Jesus of Nazareth
The great 20th-century English television mogul, Sir Lew Grade, never did things by halves. After a litany of small-screen successes — including The Muppet Show, Thunderbirds, and The Prisoner — Sir Lew nearly sank his ITC Entertainment empire by blowing $40 million on the 1980 movie flop Raise the Titanic. Grade would later joke: “It would have been cheaper to lower the Atlantic!”
The great 20th-century English television mogul, Sir Lew Grade, never did things by halves. After a litany of small-screen successes — including The Muppet Show, Thunderbirds, and The Prisoner — Sir Lew nearly sank his ITC Entertainment empire by blowing $40 million on the 1980 movie flop Raise the Titanic. Grade would later joke: “It would have been cheaper to lower the Atlantic!”
One of Sir Lew’s grand designs that reaped both critical and financial success, however, was his 1977 epic television mini-series Jesus of Nazareth, directed by Franco Zeffirelli and starring Robert Powell as Jesus.
It was Pope St. Paul VI, during a 1974 Vatican audience, who first suggested to Grade that he consider depicting the life of Christ on television. Grade initially hesitated, doubting there would be a market for such a project, but the suggestion took root and his ambition soon blossomed.
The budget was substantial — around $12-$20 million — and filming took place in stunning locations, including Tunisia and Morocco. The cast was truly star studded: Sir Laurence Olivier, Anne Bancroft, Ernest Borgnine, Christopher Plummer, James Earl Jones, Ian McShane, Michael York, and many more.
The series premiered in the U.K. and the U.S. over Easter weekend in 1977. Those of a certain age can still recall the excitement it generated. Nearly 50 years later, it is still an epic retelling of history’s most pivotal story. It is well worth a watch, especially during Lent and Easter.
