When was TV’s Golden Age? Most historians will point to the early 1950s, when such comedies as I Love Lucy and The Honeymooners were all the rage. Some might point to 1990s-2000s’ “Prestige TV,” when dramas such as The Sopranos, The Wire and Mad Men were leading the charge.
But the golden age of Christian television? Could it be … right now?
As Plugged In started compiling our annual list of the year’s best television shows—looking for five shows that might fit the bill—we realized that, legitimately, we could fill all five slots with solid faith-based faire. Good Christian TV? That, my friends, just might be one of the most eye-popping trends in the world of entertainment.
But it also makes sense. Consider that streaming services are actively seeking Christian viewers. Amazon’s Prime Video has been particularly active in the faith-based sphere, with both House of David and The Chosen routinely landing in the service’s top 10. Consider that the faith-based entertainment industry has spawned its own streaming services, from The Wonder Project’s own subscription model (housed on Prime Video) to Angel’s stand-alone streaming service. Consider that some creators are turning to YouTube as a legitimate platform for creative, Christian-themed stories—allowing for more narrative space.
So with all that in mind, we’re going to do something a little different this year: We’ll give you Plugged In’s five picks for TV in the secular realm, but we’ll also spotlight five strong faith-based shows that may pique your interest.
As we dive into these series, remember: Just like the secular shows we spotlight, these Christian offerings can come with their own issues to navigate—and for some families, those issues may be deal-breakers. Be sure to check out the full Plugged In review before giving any show the green light for you and your family.
Christian Shows
The Chosen (Prime Video, BYUtv, fuboTV)
If any show ushered in this so-called “golden age” of faith-based television, it’d be The Chosen. The series has grown from a crowd-funded charmer to, for many Christians, must-see TV. Indeed, the show has become so popular that Season 5 became a theatrical movie hit, too. Could it be that Stranger Things’ own impending foray into theaters might be inspired by … The Chosen? In any case, we’re not just singling out The Chosen for its influence (as significant as it may be). The story—which this season chronicles Jesus’ final days in Jerusalem—was as narratively strong and poignant as it has ever been. It continues to raise its own bar. But as we all know by now, those who are looking for strict scriptural fidelity best look elsewhere.
Watch Plugged In’s interview with The Chosen’s Jonathan Roumie below.
The Chosen Adventures (Prime Video)
Just as The Chosen was getting more grim, its creators rolled out a cute, clever animated show for kids—featuring talking animals, some nice Sunday School lessons and a surprising bit of wit. But even though the series takes place in biblical times (and features the voices of many actors from The Chosen), don’t expect to see a lot of biblical events land on the screen. This is all about 9-year-old Abby, her family and her friends—all learning more about God, Jesus and faith in kid-friendly snippets.
Watch Plugged In’s interview with Dallas Jenkins and Oscar-nominated actor Paul Walter Hauser as they talk about The Chosen Adventures.
House of David (Wonder Project via Prime Video)
The history of David—a man after God’s own heart, we’re told—has always been one of the most compelling narratives in Scripture. It’s got a little bit of everything, including a whole host of issues we’d call out in a Plugged In review. House of David details many of those issues, and it takes plenty of “extrabiblical liberties” with the story—even more, in our opinion, than The Chosen does. But still, the series is designed to point people to the Bible, not away from it. And in a landscape of extraordinarily tawdry historical dramas, House of David is a significant step above.
Watch Plugged In’s interview with House of David’s creator, Jon Erwin, and some of its stars.
The Promised Land (YouTube)
The premise is undeniably provocative: Combine the biblical account of Exodus with the mockumentary style of The Office. Who invented cameras and lugged them into the Sinai Peninsula, anyway? Some may find The Promised Land disrespectful or even blasphemous. But when I watched the show, I was surprised by how rigorously it stuck to the Bible—including some bits that more reverential films just edit out. “We’re not mocking Scripture,” the creators say on their website. “We’re mocking ourselves as we try to live it out.” Here’s to hoping that, of the millions of people who’ve watched at least part of the show on YouTube, some may have been drawn to the comedy but were intrigued enough to learn more about the real Moses.
Testament (Angel)
Four of our five shows are set, more or less, in biblical times. But Testament takes a different tack: It pushes the story of Acts into a modern, alternate-universe setting (which helps it escape criticisms that the show doesn’t stick to Scripture enough). Like many shows on this list, death, martyrdom and murder can be part of the story. But our reviewer, Emily Tsiao, found the show “riveting.” This may be the Christian show on this list that’s below our cultural radar—but it might well be worth a watch.
Watch our chat with Testament creator Paul Syrstad.
Secular Shows
Not a Box (Apple TV+)
It’s not often a TV show encourages kids to, y’know, turn off the TV. But Apple TV+’s Not a Box encourages imagination, creativity and play. The “plot” is simple. Every segment shows just how young Riley transforms an ordinary box into a boat, an airplane or even a towering mountain—through the power of imagination, of course.
Super Duper Bunny League (Nickelodeon)
This squad of heroic hares challenges the evil machinations of Dr. Fuzzleglove to protect the citizens of Important City. This show isn’t perfect: One bunny, Middy, has “shadow powers,” which might send off some mild alarm bells for parents. And the positive messages are pretty lowkey. But Super Duper Bunny League does trumpet the value of teamwork and friendship. And as our reviewer Lauren Cook noted, “good luck finding another super team that’s so relentlessly kind.”
The Wingfeather Saga (Angel)
See? I told you that faith-based TV was pretty strong this year—so strong, in fact, that we had to split a hair to praise the very worthy third season of The Wingfeather Saga (subtitled The Ice Prairies). Based on Andrew Peterson’s fantasy book series, the show isn’t explicitly Christian, but it comes with faith-based underpinnings. And while this adventure story can come with moments of peril, it’s a rollicking tale that is sure to pique many a young viewer’s imagination.
Andor (Disney+)
TV shows made for teens and TV shows that are suitable for teens can be very, very different things in today’s landscape. Many so-called teen shows are filled to the television rafters with problematic—and often R-rated—content. Which brings us to Andor. Listen, I’m not going to lie: I think that Andor’s one of the best-written shows of the decade. And while this two-season, Emmy-nominated series contains plenty of content issues (be sure to take a long, hard look at our review), it’s also ultimately about doing the right thing under the most difficult of circumstances—and how even the good guys can make some seriously questionable decisions.
Adolescence (Netflix)
This Netflix show is, without question, the most difficult to navigate on our list. Filled with R-rated language and difficult themes, Adolescence is in no way “family friendly”. But it lands on our list for a very important reason: It reminds parents how important it is to be engaged with our children’s online lives. Oh, and in the words of our reviewer Sarah Rasmussen, it’s also “aesthetically remarkable,” the truth of which is underlined by the show’s eight Emmy wins this year. Adolescence is not an easy show to watch. But raising our children in this digital age isn’t easy, either. No other show released this year provides such a stark reminder.
