History Series / TheBible2013

* AdiposeRex: Herod the Great is hugely fat and beardless, not the way he's usually shown. It makes him come across as something like a eunuch. It's similar to the Herods in the 1973 film of ''Music/JesusChristSuperstar'' and ''Film/ThePassionOfTheChrist''.

* ScaryBlackMan: Samson, played by Nonso Anozie, is an enormous black man who effortlessly annihilate any Philistine that comes at him.

* ViceCity: Sodom, as shown in the series. Though it doesn't depict men sharing affections with each other, it is morally repulsive enough that Lot goes into hiding with his wife and two daughters just to escape how brutal its men are, particularly with the two angels that humbly visit the city, only to later reveal themselves as badass warriors that provide Lot and his family a means of escape before the city is destroyed.

** {{Jesus}}'s conception and birth

''The Bible'' was a live-action miniseries presented in 2013 by TheHistoryChannel. Two of the executive producers are Creator/MarkBurnett (''Series/{{Survivor}}'', ''Series/TheApprentice'') and his wife Roma Downey (''Series/TouchedByAnAngel''). It's a dramatization of some key stories from, well, Literature/TheBible, both the [[UsefulNotes/{{Judaism}} Jewish]] and [[UsefulNotes/{{Christianity}} Christian]] parts. It doesn't try to cover everything, just aiming for the broad sweep and a few key stories.

* AuthorityEqualsAsskicking: The two angels who are sent to rescue Lot and his family are quite proficient with swords.
* [[BadassCape Badass Cloak]]: The angels rock red cloaks whenever they show up.
* BaldOfEvil: The Pharoah.
** There is a degree of TruthInTelevision; males in Ancient Egypt often shaved their heads except for a single plait of hair.

* RaceLift: While most Israelites look stereotypically middle-eastern (brown hair, olive skin), Samson and his mother are black.
** Angels are presented in a variety of races. Justified in that [[OurAngelsAreDifferent angels don't really have bodies in the Bible]], and they look however they want to look for the job at hand. Jesus, however, looks incredibly Caucasian, thought He [[ButNotTooWhite may have a tan]] or be AmbiguouslyBrown. It's hard to tell with the lighting.

* HistoricalVillainDowngrade: Averted with Pilate, who is portrayed just as tyrannical as history records him, in an aversion of the usual portrayal. However, he's still a bit of a PunchClockVillain who sees Jesus as just another delusional worshiper, and he only goes to the extent of crucifying Jesus on the pressure of the priests, who obviously annoy him as they do so.

* ButForMeItWasTuesday: Pontius Pilate, the Roman who oversees the trial and sentencing of Jesus to be crucified, notes "he's hardly the first Jew we've killed. He'll be forgotten in a week."

** Samson, unusually, combines this with DreadlockWarrior. As a Nazarite, he has untrimmed, matted hair as a symbol of devotion to God. But he also kicks Philistine butt. When he loses the dreads, he can't fight.

* TheLastThingYouEverSee: Played straight with both Samson (the last thing he sees is a bribe dumped into Delilah's lap) and King Zedekiah (the last thing he sees is his sons' throats being cut). Then, in both cases, the man who says it puts out the prisoner's eyes [[EyeScream with his thumbs]]. (The blinding comes from Literature/TheBible. The taunt, and doing it with thumbs, comes straight from this show.)

** Of the 12 Apostles, there were two named Judas, two James, and two Simon. (In each case, one was much more famous than the other.) The show never mentions the less-famous ones by name.

** Angels are presented in a variety of races. Justified in that [[OurAngelsAreDifferent angels don't really have bodies in the Bible]], and they look however they want to look for the job at hand. Jesus, however, looks incredibly Caucasian.

* {{Foreshadowing}}: Several examples. One example is the fight between Moses and Pharaoh's biological son, which represents [[spoiler:Moses' struggle against Pharaoh to see his people freed]].

* AGodAmI: Pharaoh fancies himself as such (which is TruthInTelevision: [[IThoughtItMeant'''only because''']] the Ancient Egyptians believed that those of royal blood were descended from the gods). Moses says otherwise [[PretenderDiss and God proves it]].

* AGodAmI: Pharaoh fancies himself as such. Moses thinks otherwise.

* AdaptationDistillation: The Bible is ''long.'' The show is done in 10 hours, with commercials. They had to make choices.

* ButForMeItWasTuesday: Pontius Pilate, the Roman who oversees the trial and sentencing of Jesus to be crucified, notes "he's hardly the first Jew we've killed. He'll be forgotten in a week."

* IWarnedYou: The kings of Israel tend not to listen to the warnings of God's prophets, and boy, does it cost them.

* TheLastThingYouEverSee: Played straight with both Samson (the last thing he sees is a bribe dumped into Delilah's lap) and King Zedekiah (the last thing he sees is his sons' throats being cut). Then, in both cases, the man who says it puts out the prisoner's eyes [[EyeScream with his thumbs]]. (The blinding comes from Literature/TheBible. The taunt, and doing it with thumbs, comes straight from this show.)

** Angels are presented in a variety of races. Justified in that [[OurAngelsAreDifferent angels don't really have bodies]], and they look however they want to look for the job at hand. Jesus, however, looks incredibly Caucasian.

Thanks to the success of the TV series, a CompilationMovie was released in 2014: ''Film/SonOfGod'', focusing on the Jesus bits of the TV show expanded to include deleted scenes that never made it to broadcast. A sequel, ''[[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/A.D.:_The_Bible_Continues A.D.: The Bible Continues]]'', will premiere on Easter 2015.

