The Chosen (season 1)
| '(season 1) | |
|---|---|
| Starring |
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| Country of origin | United States |
| No. of episodes | 8 |
| Release | |
| Original release | April 21 – November 26, 2019 |
| Season chronology | |
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The first season of the American television series The Chosen, based on the life of Jesus of Nazareth, premiered on April 21, 2019, with the four first episodes released simultaneously, while the last four episodes released on November 11, 2019. The season was produced by Angel Studios, alongside Loaves & Fishes Productions, in association with Out of Order Studios, with the creator of the series Dallas Jenkins, Ryan Swanson, and Tyler Thompson serving as writers and Jenkins directing as well.
Season One was the top crowd-funded TV series or film project of all time.[1][2] The first season introduces Jesus and the calling of his initial disciples for his ministry,[3] inviting several people with different backgrounds.[4]
The first season stars Jonathan Roumie as Jesus, along with Shahar Isaac, Elizabeth Tabish, Paras Patel, Noah James, Janis Dardaris, Lara Silva, Shaan Sharma, Nick Shakoour, George Xanthis, Shayan Sobhian, Erick Avari, Kian Kavousi, Brandon Potter, Kirk B. R. Woller, Giavani Cairo, and Jordan Walker Ross.
Premise[edit]
In 1st century Galilee, Jesus starts to build a group for his ministry,[3] inviting several people with different backgrounds.[4]
Episodes[edit]
| No. overall | No. in season | Title | Directed by | Written by | Original release date | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 1 | "I Have Called You By Name" | Dallas Jenkins | Dallas Jenkins, Ryan Swanson and Tyler Thompson | April 21, 2019 | |
| In Capernaum, 26 AD, Mary Magdalene, going by the name "Lilith", wrestles with real demons. While the Pharisee Nicodemus is touring the region, Praetor Quintus approaches him, demanding help in collecting unpaid taxes. The tax collector Matthew deals with the turmoil of being considered a traitor by his fellow Jews. The fishermen Simon and his brother Andrew struggle with their tax debts to Rome. At a centurion's behest, Nicodemus goes to the Red Quarter to perform an exorcism on "Lilith" but fails, leaving him shaken. On tax day, Andrew is unable to pay, but Simon tells Matthew that he has an arrangement with Quintus. The arrangement is to inform Quintus about his fellow Jews fishing on Shabbat but Andrew disapproves, considering it a betrayal. "Lilith" loses hope for her condition, until she encounters Jesus, who calls Mary Magdalene by name, healing and restoring her. | ||||||
| 2 | 2 | "Shabbat" | Dallas Jenkins | Dallas Jenkins, Ryan Swanson and Tyler Thompson | April 21, 2019 | |
| A recently healed Mary Magdalene prepares for Shabbat. Matthew validates Simon's claims of negotiating with Quintus. Simon continues to spy on merchants and buys drinks for them and his fellow fishermen, James[N 1] and John, sons of Zebedee. Nicodemus investigates the reported miracle of the healing in the Red Quarter. Simon is forced to fish on Shabbat, leaving his wife Eden behind. As Mary Magdalene hosts her Shabbat dinner, she receives surprise guests, including Jesus and his students Thaddaeus and James[N 2]. Nicodemus leads a Shabbat dinner with the other Pharisees. Matthew eats dinner with his dog after deciding not to have dinner with his family. Leaving the dinner with Andrew and Eden, Simon is approached by the Romans at the Sea of Galilee to spy on the merchants again. | ||||||
| 3 | 3 | "Jesus Loves the Little Children" | Dallas Jenkins | Dallas Jenkins, Ryan Swanson and Tyler Thompson | April 21, 2019 | |
| Jesus camps on the outskirts of Capernaum, 26 AD. A local girl named Abigail discovers the location and plays with the craftsman's tools while he is away. She invites her friend Joshua to come see Jesus for himself. Jesus soon befriends Abigail and Joshua, as well as the friends they invite in the following days. The children help Jesus on his work. Jesus teaches them about love, prayer, justice, compassion, faith, and wisdom. When he is asked the reason why he is here, Jesus reveals himself as Messiah, reciting the words of the prophet Isaiah. After Jesus moves camp, Abigail discovers he left a gift for her. | ||||||
