1. By the Book (CBS)
It is based on the bestselling book The Year of Living Biblically by A.J. Jacobs, By the Book centers on an everyday man (Jay R. Ferguson) who decides to start living according to the Bible. The twist? He doesn’t just keep the better-known rules like speaking honestly and giving to charity, he also adopts the more obscure laws such as calling the days of the week by their ordinal numbers to avoid voicing the names of pagan gods, playing a 10-string harp, growing a hipster beard, and eating crickets.
Why Christians Should Care: If done right, By the Book could be an excellent show for starting conversations about faith. Watching the lead character wrestle with scripture and his modern identity could be refreshing for viewers, and it’s fun to laugh at the more awkward quirks of Christian culture. Either way, the Bible will be front and center, which means Christians will be watching.
2. Splitting Up Together
Based off a Danish series, Splitting Up Together follows a longtime couple (Jenna Fischer and Oliver Hudson) in the process of getting divorced. Surprisingly, instead of drifting apart, the two slowly discover their love remains. Now they’ll have to relearn what it means to be husband and wife all over again, with some added confusion from their friends and family.
Marriage has always been an important topic for Christians. Splitting Up Together doesn’t just challenge the purveying idea that divorce is a good solution to marital troubles, it also encourages viewers to take marriage seriously. Whether the rest of the show’s content is as edifying remains to be seen.
Marriage has always been an important topic for Christians. Splitting Up Together doesn’t just challenge the purveying idea that divorce is a good solution to marital troubles, it also encourages viewers to take marriage seriously. Whether the rest of the show’s content is as edifying remains to be seen.
3. Kevin (Probably) Saves the World (ABC)
An oblivious and self-centered man (played by Jason Ritter) encounters a spiritual entity (Kimberly Hébert Gregory) who claims to be a messenger from God. She explains that in every generation there are righteous souls who are chosen to save the world, and lucky Kevin has been selected. Obviously, this proves more difficult than either of them expected.
There are faith-based aspects to the show such as honesty, charity, and learning to be selfless. Not to mention, Kevin’s personal ark revolves around fixing relations with his broken family. Still, Kevin’s spiritual guide appears pretty lax on certain religious details, and the God she serves may just be another generic, ethereal version who wants people to be happy. Either way, it’s worth taking note.
