''The Passion'' is a television drama serial produced by the

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HBO Films HBO Films (formerly called HBO Premiere Films and HBO Pictures) is an American production and distribution company, a division of the cable television network HBO that produces feature films and miniseries. The division produces fiction and non- ...

in association with Deep Indigo Productions. It tells the story of the last week in the life of Jesus. The serial was first proposed by

Peter Fincham Peter Arthur Fincham (born 26 July 1956) is a British television producer and executive. From 2008 until 2016, he was the Director of Television for the ITV network. He was also formerly the Controller of BBC One, the primary television channe ...

in 2006, on the success of the contemporary-set Manchester Passion. Writer Frank Deasy and producer

Nigel Stafford-Clark Nigel Stafford-Clark (born 12 June 1948) is a British film and television producer, and the brother of the theatre director Max Stafford-Clark. He was educated at Felsted and Trinity College, Cambridge, and worked in advertising and in sponsore ...

were inspired to make a drama that opened up the story beyond the "vacuum" it is often told in. They did this by expanding the roles of Pontius Pilate and

Caiaphas Joseph ben Caiaphas (; c. 14 BC – c. 46 AD), known simply as Caiaphas (; grc-x-koine, Καϊάφας, Kaïáphas ) in the New Testament, was the Jewish high priest who, according to the gospels, organized a plot to kill Jesus. He famously pr ...

, and exploring the politics of Judea at the time. Deasy and Stafford-Clark were aided by scholar

Mark Goodacre Mark S. Goodacre (born 1967 in Leicestershire, England) is a New Testament scholar and Professor at Duke University's Department of Religion. He has written extensively on the Synoptic Problem; that is, the origins of the gospels of Matthew, Mar ...

, with whom they put together an extensive research manual about the topic. The part of Jesus is played by

Joseph Mawle Joseph Daniel Turner Mawle (born 21 March 1974) is an English actor. Mawle is best known for his roles as Benjen Stark in '' Game of Thrones'', Detective Inspector Jedediah Shine in ''Ripper Street'', Firebrace in ''Birdsong'', Jesus Christ in ' ...

, who researched the role by reading the Gospels and research papers. Other main roles were played by

Paloma Baeza Paloma Baeza (born 1 May 1975) is a British actress and director of English and Mexican heritage. Her 2017 film ''Poles Apart'' won the BAFTA for best animated short film in 2018. Biography Baeza was born in London and spent her childhood in Me ...

( Mary Magdalene),

Ben Daniels Ben Daniels (born 10 June 1964) is a British actor. Initially a stage actor, Daniels was nominated for an Olivier Award for Best Supporting Actor for ''Never the Sinner'' (1991), the Evening Standard Award for Best Actor for ''900 Oneonta'' ( ...

(Caiaphas), James Nesbitt (Pilate),

David Oyelowo David Oyetokunbo Oyelowo ( ; born 1 April 1976) is a British actor, director and producer. His accolades include a Critics' Choice Award and two NAACP Image Awards as well as nominations for two Golden Globe Awards, two Primetime Emmy Awards, ...

(

Joseph of Arimathea Joseph of Arimathea was, according to all four canonical gospels, the man who assumed responsibility for the burial of Jesus after his crucifixion. The historical location of Arimathea is uncertain, although it has been identified with several ...

), and

Penelope Wilton Dame Penelope Alice Wilton (born 3 June 1946), styled Penelope, Lady Holm between 1998 and 2001, is an English actress. She is known for starring opposite Richard Briers in the BBC sitcom ''Ever Decreasing Circles'' (1984–1989); playing Ho ...

(

Mary Mary may refer to: People * Mary (name), a feminine given name (includes a list of people with the name) Religious contexts * New Testament people named Mary, overview article linking to many of those below * Mary, mother of Jesus, also call ...

). It was directed by Michael Offer on location in Morocco from 27 August to 23 October 2007, and broadcast on BBC One in four parts from 16 to 23 March 2008. Its viewing figures ranged from 3.2 million to 4.9 million people, and it received generally positive critical reception.