| 4 | 4 | "The Rock On Which It Is Built" | Dallas Jenkins | Dallas Jenkins, Ryan Swanson and Tyler Thompson | April 21, 2019 | |
| At the Sea of Galilee, Simon misleads the Romans to save fellow Jews from being caught. Quintus suspects Simon of duplicity and sends Matthew to follow him. Shmuel tells his teacher Nicodemus about a Baptizer on the Jordan River. Running from the Jordan, Andrew claims to Simon they are saved, as his rabbi John the Baptizer has identified the Lamb of God, but Simon prepares to fish. Andrew, Zebedee, Big James, and John arrive to help, but they catch nothing. In the morning, they see someone teaching a crowd on the shore. Andrew recognizes the teacher as Jesus, who asks to preach from their boat. After the sermon, Jesus tells Simon and Andrew to cast their nets. Suddenly, many fish appear, and they catch enough to pay off their debts. Simon surrenders himself to Jesus, and inviting Simon and Andrew to become fishers-of-men, Jesus also calls Big James and John. Witnessing the miracle, Matthew is shocked by its impossibility. Meanwhile, Nicodemus visits the imprisoned John the Baptizer to ask about miracles. | ||||||
| 5 | 5 | "The Wedding Gift" | Dallas Jenkins | Dallas Jenkins, Ryan Swanson and Tyler Thompson | November 26, 2019 | |
| In Jerusalem, 8 AD, Mary and Joseph find the missing 12-year-old Jesus teaching in the Temple. In Cana, 26 AD, Mary helps her friend prepare for her son's wedding. Nicodemus interrogates the detained John the Baptizer concerning signs and wonders. Thomas and his business partner Ramah prepare wine for the wedding. Jesus and his students make their way to the wedding, while John the Baptizer explains his ministry and Jesus' ministry to Nicodemus. During the wedding, Thaddaeus and Little James share how Jesus called them. Thomas and Ramah worry as the wine runs low. Mary immediately asks her son to intervene on behalf of the bridegroom's family, recalling finding young Jesus in the Temple, and tells the servants to do everything Jesus says. Jesus instructs them to fill jars with water and they obey, yet Thomas expresses doubts. Jesus prays his readiness to his Father, turning the water into wine. When the wine is served, the master of the banquet exclaims it is the best he has ever tasted. Thomas and Ramah accept the invitation to join and meet Jesus in Samaria in 12 days. | ||||||
| 6 | 6 | "Indescribable Compassion" | Dallas Jenkins | Dallas Jenkins, Ryan Swanson and Tyler Thompson | November 26, 2019 | |
| Matthew and his associate Gaius deliver Simon's tax payment to Quintus. Nicodemus tries to correct Shmuel for detaining the Baptizer. On the way back to Capernaum, a leper approaches Jesus and the group on the road, asking Jesus to heal him. Jesus cleanses the leper, telling him not to speak of it. The group heads to the house of Zebedee and his wife Salome. As Jesus preaches, a crowd gathers, drawing the attention of both the Pharisees and the Romans. After witnessing the healing of the leper on the road earlier, an Egyptian named Tamar forces her way through the crowd to help her paralytic friend, Ethan, meet Jesus. Tamar's friends climb to and remove the rooftop, lowering the paralytic. Jesus forgives the paralytic, disturbing the onlooking Pharisees. Jesus heals the paralytic, and Matthew writes it down. Shmuel quickly calls on the Romans to seize Jesus. The disciples immediately flee and Nicodemus seeks Mary Magdalene to meet with Jesus. | ||||||
| 7 | 7 | "Invitations" | Dallas Jenkins | Dallas Jenkins, Ryan Swanson and Tyler Thompson | November 26, 2019 | |
