Beasts of the Bible: Biblical myth-busting meets investigative archaeology in
state-of-the-art documentary special, premiering March 31

TORONTO, March 4 /CNW/ - The serpent that seduced Eve. The whale that swallowed Jonah. The snake that triggered the Exodus and the four-headed, multi-winged angel that appeared to the prophet Ezekiel.

The Bible is filled with such strange and fascinating creatures. But did they ever really exist, outside the realm of myth? An original new Canadian documentary holds the answer.

Beasts of the Bible, the latest offering from Toronto-based Associated Producers Ltd. (The Naked Archaeologist, The Exodus Decoded) uses envelope-pushing 3D CGI techniques to bring the Bible's miraculous creatures to life in an in-depth historical, archaeological and scientific investigation of their existence.

VisionTV presents the Canadian television premiere of Beasts of the Bible on Wednesday, March 31 at 9 p.m. and Midnight ET / 6 p.m. and 9 p.m. PT.

Beasts of the Bible airs as part of VisionTV's special "Investigating Easter" programming event, which begins Monday, March 22.

The feature-length documentary assembles historians, Bible scholars, archaeologists, cryptozoologists and herpetologists to guide an investigation into the creatures that may have inspired the authors of Scripture. These experts debunk common myths and unveil new findings about the Biblical beasts, revealing what they might have looked like -- and who their present-day descendents might be.

"In Beasts of the Bible we take a fresh approach both visually and intellectually to the iconic Biblical stories that all of us know," says Producer Ric Esther Bienstock. "I think audiences will be truly surprised by the information we've uncovered about some of the 'beasts' they have been hearing about since childhood."

Filmed on location in Brazil, Egypt, Israel, Canada and the U.S., this eye-popping film decodes ancient writings, unlocks the hidden meanings of age-old legends and symbols, and uncovers the secrets of the most famous and mysterious creatures of all time.

Beasts of the Bible was produced by Associated Producers Ltd. in association with Animal Planet in the U.S. and VisionTV in Canada. It was written and directed by Graeme Ball. The Producers are Ric Esther Bienstock and Felix Golubev. The Executive Producer is Simcha Jacobovici. Joan Jenkinson is the Executive Producer for VisionTV.

The long-awaited third season of The Naked Archaeologist, another Associated Producers Ltd. production, will also premiere during VisionTV's "Investigating Easter" event. The first two episodes of the new season air on Monday, March 22 at 10 p.m. and 10:30 p.m. ET / 7 p.m. and 7:30 pm PT.

Beasts of the Bible was produced with the participation of the Rogers Cable Network Fund and the Canadian Television Fund created by the Government of Canada and the Canadian Cable Industry CTF: Licence Fee Program, The Canadian Film or Video Tax Credit and the Ontario Media Development Corporation Film and Television Tax Credits.

Toronto based Associated Producers Ltd. has produced documentary films for practically every major broadcaster in the world and has won almost every available industry award, including a Gold Medal from the International Documentary Festival of Nyon, a Certificate of Special Merit from the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences in Los Angeles, a Genie Award, three U.S. Cable Ace Awards, two Gemini Awards, an Alfred I. Dupont-Columbia University Award, a British Broadcast Award, a Royal Television Society Award, the Edward R. Murrow Award and an unprecedented three Emmys for "Outstanding Investigative Journalism" in 1995, 1996 and 2007.

VisionTV (www.visiontv.ca), an S-VOX company, is Canada's multi-faith and multicultural broadcaster, dedicated to entertaining and insightful programming that celebrates diversity and promotes understanding and tolerance among people of different faiths and cultures.

    
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For further information: Media Contacts: David Todd, Media Relations Manager, VisionTV, Phone: [phone], ext. 207, Email: [email protected]; Lisa Ghione, Launch Publicist, Phone: [phone], Email: [email protected]