LOS ANGELES, California, USA, November 26, 2003 — NBC is planning a mini-series centred on the apocalyptic final confrontation between God and Satan foretold in the Bible's Book of Revelation.
Looking for the ideal vehicle to launch its 2004 fall season, the National Broadcasting Company has turned to the Bible - the very end of it, in fact.
A spokesperson for the American network confirmed that David Seltzer, best known as the screenwriter of the 1976 film "The Omen," starring Gregory Peck, has been hired to develop a script for a contemporary Armageddon story.
The as yet untitled project is expected to premiere immediately following the final broadcast of the Athens Summer Olympics in late August, with weekly one-hour episodes continuing into September. NBC is counting on the six-to-eight hour mini-series to be a ratings winner, creating momentum heading into the fall season. Series producer, Gavin Polone, believes this is possible.
"If we achieve our goal of creating a series which is not only an original but also a respectful look at the events foretold in the Bible, we will have a larger potential audience than any show on television," he said. "I have total confidence that David Seltzer can realize our objective."
The series will weave Biblical themes and fiction, following two central characters, a physicist and a nun, as they race against time in an attempt to prevent the end of the world. For his part, Seltzer believes the subject matter to be timely.
"What the Book of Revelation predicted is at hand," he said. "Nuclear brinkmanship, worldwide terrorism, collapsing economies and environmental atrocities make it clear that the critical mass of injury to this planet is sufficient to bring down the wrath of God and put the biblical prophecies into play. What is not written in the Bible is whether man can do anything about it. This is where our story begins."
Biblical and spiritual themes are becoming increasingly popular on television and in film, with "The Gospel of John" in theatres now, Mel Gibson's "The Passion of Christ" due in theatres in the spring, CBS's "Joan of Arcadia", and the WB's "7th Heaven". "Touched by An Angel" ended its nine-season run in April, but remains on the air in syndication. Apocalyptic themes are also gaining in popularity as illustrated by the incredible success of the "Left Behind" novel series.
There is no word yet on whether the NBC mini-series will be aired on a Canadian network.
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