This fall, a brand-new sitcom about Moses leading the Israelites will stream, offering a fresh look at Biblical characters and their humanity.
"The Promised Land is a show about Moses and the Israelites on their journey from Egypt to the promised land," says Mitch Hudson, the show's writer and director. "We are catching them in the middle of the journey. This is a part of scripture that isn't really focused on."
While there have been a few movies made with Moses from the Bible as the main character, what sets this show apart is that it is filmed as a sitcom.
"It's a comedy show where we try to emphasize some of the frustrations and headaches that Moses and his family experience while trying to lead the people."
The style of the show is similar to The Office, where it's shot as a documentary with mini interviews from some of the characters throughout the episode.
"The first that comes up is, people hear a comedy and the Bible, and people say, 'Are we making fun of God or the Bible?' The answer is no. I'm a devout Christian, I really want to get this right. I love the Lord and I love scripture. For me, the biggest obstacle is honestly getting past the hump of people wondering, 'Is this wrong?'"
The idea behind each episode is that the crew is reverent with scripture and irreverent with people, according to Hudson. His aim is to tell the truth from the Bible while filling in the gaps with comedy.
"The characters in these stories were people. They were people God used, but they were still people. I think the point of why scripture is so helpful to us today is that we look at these stories and can say, 'These were people who made mistakes. People who were imperfect. People who got things wrong but God still used them.'"
Connection with The Chosen
The Chosen TV series has become a worldwide phenomenon, focusing on telling the serious story of Jesus living alongside his disciples. Hudson worked alongside director Dallas Jenkins as an assistant director.
"The Chosen has been great as it's set such a precedent for telling Biblical stories of such a high quality while also being very authentic. I like to think that The Chosen and The Promised Land have the same goal, which is adapting the Bible in a way that is relatable for the modern-day audience."
A few of the actors from The Chosen are also starring in this new sitcom.
"It's certainly challenging. For our show, we have to find people who make sense in the world of this story. We have to find Middle Eastern actors, but also people who are funny without trying to be funny. And good at improv. It's a lot of fun."
The entire show will initially be released on YouTube, with the second episode airing on Oct. 1. Watch the trailer below.