NBC is partnering with prolific producer Mark Burnett on his
follow-up project to The Bible miniseries as the first title in the
network's new longform programming initiative.
A.D.: Beyond the Bible (working title) is the sequel
to the 10-part The Bible that aired on History this spring to huge
ratings, withits premiere drawing 13.1 million total viewers. The next iteration will
begin after Jesus' betrayal and death, when his disciples take a stand against
Rome and the local authorities.
Burnett will executive produce the project with his wife and
Bible collaborator Roma Downey and Richard Bedser in a coproduction
between LightWorkers Media, Hearst Productions and Universal Television.
Burnett is already producer of NBC's The Voice and Celebrity
Apprentice.
"I followed the development process of The Bible
closely with Mark and knew that the story was far from over after Christ's
Crucifixion. In fact, what happened in the aftermath -- which is
essentially the beginning of Christianity -- is utterly fascinating," said NBC
Entertainment chairman Bob Greenblatt. "The day after The Bible
premiered, I told Mark we were on board with no hesitation for the follow-up
miniseries. This will be attention-getting in every way, and we're proud to
continue our association with Mark which has just grown exponentially from The
Voice."
NBC last month hired ABC's QuinnTaylor to head a new longform programming group as executive VP of movies, miniseries
and international coproductions like Hannibal, Crossbones and the
upcoming Camp.
