Roma Downey’s and Mark Burnett’s television miniseries “The Dovekeepers,” is now set for airing on CBS March 31 and April 1. Based on Alice Hoffman’s best-selling historical novel, the two two-hour series focuses on the siege of Masada. Hoffman’s book centers on four women whose lives intersect as they fight for survival at Masada. Set in ancient Israel the story is based on true events at Masada in 70 AD. Because they have been forced from their homes in Jerusalem by the Romans, 900 Jews have gathered in an ancient fortress on the mountain of Masada in the Judean desert overlooking the Dead Sea in Israel. During a siege, the Jews have held out for months against the vast Roman armies.
The first part of Roma Downey’s and Mark Burnett’s “The Dovekeepers” airs on television March 31 with the second part airing on April 1. Roma Downey and husband, Mark Burnett, have been working at producing first-rate, inspirational, new television programming for 2015 that includes the following: “The Dovekeepers,” “A.D. Beyond the Bible,” and “Unveiled.” Downey and Burnett have been on the forefront of the growing popularity and success of Biblical, inspirational programming for theaters and television.
At the recent Movieguide Awards Gala in Hollywood, Downey and Burnett’s movie“The Son of God” won the award for its Best Family Movie of 2014. At the recent Movieguide Awards weekend events in Hollywood, behind the scenes Downey and Burnett sent gracious greetings and their enthusiastic response to the awards ceremony from overseas where they were already at work on their next project.
The miniseries follows events from the point of view of four women who arrive at Masada independently and who have unique backstories, but who together have a common bond for survival. These women are the keepers of the doves that are essential to the community’s agriculture at Masada. The story is a love story in the midst of a terrible tragedy. (A tragic story is dramatically told as a warning to discourage the repeating of such events.) Roma Downey has indicated that this story has timely, universal implications.
From the Alice Hoffman Web site the four central women are described, “Hoffman weaves a spellbinding tale of four extraordinary bold, resourceful, and sensuous women, each of whom comes to Masada by a different path. Yael’s mother died in childbirth, and her father, an expert assassin, never forgave her for that death. Revka, a village baker’s wife, watched the horrifically brutal murder of her daughter by Roman soldiers; she brings to Masada her young grandsons, rendered mute by their own witness.
On the set of Dovekeepers in Malta; Photo Courtesy of CBS.
Aziza is a warrior’s daughter, raised as a boy, a fearless rider and expert marksman who finds passion with a fellow soldier. Shirah, born in Alexandria, is wise in the ways of ancient magic and medicine, a woman with uncanny insight and power. The lives of these four complex and fiercely independent women intersect in the desperate days of the siege. All are dovekeepers, and all are also keeping secrets — about who they are, where they come from, who fathered them, and who they love.”
Due to the violence, sensuality of the central women, and elements of ancient magic, this series is not for young people. According to Roma Downey, “The Dovekeepers” is a story from a tragic, bloody chapter in history but the foundation of the story is about love and the resilience of the human spirit. Of “Dovekeepers,” Downey has said, “We’re most interested in telling stories that find light in the darkness… is really a love story …in the face of this incredible tragedy… What attracted me was that it had these amazing, courageous and powerful women…profoundly moving, and it’s incredibly inspiring.”
Roma Downey has said that after the huge success of her “Bible” miniseries on the History Channel, which drew more than 100 million views, she thought viewers would want to see “Dovekeepers.” Because she was a big fan of the novel, she decided to produce the story. CBS Entertainment president Nina Tassler has said, “We’re thrilled to be working with Roma Downey and Mark Burnett to bring Alice Hoffman’s epic saga to life. Mark and Roma possess an amazing passion for telling biblical stories and for producing entertaining television on an event scale.”
Diego Boneta in Dovekeepers; Photo Courtesy of CBs.
Downey also has shared how the idea for the series came from a journey she took to Masada several years ago. She tells how she was moved by the plight of these doomed people and the idea that “the power of courage was greater than fear and faith…love was greater than hate… sacrifice can be greater than the power of war.” She has explained how she reached out to Hoffman to secure the rights to the book and, then brought the project to CBS’s chief Nina Tassler, who had herself had just returned from Masada. Tassler gave Downey the green light.
Downey has explained that the miniseries will remain true to the spirit and essence of Hoffman’s novel, but it will condense the story to fit its four-hour timeframe. “Dovekeepers” has been filmed primarily in Malta, with a bit of additional film work in Masada itself and the Jordan desert. Downey has said that the feel of the miniseries with its impressive CGI elements is epic in the fashion of historical films of the past but that it also focuses on the individual keepers of the doves. Cote de Pablo, who stars in the series, has added, “I think, in the end, ‘The Dovekeepers’ is a story about love and hope…”
The cast and crew of Dovekeepers; Photo Courtesy of CBS.
As well as Cote de Pablo, the series features Rachel Brosnahan, Kathryn Prescott, Diego Boneta and Sam Neill. Neill plays Roman scholar Flavius Josephus, an historical figure and Jerusalem-born author of The Jewish War, which chronicles the siege of the desert mountaintop fortress and the subsequent tragic mass suicide of more than 900 Jews, who chose death by their own hand rather than capture by Rome’s troops.
“The Dovekeepers” debuts just before Passover. Stay tuned for more about “A.D. Beyond the Bible,” that opens Easter Day. Then watch for more on “Unveiled.”
By Diane Howard, Ph.D. (Performance Studies)
Featured Image: Producer Roma Downey, Cote de Pablo, Rachel Brosnahan. Photo Courtesy of CBS.
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