| In the Sinai Peninsula, 13th century BC, Moses fashions a bronze serpent, much to the confusion of his assistant Joshua. In Capernaum, 26 AD, Gaius escorts Matthew to show his gratitude for his promotion. Quintus questions Nicodemus concerning the miracle worker. Jesus agrees to meet with Nicodemus by night. After witnessing the miracles Jesus did, Matthew struggles to reconcile his mathematical understanding of reality and visits his mother, hoping to find answers. Meeting with Nicodemus by night, Jesus explains the Kingdom of God and being born again. Jesus illustrates himself as the Son of Man, using Moses and the bronze serpent as an example. He tells of God's love for the world and his mission to save mankind from sin. As Jesus invites Nicodemus to join him, John records their conversation. Nicodemus worships Jesus, declaring him as the Son of God. In the morning, Jesus and his students pass by Matthew's booth. Jesus invites Matthew to join him, and Matthew promptly follows. | ||||||
| 8 | 8 | "I Am He" | Dallas Jenkins | Dallas Jenkins, Ryan Swanson and Tyler Thompson | November 26, 2019 | |
| In Canaan, 1952 BC, Jacob and his sons dig a well in Shechem. In Sychar, 26 AD, Photina, a suffering Samaritan woman, fetches water from Jacob's Well. At Matthew's house in Capernaum, Jesus answers questions from the Pharisees, including Yussif, with the words of Hosea. Shmuel petitions Nicodemus concerning false prophecy. Jesus goes to Simon's house and heals Simon's mother-in-law, Dasha. Learning Matthew left, Quintus issues a decree against religious gatherings outside synagogues. As Jesus and his students complete their preparations to depart Capernaum, Nicodemus leaves money for them. Gaius bequeaths Matthew's wealth to Matthew's father, Alphaeus. On the road, Jesus decides to go through Samaria, much to the shock of the disciples, especially Big James and John. When they arrive in Sychar, the disciples go to town to buy food while Jesus stays at Jacob's Well, where he meets Photina, asking her for water. Jesus offers her "living water", expresses true worship, and announces that he is the Messiah. After hearing Jesus telling her everything she did, Photina tells everyone Jesus is the Christ. The disciples return and Jesus publicly launches his ministry. | ||||||
Cast and characters[edit]
Main[edit]
- Shahar Isaac as Simon
- Jonathan Roumie as Jesus
- Shayan Naveed Fazli as child Jesus
- Elizabeth Tabish as Mary Magdalene
- Paras Patel as Matthew
- Noah James as Andrew
- Janis Dardaris as Zohara, Nicodemus' wife
- Lara Silva as Eden, Simon's wife
- Shaan Sharma as Shmuel, a Pharisee
- Nick Shakoour as Zebedee
- George Xanthis as John
- Shayan Sobhian[N 3] as Big James (season 1, episodes 1–4)
- Erick Avari as Nicodemus
- Kian Kavousi[N 4] as Big James (season 1, episodes 5–8)
- Brandon Potter as Quintus, the Praetor of Capernaum
- Kirk B. R. Woller as Gaius, a Roman centurion
- Giavani Cairo as Thaddaeus
- Jordan Walker Ross as Little James
Recurring[edit]
- Ivan Jasso as Yussif, a Pharisee
- David Amito as John the Baptizer
- Joey Vahedi as Thomas
- Yasmine Al-Bustami as Ramah, Thomas' partner
- Vanessa Benavente as Mary
- Raj Bond as Joseph
- Amber Shana Williams as Tamar, a friend of the paralytic at Capernaum
- Nina Leon as Salome
- Stephen Hailo as The Leper on the Road
- Noé de la Garza as Ethan, the paralytic at Capernaum
- Leticia Magaña as Dasha, Simon's mother-in-law
- Troy Caylak as Alphaeus
- Vanessa De Silvio as Photina
Production[edit]
Development[edit]
VidAngel, along with director Dallas Jenkins and executive producer Derral Eves, turned to crowdfunding to raise money to produce the first season, utilizing a provision of the JOBS Act of 2016 which allows companies to use equity crowdfunding to offer a share of ownership and profits from the company to online investors, rather than the arbitrary "perks" offered by regular crowdfunding.[5] At the end of the first fundraising round in January 2019, the project had raised over $10.2 million from over 16,000 investors, surpassing Mystery Science Theater 3000 as the top crowdfunded film project.[6][7]
Since funding the first season by selling equity, the show has utilized traditional crowdfunding for subsequent seasons.[8]
Filming[edit]
Season 1 was filmed over 60 days in Weatherford, Texas, and used the existing Capernaum Village, which offers film set rental and live experiences for tourists, to recreate the historical Capernaum. The filming was supplemented by a sound stage and visual effects.[9]
Music[edit]
The original series soundtrack for season one of the show was composed by Matthew S. Nelson and Dan Haseltine, being released on December 7, 2019.