Plot

Episode 1 — In the first hour-long episode, Jesus's arrival in Jerusalem on

Palm Sunday Palm Sunday is a Christian moveable feast that falls on the Sunday before Easter. The feast commemorates Christ's triumphal entry into Jerusalem, an event mentioned in each of the four canonical Gospels. Palm Sunday marks the first day of Holy ...

causes a stir among the Jews. The Romans are having to deal with a small rebellion and the High Priest wants to be rid of Jesus, since he is causing a disturbance and challenging his authority. Episode 2 — In the second half-hour episode, the High Priest

calls a council to determine how Jesus should be dealt with after he is overheard mocking the Temple, and his fate is sealed. Episode 3 — The third hour-long episode, relates the events from the Last Supper to the

Crucifixion of Jesus The crucifixion and death of Jesus occurred in 1st-century Judea, most likely in AD 30 or AD 33. It is described in the four canonical gospels, referred to in the New Testament epistles, attested to by other ancient sources, and consider ...

. Episode 4 — The final half-hour episode, features the Resurrection of Jesus, the sightings of him by Mary Magdalene and others, and his departure from the disciples after impressing upon Peter the importance of spreading his word. Caiaphus' wife gives birth to a son, and Pilate and his wife return to

Caesarea Caesarea () ( he, קֵיסָרְיָה, ), ''Keysariya'' or ''Qesarya'', often simplified to Keisarya, and Qaysaria, is an affluent town in north-central Israel, which inherits its name and much of its territory from the ancient city of Caesare ...

Production

At a conference in April 2006, Controller of BBC One

announced that following the success of the Manchester Passion—a contemporary retelling of the passion that was broadcast live from the streets of Manchester—a "straight" adaptation would be produced for broadcast in 2008. Fincham wanted it to be the "centrepiece" of BBC One's Easter 2008 schedule and hoped that it would have the same impact as ''

Jesus of Nazareth Jesus, likely from he, יֵשׁוּעַ, translit=Yēšūaʿ, label=Hebrew/Aramaic ( AD 30 or 33), also referred to as Jesus Christ or Jesus of Nazareth (among other names and titles), was a first-century Jewish preacher and religious ...

'' did in the 1970s.Plunkett, John (26 April 2006).
BBC plans epic retelling of Jesus's life
, ''The Guardian'', Guardian News and Media. Retrieved 3 August 2008.

, the producer of BBC One's successful 2005 adaptation of ''

Bleak House ''Bleak House'' is a novel by Charles Dickens, first published as a 20-episode serial between March 1852 and September 1853. The novel has many characters and several sub-plots, and is told partly by the novel's heroine, Esther Summerson, an ...

'', was brought on as producer, and a contract was tendered for a writer. Frank Deasy was announced as having won the contract in July 2006. Stafford-Clark chose him because he believed that Deasy understood the scale of the project.Brown, Maggie (7 July 2006).
From Prime Suspect to The Passion: Deasy tackles last week in life of Christ
, ''MediaGuardian'', Guardian News and Media. Retrieved 3 August 2008. The production was budgeted at £4 million. Both Deasy and Stafford-Clark looked to emulate the style of '' The Gospel According to St. Matthew'' (

Pier Paolo Pasolini Pier Paolo Pasolini (; 5 March 1922 – 2 November 1975) was an Italian poet, filmmaker, writer and intellectual who also distinguished himself as a journalist, novelist, translator, playwright, visual artist and actor. He is considered one of ...

, 1964) over '' The Passion of the Christ'' ( Mel Gibson, 2004). Deasy had walked out of ''The Passion of the Christ'' after 20 minutes because it "drained the spirituality of Jesus". ''Jesus of Nazareth'' had opposite effect on him, in that he believed Franco Zeffirelli's version was ''too'' spiritual. In his version, Deasy wanted to "draw Jesus down into the world more as a human character who is frustrated, angry, fearful and doubtful, and who doesn't have what is almost a mask of humanity, but is truly human."Jenkins, Simon (2008).
Frank Deasy interview
", Rejesus.co.uk. Retrieved 3 September 2008. Deasy and Stafford-Clark formed a development team, bringing on religion scholar Dr