Thanks to the success of the TV series, a CompilationMovie was released in 2014: ''Film/SonOfGod'', focusing on the Jesus bits of the TV show expanded to include deleted scenes that never made it to broadcast.

* IWarnedYou: The kings of Israel tend not to listen to the warnings of God's prophets and boy, does it cost them.
** Jeremiah tells Zedekiah that surrendering to the Babylonians is the best course of action, as it would spare his life and those of his children and of Jerusalem. Of course, Zedekiah does not listen and Jerusalem is burned to the ground, its people enslaved, and Zedekiah is blinded in both eyes, the last thing he sees is his children being executed.

** Angels are presented in a variety of races. Justified in that [[OurAngelsAreDifferent angels don't really have bodies]], and they look however they want to look for the job at hand.

** When Paul is still a bad guy, he leaves no scenery unchewed.

''The Bible'' was a live-action miniseries presented in 2013 by TheHistoryChannel. Two of the executive producers are Creator/MarkBurnett (''Series/{{Survivor}}'', ''Series/TheApprentice'') and his wife Roma Downey (''Series/TouchedByAnAngel''). It's a dramatization of some key stories from, well, Literature/TheBible, both the [[UsefulNotes/Judaism Jewish]] and [[UsefulNotes/Christianity Christian]] parts. It doesn't try to cover everything, just aiming for the broad sweep and a few key stories.

** Jesus's conception and birth

* AdiposeRex: Herod the Great is hugely fat and beardless, not the way he's usually shown. It makes him come across as something like a eunuch.
** It's similar to the Herods in ''Music/JesusChristSuperstar'' (1970s film version) and ''Film/ThePassionOfTheChrist''.

* DreadlockRasta: John the Baptist has dreads, appropriate as he is a wild mystic who lives off in the desert.

* EvilIsHammy: While Paul is still a bad guy, he leaves no scenery unchewed.

''The Bible'' was a live-action miniseries presented in 2013 by TheHistoryChannel. Two of the executive producers are Creator/MarkBurnett (''Series/{{Survivor}}'', ''Series/TheApprentice'') and his wife Roma Downey (''Series/TouchedByAnAngel''). It's a dramatization of some key stories from, well, Literature/TheBible. It doesn't try to cover everything, just aiming for the broad sweep and a few key stories.

** The Last Supper, Judas's betrayal, Jesus's arrest

** Jesus's suffering, death, and resurrection

* AdaptationDistillation: The Bible is ''long.'' The show is done in ten hours, with commercials. They had to make choices.

** It's similar to the Herods in ''Music/JesusChristSuperstar'' (70s film version) and ''Film/ThePassionOfTheChrist''.

* [[BadassCape Badass Cloak:]] The angels rock red cloaks whenever they show up.

** Samson, unusually, combines this with DreadlockWarrior. As a Nazirite, he has untrimmed, matted hair as a symbol of devotion to God. But he also kicks Philistine butt. When he loses the dreads, he can't fight.

* HistoricalVillainDowngrade: Averted with Pilate, who is portrayed just as tyrannical as history records him, in an aversion of the usual portrayal. However, he's still a bit of a PunchClockVillain who sees Jesus as just another delusional worshiper, and he only goes to the extent of crucifying him on the pressure of the priests, who obviously annoy him as they do so.

** Prior to that, King Saul disobeys God by not following His orders as given to him by Samuel, thus paving the way for David to take over as king.

** Of the twelve Apostles, there were two named Judas, two James, and two Simon. (In each case, one was much more famous than the other.) The show never mentions the less-famous ones by name.

* RecursiveAdaptation: There's a novelization.

* AGodAmI: Pharoah fancies himself as such. Moses thinks otherwise.

* ActorAllusion: Shakesperian actor Greg Hicks, who plays Pontius Pilate, has played both Brutus and Julius Caesar in separate productions of ''Julius Caesar.''
** Paul Freeman, who plays the prophet Samuel, also played Rev. Phillip Shooter in ''Film/HotFuzz''.
** Aharon Ipale, who plays the Pharoah of Exodus, is Seti I in ''[[Film/TheMummy1999 The Mummy]]''.
** Sebastian Knapp, who plays the Apostle John, played the Apostle Matthew in the 1999 miniseries ''Jesus.''
** Conan Stevens, who plays Goliath, is best known as Gregor 'The Mountain' Cleagne in Game of Thrones.
*** The Narrator is Creator/KeithDavid which makes the last half of the second episode all the more memorable, hearing him mention [[WesternAnimation/{{Gargoyles}} Goliath]].

* CrowningMusicOfAwesome: The [[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mn8tv2YRfR0 main theme]] of the miniseries, composed by HansZimmer.

* HeyItsThatGuy:
** Roma Downey, best known for her role as Monica on ''TouchedByAnAngel,'' is Mother Mary (and is one of the show's producers).
** [[GameOfThrones Xaro Xhoan Daxos]] is Samson.
** Anyone else notice that [[GameOfThrones Yoren]] is King Saul?
** [[GameOfThrones Gregor 'The Mountain' Clegane]] is Goliath.
** Yes, that is [[{{Film/PrinceOfPersiaTheSandsOfTime}} Asoka]] as Saint Peter.
** [[HouseOfSaddam Hala Hussein]] is Mary Magdalene.
** Good Lord, that's [[RaidersOfTheLostArk René Belloq]], aka [[HotFuzz Rev. Shooter]] as the prophet Samuel!
** [[{{Series/Defiance}} Irisa Nyria]] is Rahab the prostitute.
* HeyItsThatVoice: Yup, that's Creator/KeithDavid as the Narrator.

* {{Narm}}: The angels escorting Lot's family are depicted as DualWielding armored warriors who mow down attackers in slow-motion.