Last year, over 144 million Brazilians eagerly awaited the airing of the Bible-based mini-series, “The Ten Commandments”. From March to November 2015, the story of Moses, and God’s deliverance of the Hebrew people from Egypt was told in fascinating daily episodes on national TV.
Aired and produced by the second largest television network in Brazil, Record TV, the series has been uncovering forgotten values written in the Torah, and portraying them to families who perhaps never had the chance to really understand the depths of this story of the Bible.
With its amazing practical lessons of faith and values, The Ten Commandments has garnered the acclaim of many newspapers, actors and well-known presenters for its incentive to provide the population with a higher quality of television viewing content.
The story’s 180 episodes captivated the attention of all ages, taking the country by storm. The success of The Ten Commandments lies in the show’s audience appeal and family-oriented narrative. With episodes costing around $170,000 to produce with extravagant sets, on-
location shoots in the Chilean and Egyptian deserts, at Mt. Sinai, and by the Red Sea, with computer generated special effects edited and finished in Hollywood.
The success of its 176 episodes didn’t end with 2015’s final airing on television.
The Ten Commandments is now heading for the big screen at the end of January. Over 400,000 pre-sale tickets have been purchased within the first 4 days of January. At this rate, Record’s popular production is heading to become the biggest box office sale in Brazil.
In March of this year, the second part of the story of Moses will pick up where the 2015 episodes left off, taking him and the people of Israel through the wilderness and to the borders of the Promised Land.
Not content to wrap up with the death of Moses, Record TV has its next project in the works of the retelling of the warrior story of Joshua, Moses’ successor as the leader of the new nation.
The first season of The Ten Commandments is presently being aired in other countries such as Portugal, France, England, Germany, Angola, Moçambique, Japan and Chile.
Though the story of the exodus of the Hebrew slaves out of Egypt is familiar to many, the dramatic account by the talented cast and directors of Record’s television version fleshes out the human struggles, temptations and courageous faith of these very real men and women of the Bible like no other.
As good as previous adaptations of the story were in films from decades ago, this newest series has a passion for revealing God’s truths in the smallest of details, teaching the principles of faith against emotion, truth against deceit, trust against fear, and courage in the face of devastation.
What for many is an ancient tale that no longer relates to modern life, is now brought to life in vivid color, right into the hearts and homes of its viewers. Just as God’s prophecies of the past were urgent and real for the people of their day, His word impacts us with the same urgency in the 21st century, as it’s broadcast to cultures and languages throughout the world.
Honor God. You shall not murder. Do not cheat. Do not lie. Honor your father and mother… perhaps reminding the world of these basic truths can lead many nations to the God of Israel to live more peaceful and stable lives.