and the BBC's head of religion and ethics, Michael Wakelin. Together, they prepared a research manual containing as much information as they could find about Jerusalem, first-century lifestyles, and the gospels.Wilson, Benji (15–21 March 2008). "Last days of Jesus", ''Radio Times'', BBC Magazines, pp. 14–18. Following his appointment as writer, Deasy spent the next year researching the gospels in Israel and consulting Goodacre.Jenkins, Garry (1 March 2008).
The BBC's bold new interpretation of The Passion
, ''The Times'', Times Newspapers. Retrieved 3 August 2008. His first draft was submitted in the autumn of 2006. Drawing on what he had learned from ''Jesus of Nazareth'', Deasy chose to portray Jesus as the "human character" in Matthew and

Mark Mark may refer to: Currency * Bosnia and Herzegovina convertible mark, the currency of Bosnia and Herzegovina * East German mark, the currency of the German Democratic Republic * Estonian mark, the currency of Estonia between 1918 and 1927 * Finn ...

, rather than the god-like figure in John. He also incorporated Jesus's relationship with women as written in

Luke People * Luke (given name), a masculine given name (including a list of people and characters with the name) * Luke (surname) (including a list of people and characters with the name) *Luke the Evangelist, author of the Gospel of Luke. Also known ...

. For the opening scene of Episode 1, he was influenced by the opening scene of '' Downfall'' (

Oliver Hirschbiegel Oliver Hirschbiegel (born 29 December 1957) is a German film director. His works include '' Das Experiment'' and the Oscar-nominated '' Downfall''. Life and career Hirschbiegel was born in Hamburg, Germany. A Waldorf graduate, Hirschbiegel st ...

, 2004):

In it, a peasant coming to Passover in Jerusalem is frightened when he comes across the disciples, because they've been in the desert or in Galilee for two years. They've been sleeping out and they appear slightly intimidating to him. It attempts to introduce a world in which Christianity didn't yet exist and these precepts and concepts that are so familiar to us now, were startlingly new and really exploded on the scene during this crucial week.

Deasy and Stafford-Clark were also interested in opening up the story beyond the "vacuum" in which they believe other depictions of the week are set. They did this by expanding the roles of Caiaphas and Pilate beyond mere "panto villains", and examining the politics of Judea at the time; Deasy explained that it was "much more rich to see Caiaphas as a flawed human being". Joseph Mawle was the first actor auditioned for the part of Jesus. He was cast in May 2007 and prepared for the role by reading "the Gospels, research papers, medical documents, endless books and prayers".Higgins, Ria; Joseph Mawle (19 October 2008).
Best of times, worst of times
, ''The Sunday Times'', Times Newspapers. Retrieved 3 August 2008. Mawle wanted to meet actor Robert Powell to discuss his portrayal of Jesus in ''Jesus of Nazareth'', but the two could not arrange a convenient time. By chance, the two met in the toilets at

Gatwick Airport Gatwick Airport (), also known as London Gatwick , is a major international airport near Crawley, West Sussex, England, south of Central London. In 2021, Gatwick was the third-busiest airport by total passenger traffic in the UK, after He ...

when Powell was going on holiday with his family and Mawle was leaving for Morocco to film ''The Passion''. James Nesbitt was filming in Belfast when his agent sent him the script. He initially did not want the part, but took it when his agent told him that Stafford-Clark was the producer; Nesbitt had enjoyed his version of ''Bleak House''. He played Pilate as "a cold, hard warrior", and was inspired—by the peace in Ireland—to play him Irish.McLean, Craig (1 March 2008).
The leading man next door
, ''Sunday Herald'', Newsquest Media Group. Retrieved 3 August 2008. Paloma Baeza felt a "responsibility" when she was offered the part of Mary Magdalene because of the scale of the story being told. Of playing Mary, she said, "I was looking at her journey, who this person was and her relationship to Jesus. And looking at her as a woman and her predicament."Jenkins, Simon (2008).

