Surge in Bible-Inspired TV Series on Streaming and Broadcast Platforms

By Staff Reporter

*Published: March 29, 2026*

"House of David" Season 2 and Fox's "The Faithful" are among several recent Bible-based productions airing amid a noted increase in faith-themed scripted content.

Michael Iskander portrays David in "House of David." (Jonathan Prime/Prime Video)

Several Old Testament stories depicted in the Prime Video series "House of David" draw from passages that have historically been considered graphic. One such account involves David (Michael Iskander) and Michal (Indy Lewis), the youngest daughter of King Saul (Ali Suliman). After David defeats Goliath, Saul offers his eldest daughter, Merab (Yali Topol Margalith), in marriage. David declines, expressing interest in Michal, prompting Saul to demand 100 Philistine foreskins as a bride price, according to 1 Samuel 18 in the Bible.

In the series, Saul requests a reduced number, but David exceeds it. Showrunner Jon Erwin focuses on the ensuing battle rather than the collection process. David presents the bag in Saul's throne room, depicted with visual and sound effects emphasizing the aftermath. Stephen Lang plays the prophet Samuel in the series. (Jonathan Prime/Prime Video)

Broadcast television has a history of airing Christian-themed programs, such as "Touched by an Angel," "Joan of Arcadia," and "7th Heaven." Holiday specials have also been common, including ABC's annual Easter airing of Cecil B. DeMille's 1956 film "The Ten Commandments" since 1973. This has occasionally overlapped with NBC reruns of Franco Zeffirelli's 1977 miniseries "Jesus of Nazareth" or the 1985 miniseries "A.D.," which covers the Acts of the Apostles.

This spring features multiple Scripture-inspired scripted series. Season 2 of "House of David" began streaming on Prime Video on March 27, 2026. Fox's three-part limited series "The Faithful: Women of the Bible," starring Minnie Driver as Sarah and Jeffrey Donovan as Abraham, premiered on March 22, with the second installment on Rebekah (Alexa Davalos) airing March 30.

"House of David," produced by The Wonder Project, draws comparisons to "Game of Thrones" and "The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power," with Erwin describing Samuel as a Gandalf-like figure. The series joins "The Chosen," now in its fifth season, which chronicles Jesus and his disciples. Fox Nation's "Martin Scorsese Presents: The Saints" has episodic encores airing on Fox ahead of "The Faithful." The latter's showrunner, René Echevarria, has credits including "The 4400."

Prime Video has expanded its faith-based slate following "The Chosen" and "House of David." In 2025, it greenlit "Joseph of Egypt" from Craig Wright, creator of "Greenleaf" and writer on "Six Feet Under" and "Dirty Sexy Money." An upcoming Netflix project from Tyler Perry, "Ruth & Boaz," reimagines an Old Testament story in a modern setting.

Minnie Driver appears in "The Faithful." (Fox)

The Wonder Project, co-founded by Erwin and former Netflix/YouTube executive Kelly Merryman Hoogstraten, also produced "It’s Not Like That," a romance featuring Scott Foley as a widowed pastor and Erinn Hayes as a divorced woman. Observers have noted similarities to Netflix's "Nobody Wants This," which pairs a rabbi and an agnostic podcaster.

Producers have cited both audience demand and profit potential as factors in the increase of faith-based content. Streaming services like Netflix, Amazon, and Fox have targeted markets previously underserved by broadcast and cable. For context, Amazon acquired "The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power" rights for $250 million in 2017, with total costs projected to exceed $1 billion over five seasons.

Bible stories are in the public domain and familiar worldwide. "House of David" Season 2 incorporates over 350 AI-generated shots, as Erwin told Wired, to manage budget constraints while enhancing action sequences.

Faith-based stories have appeared consistently in TV and film since the medium's early days. As "The Ten Commandments" marks its 70th anniversary in 2026, a new companion to "House of David," "The Old Stories: Moses," stars Ben Kingsley as Moses and premieres later this spring. Kingsley previously played Moses in a 1995 TNT production. This was part of a 27-part TNT Bible collection from 1993 to 2002, starting with "Abraham" and ending with "Apocalypse."

One executive producer of "The Faithful," Carol Mendelsohn, served as showrunner on "CSI: Crime Scene Investigation." The series presents stories from the perspectives of biblical women Sarah and Rebekah. Violence, such as the destruction of Sodom, is shown from a distance, attributed to divine action.

Minnie Driver and Natacha Karam in "The Faithful." (Fox)

The trend in Bible-inspired content has occurred in cycles. Notable periods include 1950s epics like "Ben-Hur" and "The Ten Commandments," the 2004 release of "The Passion of the Christ," a 2016 New York Times article on Hollywood's faith-based revival, and recent 2025 projects.

Viewership data underscores broad appeal. "House of David" Season 1 attracted 22 million viewers in its first 17 days, topping U.S. charts on Prime Video and reaching 44 million viewers across 240 countries. Angel Studios' 2023 animated "Young David" and its 2025 feature film "David" grossed over $80 million domestically, surpassing the $73 million for the Oscar-winning "One Battle After Another."

In contrast, Fox's "The Faithful" premiere drew lower ratings than past Bible miniseries like Mark Burnett's 2013 History Channel "The Bible," which had 13.1 million viewers for its debut despite competition levels at the time.

Some outlets, such as Slate, have described "The Faithful" as offering "a whiff of feminism" by centering biblical women, framing it as a "Girlboss Version of the Old Testament." This focus highlights female figures' roles in guiding male counterparts and fulfilling divine purposes, such as Sarah's declaration of devotion to Abraham amid threats from an Egyptian pharaoh. The cast includes diverse actors, though the pharaoh is noted as one of few non-white performers portraying Middle Eastern figures.

Biblical accounts include long lifespans, such as Sarah to 127 and Abraham to 175. "The Faithful" omits the binding of Isaac episode.

"House of David" portrays a youthful David as pious and heroic. Future seasons could cover later events like his affair with Bathsheba and orchestration of her husband's death, per 2 Samuel 11.

Stephen Lang in "House of David." (Jonathan Prime/Prime Video)

Intra-faith critiques exist. Some conservative Christians have criticized "The Chosen" and "House of David" for extra-biblical additions, perceived Mormon influences in production, and violations of commandments against imaging God or prophets.

Groups like Focus on the Family and the Parents Television & Media Council have historically critiqued broadcast TV for sex, violence, and depictions of LGBTQ+ characters since the 1980s, viewing it as diverging from traditional Christian values.

Erwin has stated his goal for "House of David," as reported by Variety at a 2025 event, is to create content "like a gigantic billboard pointing to the Bible," emulating epics like Peter Jackson's "Lord of the Rings" trilogy—which J.R.R. Tolkien described in a letter as "a fundamentally religious and Catholic work"—to attract wider audiences.

These productions reflect ongoing interest in biblical narratives, blending historical drama, action, and thematic elements that resonate across diverse viewer demographics.

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