PIC MINISERIES SEEN BY MORE THAN 68 MILLION IN JUST 15 DAYS
The hottest show on television keeps getting hotter: Sunday’s third installment of THE BIBLE was once again tops in the ratings for all of television, drawing 11 million viewers.
That marks the second time in three weeks the epic miniseries bested even perennial ratings powerhouse “60 Minutes” – a show with a storied pedigree it premiered when THE BIBLE executive producers, husband and wife Roma Downey and Mark Burnett, were just 7 years old.
Since debuting March 3, THE BIBLE has been seen by more than 68 million people in its first-run airings and encore presentations.
Diogo Morgaldo as Jesus in THE BIBLE Mini-Series; Produced by Mark Burnett and Roma Downey
“The most-read book of all time is the most-watched TV event of our time!” Burnett said. “Roma and I can’t thank the show’s millions of fans enough for taking this passion project of ours and making it the breakout hit of the year.”
Downey said she never envisioned the series rocketing to such success when she bounced the idea for the show off her husband over a cup of tea nearly four years ago.
“We just wanted to breathe a little fresh visual life into the sacred text we both love,” she said. “The response has been more than we could have hoped for. The Bible says we love God because He first loved us; the ratings show just how deeply people love God, and we pray the series makes clear just how deeply God loves us.”
Four new episodes of THE BIBLE remain, to be aired in two-hour blocks on March 24 and Easter Sunday, March 31, at 8/7c on HISTORY. The series devotes itself during the rest of its run to the ministry, teachings, death, resurrection and ascension of Jesus, and the work of His disciples to build the Christian church.
“We really believe the best is still to come,” Burnett said.
“If you’ve liked what you’ve seen so far,” Downey added, “just wait!”
Behind-The-Scenes; Producers Mark Burnett and Roma Downey on set at the Fint location.
About Roma Downey
A celebrated, Emmy-nominated actress Roma Downey is best known for her nine seasons as the tender-hearted angel on the hit CBS show Touched by an Angel. Roma starred in over 200 episodes and her work as the compassionate angel inspired millions of people around the world and earned Roma multiple best actress nominations for Emmy’s and Golden Globe awards. Born in Ireland and classically trained in London, Ms. Downey has performed on stage with the famed Abbey Theatre Company and has appeared both on and off Broadway.
She played the leading role of Jackie Kennedy Onassis in the Emmy award winning six hour miniseries for NBC called “A Woman Named Jackie.” Ms. Downey not only starred in, but executive produced seven television movies for The CBS network, among them “Borrowed Hearts” with Eric Mc Cormack and “Second Honeymoon” with Tim Matheson.
She is the executive producer of the children’s DVD and book series “Little Angels” and its companion “Little Angels Storybook Bible”. Downey is currently producing a ten hour miniseries, The Bible with her husband, Mark Burnett. This is being produced under their company LightWorkers Media and is the first collaboration of this husband and wife team.
Ms. Downey not only produced the series but stepped into the role of Mary the Mother of Christ. Ms. Downey and Mr. Burnett have co-authored a companion book to the series ‘A Story of God and all of Us.’ The book is to be published this Spring by Faith Words. For many years Ms Downey has been a spokesperson for “Operation Smile” a volunteer organization that brings free surgeries to children around the globe with facial deformities. She has travelled to third world and developing countries making fund raising films on their behalf.
About Mark Burnett
Four-time Emmy Award winner Mark Burnett has produced over 1,200 hours of television programming which regularly airs in over 70 countries worldwide. His current network series include “Survivor” (CBS), “The Voice” (NBC), “The Celebrity Apprentice” (NBC), and “Shark Tank” (ABC).
In last 12 months Burnett series have won their time slots on 5 nights of television in the same week. Burnett is one of very few producers to have had a renewed series on each of the four major networks. He also has a strong presence in award show franchises, having produced the “MTV Movie Awards” from 2007 to 2011, the annual “People’s Choice Awards” since 2010, the “Video Game Awards” (Spike) and the 2011″Primetime Emmy Awards.”
Burnett is currently producing and distributing ten hour miniseries on The Bible (with his wife Roma Downey – Star of Touched by an Angel) for air globally in Spring 2013. Mr. Burnett has been named one of the world’s most influential people by TIME Magazine and also listed as TV Guide’s most valuable player.
He has won BRANDWEEK’S Marketer of the Year Award, The Brandon Tartikoff Legacy Award, the PGA Norman Lear Award and the prestigious ROSE D’OR FRAPA Format Award. Burnett was inducted into the Broadcasting and Cable Hall of Fame and was honored in 2010 with a star on Hollywood’s Walk of Fame. He served two elected terms on the Board of Directors for the British Academy of Film and Television Arts in Los Angeles.
About HISTORY®
HISTORY® is the leading destination for factual entertainment, including award-winning original series and specials that connect viewers with history in an informative, immersive and entertaining manner across multiple platforms. The network’s all-original programming slate, including scripted event programming, features a roster of hits including American Pickers®, American Restoration™, Ax Men™, Ice Road Truckers®, Pawn Stars®, Swamp People® and Top Shot® as well as epic mini-series and specials such as the Emmy® Award-winning Hatfields & McCoys, Gettysburg, Vietnam in HD, America The Story of Us, and 102 Minutes That Changed America. The HISTORY website is the leading online resource for all things history, and in 2011, the United States Library of Congress selected HISTORY’s Civil War 150 site for inclusion in the historic collection of Internet materials related to the American Civil War sesquicentennial. www.history.com
All-new episodes air Sunday 8/7c on HISTORY
Featured Image: Pilate (GREG HICKS) wants to know the truth from Jesus (DIOGO MORGALDO).
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