If you’re looking for some family-friendly, faith-based viewing, the options out there can seem lacking. Popular streaming platforms offer countless shallow and inappropriate options, or productions that take a mocking approach to religion, but where are the Christian ones that you don’t have to think about twice before viewing with the kids?
Luckily for you, there are a number of great options at your disposal, you just need to know where to find them. That’s why we’re here to help – we’ve done the sifting for you. We’ve compiled a list of four of the best Christian TV series to watch now, three dramas and one docudrama. All four of them debunk the stereotype that Christian TV watching is stuck in the realm of strictly historical documentaries. They prove that you can watch enjoyable and entertaining TV comparable to any mainstream productions, all with a wholesome Christian theme.
Here are four of the best Christian TV series to watch:
● The Chosen
● The Encounter
● The Bible
● Finding Jesus: Faith. Fact. Forgery.
We’ll give you a brief introduction to each series, why you should watch them and where you can find them to view now.
1. The Chosen
The Chosen is the first ever multi-season TV show that follows the life of Jesus Christ and His disciples. Better yet, it does so from a believing perspective. Forget the often mocking series produced for various streaming platforms, The Chosen is produced by believers, for anyone who appreciates good quality TV.
Since its initial release in 2017, The Chosen has garnered high critical acclaim, scoring it a 9.8 rating on IMDB and 100% on Rotten Tomatoes. If those numbers don’t speak for themselves, let us add some more.
The Chosen also became the largest ever crowdfunded media project in history. Over $10 million was raised by around 16,000 investors to fund season one. Season two was fully funded by The Chosen’s Pay It Forward campaign, which encourages supporters to “pay it forward” to fund future seasons of the TV show and therefore contribute to a Christian mission.
Although it’s focused on religion, The Chosen is such a high quality production that it makes perfect viewing for anyone of any denomination. The entertainment value is high, as well as the spiritual messages that can apply to anyone on any walk of life.
The Chosen is available to watch worldwide on their free app and online at VidAngel, or on BYUtv.
2. The Encounter
The Encounter is based on the original movie of the same name. In the TV series, each episode follows modern day people who encounter Jesus as they reach a point in their lives where they have to make a life changing decision. Jesus is disguised throughout as anything from a cashier to a social worker, known only as “The Man”, and knows the life problems facing each person. He helps them make crucial decisions guided by Christian values. Will they follow His Christian advice or not? You can only watch and see!
While the first season aired in 2016, the TV series made a comeback with its second season in 2020. Where can you watch The Encounter? It’s available to stream on Pure Flix.
3. The Bible
If you fancy something short and sweet, The Bible is a miniseries based on, unsurprisingly, the Bible. It was first broadcast in 2013 and later adapted into the feature film Son of God. The first episode was watched as it aired by 13.1 million viewers, closely followed by 10.8 million and 10.9 million for the second and third episodes respectively. The series also received three Emmy Award nominations, including for best miniseries.
The series includes two or three biblical stories per episode, using a combination of live action and computer-generated imagery to dramatize them. It covers both the Old and New Testaments, dedicating half its time to each and highlighting how they connect with each other to spread the same message of God’s love. If you’re a fan of any of the popular Bible stories such as the Exodus, Noah’s Ark, or Jesus Christ’s fascinating life, you’ll be glad to know you can find them here, available to stream on Amazon Prime.
4. Finding Jesus: Faith. Fact. Forgery.
Unlike the others listed here, Finding Jesus: Faith. Fact. Forgery is a docudrama series. It takes six ancient objects believed to be connected to Jesus Christ and examines them with some of the world’s leading scientists, historians and scholars. Are they authentic? Valuable? The docudrama delves into these questions and more.
The artifacts covered include the Shroud of Turin, relics from the True Cross, the burial box of Jesus’ brother and Mary Magdalene’s gospel. If you’re looking for something a bit more educational, then this could be your pick. Each episode is an hour long and provides modern scientific, archaeological and theological insights on the ancient artefacts. For entertainment value, some stories surrounding the objects are dramatically re-enacted.
It’s available to watch on CNN’s YouTube TV channel (for a hefty premium) and HBO Max.
Final Thoughts
Next time you’re looking for something to watch with a dose of spirituality, you know where to look. Whether you’re a fan of gritty drama, historical facts, or light hearted TV sprinkled with religious undertones, we’ve given you all of that and more with this list of the best Christian TV series to watch.
There’s also multiple different options for streaming here, meaning no matter where you’re based or what platforms you’re subscribed to, or if you’re just looking for something for free, there’s a Christian series for you.
