12 Shows Like The Chosen You Must See

Created by Dallas Jenkins, ‘The Chosen’ is the first crowdfunded television series on the life of Jesus of Nazareth that spans over multiple seasons. Set in the 1st century in the regions of Judaea and Galilee, it tells the story of Christ through the eyes of the people around him. They include the apostles and disciples of Jesus, Jewish religious leaders, Roman officials, as well as ordinary people.

The series opens with Jesus (Jonathan Roumie) building his ministry and gathering disciples while performing his first miracles, which include turning water into wine. While the story is not new, this adaptation is far more detailed than any previously shown on screen. If this Christian semi-historical drama makes you wonder about other adaptations of the wildly popular story, here are some shows similar to ‘The Chosen’ that you can watch.

12. Greatest Heroes of the Bible (1978-1979)

The multi-part anthology series created by James L. Conway and Charles E. Sellier Jr. is an anthology series that brings to life some of the famous stories of the Old Testament. The ensemble cast portrays multiple roles across stories, which include The Story of Noah, Sodom and Gomorrah, Abraham’s Sacrifice, Joseph in Egypt, The Story of Moses, The Ten Commandments, Samson and Delilah, and David and Goliath. The events of the Old Testament predate the birth of Jesus. Thus, ‘Greatest Heroes of the Bible’ can be considered a precursor to ‘The Chosen.’

11. A.D: The Bible Continues (2015)

‘A.D. Kingdom and Empire’ by Roma Downey and Mark Burnett tells the story of the aftermath of Christ’s (Juan Pablo Di Pace) crucifixion. It highlights the transformation in the lives of his mother, Mary, his disciples, as well as the religious and political figures of the region. The apostles of Christ dedicate their lives to spreading his message across the globe, even in the face of great personal peril. The show thus joins the ranks of those that follow the events of ‘The Chosen.’

10. Peter and Paul (1981)

‘Peter and Paul,’ the television miniseries penned by Christopher Knopf and Stan Hough, primarily re-tells much of the Book of Acts in the New Testament. Specifically chronicling chapters 8 to 28, it includes the missionary journeys undertaken by Saul/Paul of Tarsus (Anthony Hopkins) and Apostle Peter (Robert Foxworth) and the obstacles they faced from the Romans as well as the Jews. The show essentially shares the partial aftermath of the events of ‘The Chosen.’

9. Touched by an Angel (1994-2003)

‘Touched by an Angel’ by John Masius follows a group of angels who are dispatched by heaven to help people on Earth. Roma Downey stars in the show as the angel Monica, whose job involves bringing guidance and messages from God to people standing at crossroads of their lives. Monica works under the supervision of Tess (Della Reese), and the duo gets frequently visited by the Angel of Death, Andrew (John Dye). Like Jesus, the angels in the show continue to spread the word of God among humans in modern times.

8. The Nativity (2010)

The re-telling of the birth of Christ is penned by Tony Jordan for ‘The Nativity.’ Starring Tatiana Maslany as the Virgin Mother Mary and Andrew Buchan as the carpenter Joseph, the show begins with the union of the two being discussed, before Mary becomes pregnant by the Holy Spirit.. The three Magi read the signs in the stars and hurry to Bethlehem to witness the great event. As ‘The Chosen’ begins with Jesus as an adult, ‘The Nativity’ speaks of a time when his story actually begins.

7. A.D. The Bible Continues (2015)

Created by Roma Downey and Mark Burnett, ‘A.D. The Bible Continues’ is a sequel to the 2013 mini series ‘The Bible.’ It opens with the crucifixion and the subsequent resurrection of Jesus, before proceeding with the first ten chapters of the Acts of the Apostles. The series stars Adam Levy as Peter, Emmett J. Scanlan as Saul of Tarsus aka Paul, Babou Ceesay as John, Chipo Chung as Mary Magdalene, and Vincent Regan as Pontius Pilate. The show picks up the story where the events of ‘The Chosen’ end.

6. A.D. (1985)

Adapted from Anthony Burgess’s novel ‘The Kingdom of the Wicked,’ ‘A.D.’ is a six-part miniseries that follows the narrative of the Acts of the Apostles. It focuses on the life of Peter (Denis Quilley) and Paul of Tarsus (Philip Sayer) after Christ’s crucifixion. The subsequent events take place at a time when Christians are a persecuted religious group under the reigns of the Emperors Tiberius (James Mason), Caligula (John McEnery), Claudius (Richard Kiley), and Nero (Anthony Andrews). Stories from the Book of Acts are interwoven with the Ecclesiastical History of Eusebius, making it more grounded in political history in terms of following up from ‘The Chosen.’

5. The Passion (2008)

‘The Passion’ is a Christian historical drama penned by Frank Deasy that chronicles the final days of Jesus Christ (Joseph Mawle). Opening with the Son of God’s arrival at Jerusalem on Palm Sunday, it goes on to detail the deliberation of the Romans about punishing him, the famous Last Supper, and the following torture and crucifixion. The series ends with his resurrection and subsequent sighting by Mary Magdalene (Paloma Baeza) and his other disciples. ‘The Passion’ overlaps with the final part of the narrative of ‘The Chosen’ and simply offers another re-telling of the well-known story.

4. Tetelestai (2018)

Created by Arlen Isaak and Cynthia Isaak, ‘Tetelestai’ revolves around an investigation into the narratives from the Bible. It begins at the very beginning, with the story of the creation of Adam and Eve, and focuses on core biblical narratives and themes in the Holy Book till the birth, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ. Tetelestai, like ‘The Chosen,’ is based on the Bible, but covers a broader span of the Bible, while also exploring how believers interpret and seek evidence of its truth in the real world.

3. Jesus (2000)

Penned by Suzette Couture, ‘Jesus’ re-tells the story of the Four Gospels mixed with extra-biblical elements. Jeremy Sisto plays the titular role as a more down-to-earth person rather than a divine individual. Christ is seen weeping at Joseph’s funeral, throwing stones in a lake, dancing at a wedding, and indulging in a water-splashing fight with his disciples. The show also addresses the wars waged in the name of Jesus and the scenes of destruction across the globe that came about as a result in medieval and modern times. ‘Jesus’ and ‘The Chosen’ tell the same story through the eyes of separate storytellers.

2. The Bible (2013)

‘The Bible,’ created by Roma Downey and Mark Burnett, covers the holy book from Genesis to Revelation in ten one-hour episodes. Along with popular stories like Noah’s Ark and the Exodus, the show explores the life of Christ in significant detail. It also equally distributes the episodes to cover events from the Old and New Testaments, based on the New International Version and the New Revised Standard Version of the Bible. In addition to covering the events of ‘The Chosen,’ it also provides the setting of the events as well as the aftermath of the same.

1. Jesus of Nazareth (1977)

Franco Zeffirelli’s ‘Jesus of Nazareth’ tells the story of Jesus’s life from before his birth to his ultimate fate. Starring Robert Powell as Christ, the show opens with the betrothal of his parents, Joseph (Yorgo Voyagis) and Mary (Olivia Hussey). It follows the events of Jesus’ life chronologically till his resurrection, becoming an earlier adaptation of the story told by ‘The Chosen.’ Both shows follow the same core plot but present it in their own unique ways.