadcast during Holy Week 2008 on BBC ONE. The Passion is told from the point of view of Caiaphas, Pilate and the disciples.
Andrew Graystone, Director of the Churches’ Media Council, encouraged the Christian community to welcome the BBC’s Passion unreservedly. “This is a straightforward account of the last few days of the life of Jesus, told with honesty and passion,” he said. “Obviously it is a work of drama not theology. It wasn’t conceived as an exercise in evangelism. But it springs directly from the story of the Gospels.
“It promises to be the most honest and challenging account of Jesus seen on TV in many years. It will prompt believers and unbelievers alike to think about Jesus. We want to encourage and contribute to those discussions.”
The Churches’ Media Council has provided briefing notes and suggestions for churches on how to use the series, which it is estimated will be seen by more than eight million viewers.
“This Easter the whole country will be talking about Jesus. Let’s take a break from discussing the state of the Church or the finer points of theology!” said Andrew. “Instead let’s take our cue from this series and focus our discussions on the person of Jesus.”
The Passion, written by Emmy Award-winner Frank Deasy (Prime Suspect 7), stars Joseph Mawle (Soundproof) as Jesus, James Nesbitt (Murphy’s Law) as Pilate, Paul Nicholls (Clapham Junction) as Judas, along with Ben Daniels (Caiaphas), Paloma Baeza (Mary Magdalene), Penelope Wilton (Mary), Denis Lawson (Annas) and David Oyelowo (Joseph of Arimathea).
The series, which was filmed in Morocco, is visually arresting and rich in colour, with the story rooted in the tangled and chaotic world in which it took place - the city of Jerusalem during Passover week.
Set in the political and religious context of the time, it combines both narrative tension and thematic power to convey the extraordinary events that took place that week in a bold and distinctive way.
This production places the audience at the heart of the action by telling the story from three points of view - the religious authorities, the Romans and Jesus.
For the first time, all the key players are intimately characterised with Jesus (Joseph Mawle) at the centre.
Full of emotion and charged with energy, beginning with Jesus’s prophetic entrance through the East Gate, following him to his crucifixion and its startling aftermath.
Award-winning producer Nigel Stafford-Clark says: “The Passion is a gripping, multi-stranded dramatisation of not just the most familiar but arguably the greatest story ever told.
“Both truthful and simple, it gives it back to the audience in a way that will feel as fresh, contemporary and surprising as if it were happening for the first time.”
What can a Local Church Do?
Encourage people to watch it!
We suggest that local churches don“t hold screenings of The Passion in churches and public buildings. The series is already being broadcast into almost every home in the country! It might be more useful to cancel existing events to allow people to watch the series.
Host a debate or discussion
Churches may want to hold debates, discussion groups or talks after the broadcasts in homes, pubs or coffee bars. In particular, the Easter Sunday episode dealing with the resurrection appearances is likely to be a good subject for discussion. For some it may be appropriate to discuss the evidence for the resurrection, or the historical reliability of the gospel texts. For others the question will be “what does Jesus mean to me?” or “what difference can his resurrection make in my life?”
Refer to the series in Easter sermons The chances are that many people who come to church around Easter will also have seen some or all of the series. You may want to use the series as a springboard for Christian teaching and preaching.
Advertise a guest event
Many people are open to coming to a church service at Easter. You may want to advertise a guest event as part of your Easter programme - and make sure that anyone who brings their questions to church finds an appropriate welcome!
Contact your local media
You could notify your local radio station about the broadcasts, and offer spokespeople to take part in any discussion about the series. Most BBC Local Radio stations are already planning to feature the series in their programmes for Holy Week.
If you are going to hold an event, the local press may be interested in covering the story. Make sure you give them at least a fortnight’s notice. Most local papers will also sell advertising space. You could offer to write a column for the local paper for Holy Week, or offer an article in which prominent local figures say what Jesus means to them. The BBC will provide pictures to illustrate newspaper and magazine articles.
Encourage feedback to the BBC
The BBC is always glad to receive comments from viewers - both negative and especially positive. We hope that many people will want to offer feedback on this production. The address to write to is: BBC Television Centre, Wood Lane, London W12 7RJ.
Episode 1
Palm Sunday 16th March, BBC ONE, 8pm (one hour)
It’s Passover in Jerusalem, and the city is bursting with pilgrims. It’s a tense time for those charged with keeping order - like Pilate the Roman Prefect and Caiaphas the High Priest. The arrival of a preacher from Galilee called Jesus causes great excitement when he enters through the East Gate on a donkey’s colt, fulfilling prophecies of the coming of the Messiah. For Jesus’ band of disciples, hardened by several years on the road, this is the moment they’ve been waiting for, but none of them suspects how momentous this week will be.
Episode 2
Monday 17th March, BBC ONE, 8.30pm (30 mins)
Caiaphas is growing increasingly anxious that Jesus’ preaching will provoke unrest and bring in the Romans, and when Jesus appears to threaten the Temple it’s the final straw. As Jesus tries to explain his destiny to the disciples, Caiaphas calls a council and presents it with a stark choice. With Passover approaching, a fateful decision is taken, and Judas finds himself placed in an impossible position.
Episode 3
Good Friday 21st March, BBC ONE, 9pm (one hour)
Jesus shares his Last Supper with the disciples, and teaches them their last and most important lesson. Whilst Judas slips away to fetch the Temple guards, Jesus leads the disciples to the Garden of Gethsemane and tries to prepare himself for what is to come. The next few hours will bring him face to face with Caiaphas, with Pilate and with his own destiny.
Episode 4
Easter Sunday 23rd March, BBC ONE, time TBC (around 8pm, 30 mins)
As Jesus is taken from the cross and buried, his disciples cower in hiding. Caiaphas, fearful that the body will be stolen, orders the tomb to be guarded. But when Mary Magdalene discovers it empty, a chain of events is about to begin that will transform the lives of the disciples and reverberate throughout the world for the next two thousand years.
Links:
Churches Media Council Leaflet (415k)http://www.bbc.co.uk/religion/programmes/thepassion/
http://www.churchesmediacouncil.org.uk/passion/