The Passion comes to BBC1
No, not the Mel Gibson film, but a new TV drama series, due to hit your screens during Holy Week. Staring Joseph Mawle as Jesus and James Nesbitt as Pontius Pilate, there will be four episodes, beginning on Palm Sunday and concluding on Easter Sunday. The BBC haven’t released their programme schedule yet to be able to tell you what time its on, so let’s hope it isn’t squeezed in at ten minutes to midnight or on while I’m leading worship at church.
The drama has its own area on the BBC web site, and includes some of the background to the drama as well as details of each of the episodes. There are also some interesting articles that suggest that this is going to be worth watching. An attempt is being made with this drama to tell the Easter story in light of the Judaism that Jesus lived and breathed. The fact that Jesus was a Jew has often been overlooked by film makers and scholars alike.
“The Passion successfully places Jesus the Jew in his Jewish context,” writes Ed Kessler.
If they also release the drama on the new BBC iPlayer, you’ll be able to take advantage of this drama wherever you live in the world.
The fantastic re:Jesus site also hopes to devote some space to this drama.
Anyway, it is a great opportunity to get people thinking and talking about the story.
More
BBC’s Official Passion Drama site
re:Jesus Passion Drama page
