Been meaning to post on this for about 2 years, but never quite got around to it.

BBC and HBO have teamed up to make a mini-series on The Passion, covering the last week of Jesus' life. PRoduced by Nigel Stafford Clark (Bleak House), written by Frank Deasy (Prime Suspect), Michael Offer directing, and starring Joseph Mawle as JEsus.

I got an invite to the premiere (where we only saw an hour of it) and so far it looks good.

Thers's obviously all manner of geeky info at my blog (all relevant articles) and a decent BBC website which includes a trailer and various cast and crew interviews.

Don't think it hits the US until next Easter, but should be good.

Matt


PS - Did I mention anywhere that I met Robert Powell at the screening?

Shaun of the Dead's mother is playing the "Mother of God"!

I liked the videos section, especially the interview with Frank Deasy, the Irish writer --- with a fully stocked bar in the background! Definitely not something that would have been done in the U.S. I also like how he's compared Jesus coming down from the north to the big city being like someone coming down from the north of England to London.

Nigel Stafford-Clark, the producer, cites Pasolini as a source of inspiration, in particular.

No mention of the Resurrection in the interviews, although the episode guide indicates that it will take up a good chunk of the presentation. Did you preview include it?

PS You must have totally geeked out at meeting Powell!

: Shaun of the Dead's mother is playing the "Mother of God"!

Y'see to me she'll always be the long suffering wife of Richard Briers in Ever Decreasing Circles. She was at the première too.


: I liked the videos section, especially the interview with Frank Deasy, the Irish writer --- with a fully stocked bar in the
: background! Definitely not something that would have been done in the U.S. I also like how he's compared Jesus coming down
: from the north to the big city being like someone coming down from the north of England to London.

Yeah it's a good analogy, which, having spent a good proportion of my life in the north is not entirely new to me.


: Nigel Stafford-Clark, the producer, cites Pasolini as a source of inspiration, in particular.

Yeah he's mentioned that in a few places


: No mention of the Resurrection in the interviews, although the episode guide indicates
: that it will take up a good chunk of the presentation. Did you preview include it?

No, but I had an inkling about how they were going to do it, and Nigel Stafford-Clark let it slip when I was talking to him afterwards and if confirmed what I thought. I thought it best to keep it to myself though, and I'll be interested to see what the response is.


: PS You must have totally geeked out at meeting Powell!

Yeah, although as I went over with Mark Goodacre (who is also the programme's historical consultant) Bob, as I now call him, mainly spoke to him. He was pretty entertaining though. And he didn't blink once.

Matt