". Rejesus.co.uk. Retrieved 3 August 2008. Production was based at the Atlas Studios in Morocco. Sets were constructed on locations in Ouarzazate from May to August 2007. Principal photography took place from 27 August to 23 October.Multiple contributors (March 2008).
Your questions answered
", The Passion website (BBC Online). Retrieved 3 August 2008. Scenes in Jerusalem were filmed in Tamnougalt. Many scenes were filmed with hand-held cameras to make it appear that the audience is "eavesdropping" on characters' conversations.Jenkins, Simon (2008).
Nigel Stafford-Clark interview
". Rejesus.co.uk. Retrieved 3 August 2008. A significant scene was the crucifixion in Episode 3. The scene was filmed over three days and was frequently interrupted by torrential downpours. Mawle's make-up call came at 3.30 a.m. and it took five hours to apply cuts, bruises and blisters to his body. As he carried the cross over the sand, Mawle imagined the pain and exhaustion Jesus felt when he did it. Contrary to traditional depictions of the crucifixion, where Jesus is shown nailed to the cross by his hands, production designer Simon Elliot chose to show Jesus in the foetal position, with the nails through his arms. Mark Goodacre advised that this was the most common and effective method of crucifixion used by the Romans, and Elliot believed that "the Victorian image" did not match historical evidence; ''The Passion''s interpretation was based on a skeleton of a crucified man that was discovered near Jerusalem in the 1960s.Wynne-Jones, Jonathan (18 March 2008).
Why the BBC thinks Christ did not die this way
, ''The Daily Telegraph'', Telegraph Media Group. 3,000 extras participated in the trial scenes in Episode 3. The first episode was given a preview screening by the BBC at the Apollo West End cinema on 28 February 2008. The episode was introduced by BBC controller of fiction

Jane Tranter Jane Tranter (born 17 March 1963) is an English television executive who was the executive vice-president of programming and production at BBC Worldwide's Los Angeles base from 2009 until 2015. From 2006 to 2008, she was the BBC's controller of ...

to an invited audience of press and religious leaders. The producers delivered the final cut of Episode 4 on 11 March.

Cast

Jesus and followers *

as Mary Magdalene *Thomas Buchanan as

James, son of Alphaeus James, son of Alphaeus (Greek: Ἰάκωβος, ''Iakōbos''; Aramaic: ܝܥܩܘܒ ܒܪ ܚܠܦܝ; he, יעקב בן חלפי ''Ya'akov ben Halfai''; cop, ⲓⲁⲕⲱⲃⲟⲥ ⲛⲧⲉ ⲁⲗⲫⲉⲟⲥ; ) was one of the Twelve Apostles of Jes ...

*Lewis Clay as

Thomas Thomas may refer to: People * List of people with given name Thomas * Thomas (name) * Thomas (surname) * Saint Thomas (disambiguation) * Thomas Aquinas (1225–1274) Italian Dominican friar, philosopher, and Doctor of the Church * Thomas the A ...

* Tom Ellis as Phillip * Daniel Evans as Matthew *Eoin Geoghegan as

Andrew Andrew is the English form of a given name common in many countries. In the 1990s, it was among the top ten most popular names given to boys in English-speaking countries. "Andrew" is frequently shortened to "Andy" or "Drew". The word is derive ...

Dean Lennox Kelly Dean Lennox Kelly (born 30 November 1975) is an English actor. He is known for his television roles as Kev Ball in '' Shameless'' and Meredith Rutter in '' Jamestown''. Early life Kelly is from Lytham St Annes, Lancashire. He trained at the ...

as James *Stuart Kidd as

Simon Simon may refer to: People * Simon (given name), including a list of people and fictional characters with the given name Simon * Simon (surname), including a list of people with the surname Simon * Eugène Simon, French naturalist and the genus ...

as Jesus *

Darren Morfitt Darren Morfitt (born 12 September 1973) is an English actor who has appeared in ''55 Degrees North'', '' Grafters'', '' Dalziel and Pascoe'', '' Warriors'', '' Making Waves'', ''The Government Inspector'' and the cult werewolf movie ''Dog Soldi ...

Peter Peter may refer to: People * List of people named Peter, a list of people and fictional characters with the given name * Peter (given name) ** Saint Peter (died 60s), apostle of Jesus, leader of the early Christian Church * Peter (surname), a s ...

