The 90-minute broadcast-TV debut Sunday of faith-based series The Chosen on The CW Network averaged “a far mightier audience” than other CW shows, such as Riverdale and Nancy Drew, which aired at the same times the week before, TVLine reported.
While The Chosen “averaged 520,000 viewers and a 0.1 rating, 200,000 viewers watched Riverdale and 400,000 viewed Nancy Drew, SpoilerTV also reported.
Additionally, the series that centers on the ministry of Jesus as seen through the eyes of his first disciples was more successful in viewership than Gotham Knights, with 235,000 viewers, and Superman and Lois, which drew 174,000 viewers on The CW the previous Sunday.
“Talk about a 21st-century miracle,” wrote TVInsider Wednesday about The Chosen. “The faith-based series has converted a mass of impassioned viewers to rival any Yellowstone or The Walking Dead fanbase — without marquee stars or aggressive marketing.”
The Chosen’s huge success on The CW Network earned actor Jonathan Roumie, who plays Jesus in the series, the cover photo spot of TV Guide.
The show’s creator, Dallas Jenkins, the son of Jerry Jenkins, co-author of the successful Christian fiction series Left Behind, displayed the cover shot in an Instagram post Wednesday.
View this post on Instagram
“When I was growing up, I loved TV Guide … I loved reading the recaps, and because I wasn’t allowed to watch most of the shows listed, it was my primary connection to this world of entertainment I was intrigued by,” Dallas Jenkins wrote. “And I remember thinking even back then, ‘Wouldn’t it be cool if there was good stuff in here related to stories of faith?’ But it seemed impossible.”
“Now check this out … in the upcoming issue, our little show is on the cover,” Dallas Jenkins announced. “Can you believe it?”
“The Chosen is based on the biggest IP of all time and is truly a one-of-a-kind series that tells this historically significant story in a captivating, dramatic, and premium way,” The CW Network’s President of Entertainment Brad Schwartz said in a statement to the Christian Post. “This show has already connected deeply with viewers around the world, and The CW will expand its audience even further.”
“We want this show out there,” Dallas Jenkins continued in his social media post about the premiere of his show on network television. “Everywhere, as easy to find as possible. Like the song says, ‘Hide it under a bushel? No! I’m going to let it shine.’ Please be sure you’re letting others know what’s inside this issue—that The Chosen is on The CW every Sunday night.”
“Behold, I am doing a new thing,” the show’s creator and director said.
Dallas Jenkins also told TVInsider during filming in Goshen, Utah, that “over 100 million people have seen at least one episode” of The Chosen, which is distributed by Angel Studios, the company that is also responsible for the blockbuster true-life thriller Sound of Freedom.
The series creator said that now with The Chosen’s debut on network television, the show can “cross the chasm into audiences that have heard about it but haven’t known where to watch it.”
– – –
Susan Berry, PhD, is national education editor at The Star News Network. Email tips to [email protected]
Photo “The Chosen” by press.thechosen.tv. CC BY-SA 4.0.
