OK, so Living Biblically didn’t work out so well for CBS. The network canned it earlier this spring after its first season. But the network has another faith-based show in the works—this one a drama—and it looks pretty interesting.
Over the last several weeks, I’ve seen a surprising amount of religious content dance across the television landscape. Sure, we expect a certain amount of religiosity from Hulu’s The Handmaid’s Tale and AMC’s tellingly titled Preacher (much of it not particularly positive). But I had not expected to find religiously predicated episodes on TV Land’s Teachers, though, or Freeform’s The Bold Type. Hulu’s newest drama, Castle Rock, is spiced with all sorts of religious elements, both positive and negative—reflective, really, of the author who inspired and helped create it.
But to predicate a television show so explicitly on faith … well, that’s a harder sell. The country may still be very much a religious nation, but those who the most deeply care about faith can be particularly picky about how it’s portrayed. And many other Christians would rather spend their money on, say, Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom than Paul, Apostle of Christ.
But—assuming it’s any good—I’d like to see God Friended Me get some traction. For one, the conceit feels pretty clever and unexpected. Two, there’s a willingness to accept, struggle with and even embrace the strange paradoxes and complexities of faith. And three … well, let’s face it: Brandon Michael Hall, who was the charismatic anchor of ABC’s The Mayor, is super likable.
The series will premiere on Sept. 30 on, of course, CBS, so we’ve got a bit of a wait. But I’ll be watching.
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