*Steve Morphew as

Thaddeus Thaddeus (Latin ''Thaddaeus'', Ancient Greek Θαδδαῖος ''Thaddaĩos'', from Aramaic תדי ''Ṯaday'') is a male given name. As of the 1990 Census, ''Thaddeus'' was the 611th most popular male name in the United States, while ''Thad' ...

* Paul Nicholls as

Judas Judas Iscariot (; grc-x-biblical, Ἰούδας Ἰσκαριώτης; syc, ܝܗܘܕܐ ܣܟܪܝܘܛܐ; died AD) was a disciple and one of the original Twelve Apostles of Jesus Christ. According to all four canonical gospels, Judas betray ...

* Vinette Robinson as Mina *

Jamie Sives Jamie Sives ( ; born 14 August 1973) is a Scottish actor. Sives was born in Lochend, Edinburgh. He studied at Leith Academy and worked as a scaffolder, as a postman, and as a club doorman in Edinburgh before turning to acting full-time. In 20 ...

as John *

*Eugene Wood as

Bartholomew Bartholomew ( Aramaic: ; grc, Βαρθολομαῖος, translit=Bartholomaîos; la, Bartholomaeus; arm, Բարթողիմէոս; cop, ⲃⲁⲣⲑⲟⲗⲟⲙⲉⲟⲥ; he, בר-תולמי, translit=bar-Tôlmay; ar, بَرثُولَماو ...

At the Temple *Ben Caplan as Yehuda *

*Laila El Mrabti as Caiaphas' daughter *

Laura Fraser Laura Fraser (born 24 July 1975) is a Scottish actress. She has played Door in the urban fantasy series ''Neverwhere'', Kate in the film ''A Knight's Tale'', Cat MacKenzie in the BBC Three drama series '' Lip Service'' and Lydia Rodarte-Quayle ...

as Abigail *Simon Kassianides as Temple guard *Munir Khairdin as Second Temple guard *

Denis Lawson Denis Stamper Lawson (born 27 September 1947) is a Scottish actor and director. He is known for his roles as John Jarndyce in the BBC's adaptation of ''Bleak House'', as Gordon Urquhart in the film '' Local Hero'', as Retired DI Steve McAndrew ...

Annas Annas (also Ananus or Ananias;Goodman, Martin, "Rome & Jerusalem", Penguin Books, p.12 (2007) , ; grc-x-koine, Ἅννας, ; 23/22 BC – death date unknown, probably around AD 40) was appointed by the Roman legate Quirinius as the first High P ...

*John Lynch as Sagan *

*Elif Yeşil as Nita, Caiaphas' servant Romans *Roger Ashton-Griffiths as Syrian prefect *Mansour Badri as Roman sergeant at Golgotha *El Housseine Dejjiti as Centurion at bakery *Karim Doukkali as Garrison Centurion *Robin Floriant as Rufus, tax collector *Matthew Flynn as Third Roman soldier *

Esther Hall Esther Jane Hall (born 28 August 1970) is an English actress who has appeared in a number of television dramas. Early life Born in Manchester in 1970 and brought up in Cheshire, she took A levels in Manchester before training in theatre arts fo ...

as Claudia, Pontius Pilate's wife *Martin Hutson as Pilate's secretary *

Mark Lewis Jones Mark Lewis Jones (born 31 August, 1964) is a Welsh actor, whose roles include that of a First Order Captain Moden Canady in '' Star Wars: The Last Jedi'', a police inspector in BBC drama series '' 55 Degrees North'', a whaler in the film '' Mas ...

as Marcus *

Gerard Monaco Gerard Monaco is a British actor who trained at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art. Monaco's first film was Mike Leigh’s ''Vera Drake''. He has since had roles in movies including Dame Jane Campion's ''Bright Star'' Jerry Bruckheimer's '' Pirat ...

as Capito *David Maybrick as First Roman soldier * James Nesbitt as Pontius Pilate *Ross O'Hennessy as Second Roman soldier * Driss Roukhe as Roman soldier at procession *Mohammed Taleb as Robe centurion People in Jerusalem *El Jirari Ben Aissa as Simon of Cyrene *Daniel Catlagirone as Eban *

Stephen Graham Stephen Joseph Graham (born 3 August 1973) is a British actor. He is best known for playing Andrew "Combo" Gascoigne in the film '' This Is England'' (2006) and its television sequels ''This Is England '86'' (2010), '' This Is England '88'' ...

