Epic Event Series A.D. THE BIBLE CONTINUES Comes to CTV and CraveTV, Beginning Easter Sunday

– The continuation of the record-breaking series THE BIBLE is from executive producers Roma Downey and Mark Burnett –

– All episodes of A.D. THE BIBLE CONTINUES will be available on CraveTV^TM on Friday, June 26 –

To tweet this release: http://bmpr.ca/1NydU45

TORONTO, March 30, 2015 /CNW/ - The epic event drama A.D. THE BIBLE CONTINUES is coming to CTV and CraveTV. The 12-part television event picks up where the smash hit miniseries THE BIBLE left off, continuing the greatest story ever told and exploring the exciting and inspiring events that followed the Crucifixion of Christ. A.D. THE BIBLE CONTINUES airs Sundays at 9 p.m. ET/PT beginning Easter Sunday, April 5, on CTV and CTV GO, before moving to CTV Two. Viewers will also have another reason to #iCraveFridays, with the series being made available in its entirety on CraveTV on Friday, June 26.

From executive producers Roma Downey and Mark Burnett, A.D. THE BIBLE CONTINUES begins at the fateful moment of the Crucifixion and the Resurrection, focusing on Christ's disciples, who had to go forward and spread the teachings of Christ to a world dominated by political unrest, and the start of a whole new religion that would dramatically reshape the history of the world. Episodes of A.D. THE BIBLE CONTINUES will be available on demand at CTV.ca and on CTV GO throughout its broadcast run.

** Media Note ** – Download photos for A.D. The Bible Continues at BellMediaPR.ca

"In A.D. The Bible Continues, Roma and Mark have once again delivered a truly remarkable, can't-miss, event series," said Mike Cosentino, Senior Vice-President, Programming, CTV Networks and CraveTV. "It's appointment TV at its best, and is the perfect addition to both our midseason lineup, and for CraveTV, where it will anchor our popular Historical Collection."

"We are so excited that A.D. THE BIBLE CONTINUES will get to air in Canada on CTV," said executive producers Roma Downey and Mark Burnett. "We know there is a huge audience in Canada for these dramatic stories from the Bible. When that series aired a few years ago the audience was greater than those who tuned in to watch hockey!"

In A.D. The Bible Continues, Jesus (Juan Pablo Di Pace, DALLAS) dies on the cross at the hands of the Romans, deserted by even his most loyal followers. Peter (Adam Levy, CORONATION STREET) and the disciples are hunted by Temple authorities led by High Priest Caiaphas (Richard Coyle, COVERT AFFAIRS), and Roman soldiers under orders from Governor Pontius Pilate (Vincent Regan, THE ROYALS). For the tiny band of followers, every day is a fight for survival, and their mission to spread the word to the world seems impossible. Yet, they have hope, and soon, they have power: the amazing miracle of the Resurrection and the shocking arrival of the Holy Spirit, which enables them to inspire more and more people.

Meanwhile, the growing church brings challenges for Peter, John (Babou Alieu Ceesay, GETTING ON), and Mary Magdalene (Chipo Chung, CAMELOT), who are pushed to the limit as they face trials and imprisonments, persecutions and punishments, while trying to understand the God-given power granted to them as they transition from the sorrow of Christ's ultimate sacrifice to the awe-inspiring wonder of the Resurrection and beyond. A.D. The Bible Continues also stars Greta Scacchi (THE TROJAN HORSE) as Mother Mary.

A.D. The Bible Continues began shooting in September 2014 in Ouarzazate, Morocco. A team of 500 local Moroccan construction workers worked around the clock to complete principle construction on the largest set in the country in just 12 weeks. Spearheaded by production designer Alan Spalding, they created the world of first-century Judea with three major sets: the Temple Mount, the streets of Jerusalem, and Pilate's Palace. The mini-series has a cast of more than 40 speaking roles, with actors stemming from more than 15 different countries.

Following its premiere in March 2013, THE BIBLE broke ratings records and earned three EMMY Award^® nominations, including a nod for Outstanding Miniseries or Movie. On Twitter, the premiere episode not only trended in the U.S., but worldwide.

Emmy Award^® winner Mark Burnett (THE BIBLE, SON OF GOD, THE VOICE), Golden Globe^® nominee Roma Downey (THE BIBLE, SON OF GOD), and Emmy nominee Richard Bedser (THE BIBLE, SON OF GOD) serve as executive producers. A.D. The Bible Continues is a production of LightWorkers Media and is distributed by MGM.

This announcement follows the recent production on the new one-hour reality series pilot, DREAM FUNDED: LET THE CROWD DECIDE, produced by CTV in association with Entertainment One (eOne), United Artists Media Group (a newly formed joint venture among MGM, Mark Burnett, Roma Downey, and Hearst Entertainment), and Omnicom Media Groups' Highway Entertainment.

SOCIAL MEDIA LINKS:

Twitter:
@CTV_PR
@CTV_Television 
@CraveTV_PR 
@CraveTVCanada 
@MarkBurnettTV 
@RealRomaDowney

Facebook:
Facebook.com/CTV  
Facebook.com/Roma.Downey

About CraveTV
All you can watch, for $4/month. Created for TV lovers and devoted exclusively to television, CraveTV^TM is Canada's premium TV subscription on-demand video streaming service, providing the most robust lineup of superior television content in the country. From TV's most-acclaimed dramas and beloved comedies to documentaries, music, and factual programming, CraveTV features thousands of hours of premium non-kids TV programming, representing hundreds of unique titles. Designed to complement the traditional television ecosystem, and available to all TV providers, CraveTV is currently available to Eastlink, TELUS Optik TV, Bell Fibe TV, Bell Satellite TV, Bell Aliant FibreOP TV, Access Communications, Northwestel, Cable Cable, Nexicom, Hay Communications, Mitchell Seaforth Cable TV, Tuckersmith Communications, and Wightman Telecom subscribers, and is coming soon to other television service providers. Available through traditional set-top boxes, the service will also be available via mobile apps, the web, game consoles, and smart TVs. CraveTV is from Bell Media, Canada's premier multi-media company with more than a decade of leadership delivering Canada's most-watched and most-acclaimed television programming across the Pay, Specialty, and Network TV landscapes. For more on CraveTV, visit www.CraveTV.ca.

About CTV
CTV is Canada's #1 private broadcaster. Featuring a wide range of quality news, sports, information, and entertainment programming, CTV has been Canada's most-watched television network for the past 13 years in a row. CTV is a division of Bell Media, Canada's premier multimedia company with leading assets in television, radio, digital, and Out-of-Home. Bell Media is owned by BCE Inc. (TSX, NYSE: BCE), Canada's largest communications company. More information about CTV can be found on the network's website at CTV.ca.

SOURCE CTV

Matthew Almeida, CTV Networks, 416.384.2629 or [email protected]; Christy Sullivan, CTV Networks, 416.384.3624 or [email protected]; Eleni Tenuta, CraveTV, 416.384.3530 or [email protected]