Release[edit]
Viewership was initially sluggish when the first season premiered for a fee in 2019, but the audience has exploded since the show was released for free via The Chosen app and also through the VidAngel streaming platform in the United States.[10] In March and April 2020, in response to the COVID-19 pandemic, the first season of The Chosen was made available completely free with no restrictions through its app.[1][11]
Following the release through its own app, season 1 began airing on BYUtv in late 2020.[12] By early 2021, broadcast had extended to both secular and other Christian and family oriented platforms, ranging from Amazon Prime to Trinity Broadcasting Network and UPtv.[13][14]
Reception[edit]
Episode 8 from Season 1 ("I Am He") earned two Movieguide Award nominations in 2020.[15]
The review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes reported that 100 percent of critics have given season 1 a positive review based on 9 reviews, with an average rating of 7.80/10.[16]
Through August 2020, it had been viewed nearly 50 million times in 180 countries.[17] By the end of March 2021, the first season had been viewed more than 100 million times.[18]
Notes[edit]
References[edit]
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 Moore, Evan F. (March 18, 2020). "'The Chosen': Elgin filmmaker wants people to 'Binge Jesus' on an app". Chicago Sun-Times. Retrieved May 31, 2022.
- ↑ Law, Jeannie (December 13, 2019). "'The Chosen': Record-breaking TV series about Jesus debuts worldwide". The Christian Post. Retrieved May 31, 2022.
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 Carpenter, Chris. "Authenticity of Scripture Paramount to 'The Chosen's' Success". CBN News. Retrieved May 31, 2022.
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 Wixom, Cassidy (May 26, 2021). "'The Chosen' resonates with believers who see authenticity in its characters". The Daily Universe. Retrieved June 10, 2022.
- ↑ Bond, Paul (January 5, 2019). "Largest-Ever Crowdfunding Campaign for a TV Show Issues Equity to Investors". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved June 20, 2022.
- ↑ Parke, Caleb (January 7, 2019). "Story about life of Jesus emerges as largest crowdfunded entertainment project in history". Fox News. Retrieved June 20, 2022.
- ↑ Shepherd, Josh. "Jesus' Life Chosen for Two Very Different TV Series". Christianity Today. Retrieved June 20, 2022.
- ↑ Rodrigues, Marilyn (July 14, 2020). "Q@A with The Chosen star Jonathan Roumie". The Catholic Weekly. Retrieved June 20, 2022.
- ↑ Mauch, Rick (October 3, 2019). "'The Chosen' TV series on Christ finds 'perfect' filming location in Weatherford area". Forth Worth Star-Telegram. Retrieved May 31, 2022. Unknown parameter
|url-status=ignored (help) - ↑ Parke, Caleb (December 9, 2019). "Faith-based TV series 'The Chosen' tells the story of Jesus: The start of something 'very special'". Fox News. Retrieved May 31, 2022.
- ↑ Carpenter, Chris (December 28, 2018). "New TV Series The Chosen a Modern Day 'Five Loaves and Two Fish' Story". CBN. Retrieved May 31, 2022.
- ↑ Mikita, Carole (October 25, 2020). "Production On Season 2 Of 'The Chosen' Begins in Utah". Salt Lake City, UT: KSL-TV 5. Retrieved May 31, 2022.
- ↑ Law, Jeannie (February 9, 2021). "'The Chosen': Record-breaking series about Jesus debuts on TBN". The Christian Post. Retrieved May 31, 2022.
- ↑ Henson, Melissa (April 22, 2021). "The era of complaining about Hollywood is over". The Washington Times. Retrieved May 31, 2022.
- ↑ "'The Chosen' Earns 2 Movieguide Award Nominations". CCM Magazine. January 13, 2020. Retrieved May 31, 2022.
- ↑ "The Chosen: Season 1". Rotten Tomatoes. Fandango Media. Retrieved May 31, 2022.
- ↑ Caldwell, Zelda (August 4, 2020). "'The Chosen,' a crowdfunded series about Jesus, gets go ahead for Season Two". Aleteia. Retrieved May 31, 2022.
- ↑ Walker, Colby (March 31, 2021). "Season 2 of The Chosen and its ties to Utah". KSL News Radio. Retrieved May 31, 2022.
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