Our TV sets have a new function this weekend: They can be portals to a virtual Easter.
Other years have had plenty of Easter shows, but they didn’t seem as necessary. People went to church and to family gatherings and more.
This year, however, many churches are closed, sending their services online. TV has a bigger role.
The broadcast networks do a little. ABC has already had its annual “Ten Commandments”; NBC came up with a late addition: At 7 p.m. Sunday, it will rerun its “Jesus Christ Superstar Live in Concert,” an ambitious production with John Legend, Sara Bareilles, Alice Cooper and lots of Broadway stars.
Individual stations will do more, with local and syndicated services. And mostly, cable jumps in.
Turner Classic Movies has the big-budget epics of the past. A Sunday marathon has – “Barabbas” (1961), “Ben-Hur” (1959), “The Greatest Story Ever Told” (1965) and “King of Kings” (1961).
(In addition, the Reelz channel will have the 2012 “Bartabbas” mini-series. That means some viewers will start and end the day with thetory of a man — played by Anthony Quinn and Billy Zane — freed by the crowd on the day Jesus was executed.)
Other channels have the spurt of modest-budgeted, faith-based films — “Heaven is For Real,” Jennifer Garner’s “A Question of Faith,” etc. – that have reached TV in recent years.
And occasionally, TV makes its own Easter-ready shows. On Sunday, History reruns its “The Bible” mini-series and NBC reruns “Superstar”; also, two films debut this weekned:
– “In-Lawfully Yours,”at 7 and 11 p.m. ET Sunday on the UpTV cable channel. A young woman moves to a small town to help her former mother-in-law, then becomes disliked when she dates the pastor. Marilu Henner and Corbin Bernsen have supporting roles.
– “The Clark Sisters: The First Ladies of Gospel,” at 8 p.m. Saturday on Lifetime, rerunning the next day (Easter) at 11:30 a.m. and 10:03 p.m. It’s a true story, rippling with music.
“I remember being in a children’s choir (at) 4 or 5 years old,” said Shelea Frazier, one of the stars. “That is always going to be part of me, no matter what I’m singing. I always joke and say, ‘God always gets my best vocal.’”
Highlights include:
NBC
– Sunday (April 12, Easter): “Jesus Christ Superstar, Live in Concert,” 7-9:30 p.m. It’s an ambitious 2018 production, filled with strong voices – John Legend as Jesus, Sara Bareilles as Mary Magdalene, Alice Cooper as Herod, plus Broadway stars Norm Lewis, Brandon Victor Dixon, Jin Ha and more.
UpTV (all times ET, three hours earlier PT)
– Friday (April 10, Good Friday): “Noah’s Ark,” 7 p.m.; “The Passion of the Christ,” 9 and 11 p.m.
– April 11: “Heaven is for Real,” noon; “Facing the Giants,” 2 p.m.; “God’s Not Dead,” 4:30 p.m.; “Heaven is for Real,” 7 p.m.; “Courageous,” 9; “The Healer,” 11:30.
– Sunday: “The Identical,” 12:30 p.m.; “The Healer,” 2:30; “Undercover Angel,” 5; “In-Lawfully Yours,” 7 and 11; “Twist of Fate,” 9.
Lifetime
— Friday: “Joyful Noise,” 5 p.m.; “Miracles From Heaven,” 8; “Faith Under Fire” at 10:33,
– Saturday: “The Shack,” 11 a.m.; “Faith Under Fire,” 2 p.m.; “Clark Sisters: First Family of Gospel,” 8 p.m.; “Twist of Faith,” 10:33 p.m.
– Sunday: “Clark Sisters,” 11:30 a.m.; “Twist of Faith,” 2 p.m.; “Miracles From Heaven,” 5:30; “A Question of Faith,” 8 p.m. and midnight; “Clark Sisters,” 10:03 p.m.
More on Sunday (April 12)
More on Sunday (April 12)
– BET: Gospel music, 4-7:30 a.m.; Stellar Awards,” 10 a.m. to noon.
– Fox News Channel: Pope Francis’ Easter message from the Vatican will be at 5 a.m. ET; Franklin Graham’s message from New York City will be during a segment (including several other pastors) from 10 a.m.to noon. In between, “Fox & Friends” will look at Easter around the country.;
— Oprah Winfrey Network: “Super Soul Sunday” reruns, with Winfrey’s one-hour chats. They range from author William Paul Young (“The Shack”) at 6 a.m. to Jimmy Carter at 11 a.m. and evangelist Joel Osteen at noon. Then “Belief,” the richly crafted documentary mini-series, reruns from 1-8 p.m.
– Turner Classic Movies (all times ET, three hours earlier PT): “Barabbas,” 7:30 a.m.; “Ben-Hur,” noon; “The Greatest Story Ever Told,” 4 p.m.; “King of Kings,” 10 p.m.
– TV One: “Hear No Evil,” noon; “For the Love of Ruth,” 2 p.m.; “Sinners Wanted,” 4 p.m.; then “Unsung” profiles of gospel greats – Shirley Caeser at 6 p.m., Marvin Sapp at 7, Tasha Cobbs at 8, the Clark Sisters at 9.
– History: “The Bible” mini-series reruns, 2 p.m. to 4 a.m.
– Reelz: The “Barabbas” mini-series will be 9 p.m. to 1 a.m. ET.
On the lighter side:
– “Ice Age: The Great Egg-scapade,” a fun cartoon, reruns at 7:30 p.m. Sunday on Fox.
– “Easter Parade,” with Fred Astaire, Judy Garland and a flood of Irving Berlin hits, is 8 p.m. ETY (5 p.m. PT) Sunday on Turner Classic Movies.
– “Peter Rabbit” isn’t an Easter movie, but it’s popular at this time of year … and its sequel has been postponed until August. FX has the original at 7 and 9 p.m. Saturday and 5 and 11 pm. Sunday.
– For others, you can search the streaming networks. Hulu, for instance, has “It’s the Easter Beagle, Charlie Brown”; Netflix has “Hop,” a fun blend of live actors and animated Bunny.