Barabbas Barabbas (; ) was, according to the New Testament, a prisoner who was chosen over Jesus by the crowd in Jerusalem to be pardoned and released by Roman governor Pontius Pilate at the Passover feast. Biblical account According to all four canoni ...

*Mercedes Grower as Neta *Jamila El Haouni as Widow *Johnny Harris as Asher *Mustapha Jamal as Unhappy butcher *Richard Katz as Money changer *Barnaby Kay as Man on road to Emmaus *Abderrahim Moustaid as

Simon the Leper Simon the Leper (Greek: Σίμων ὁ λεπρός, ''Símōn ho leprós'') is a biblical figure who lived in Bethany, a village in Judaea on the southeastern slope of the Mount of Olives. He is mentioned in the Gospels according to Matthew and M ...

*Craig Parkins as Man at tomb *Gary Pillai as Merchant *Nadia Sadik as Screaming woman *Abdelouahed Sanouji as Young baker * Kiran Shah as Jude * Peter Sullivan as Lawyer *David Rubin as Pilgrim *

René Zagger René Zagger (born 1 June 1973) is an English actor, known for playing PC Nick Klein in ''The Bill'' from 1999 to 2004 and as the voice of Emet-Selch in Final Fantasy XIV from the ''Stormblood'' expansion onward. He has also made several guest ap ...

as Bird seller

Reception

The serial opened with an hour-long episode on 16 March, followed by a half-hour episode on 17 March, another hour-long episode on 21 March and a concluding half-hour episode on 23 March. An omnibus-style repeat of the first three parts was broadcast in the afternoon of 21 March. The first part opened with overnight ratings of 4.1 million viewers and a 15% audience share. The second episode, scheduled against popular ITV soap opera '' Coronation Street'', dropped to 3.2 million. Episode 3 brought in 3.7 million viewers and Episode 4 received 4.9 million and a 21% share. The series was generally well received. The main review in '' The Guardian'' of the first episode was positive, remarking "you could watch ''The Passion'' and totally forget that this story was central to a major world religion. And that's a good thing, I think." However, another article in the paper, discussing UK television over Easter 2008, called it "a dramatisation so conventional and reverent that the only harrumphing angle the papers have been able to find has been the position of the hands on the crucifix". '' The Independent''s Thomas Sutcliffe commented that "only the most zealously dogmatic Christian could complain that it was irreverent",Sutcliffe, Thomas (17 March 2008).
The Weekend's TV: Don't pass over this Easter treat
, ''The Independent'', Independent News and Media. Retrieved 21 March 2008. '' The Daily Telegraph''s James Walton's review of the same episode praised the humanising of Pilate and Caiaphas, and felt Mawle's depiction of Jesus, despite not having the same "spell-binding effect as Robert Powell did in ''Jesus of Nazareth''", nevertheless was "more appealingly human". Andrew Billen of '' The Times'' praised "some nice touches", but was overall more critical, calling Mawle's portrayal of Jesus too "meek, mild and hangdog". Stephen Green, from Christian Voice, voiced disquiet over the series giving sympathetic portrayals to Caiaphas and Pilate, though press reactions found this unjustified.

DVD release

''The Passion'' was released on DVD in the UK by

Acorn Media UK RLJE International Ltd, d/b/a Acorn DVD, a British company that publishes and distributes DVDs, as well as selling home-video products and streaming videos with a particular focus on British television. History Launched in 1997, Acorn Media U. ...

on 20 October 2008.Staff (4 August 2008).
BBC One's The Passion coming to DVD
", LastBroadcast.co.uk. Retrieved 5 August 2008.

References

External links

* * * {{DEFAULTSORT:Passion, The 2000s British drama television series 2008 British television series debuts 2008 British television series endings BBC television dramas Portrayals of Jesus on television Portrayals of the Virgin Mary in film Film portrayals of Jesus' death and resurrection English-language television shows Caiaphas Cultural depictions of Pontius Pilate Portrayals of Mary Magdalene in film