BBC to screen prime-time showing of Nativity

Anticipation is growing for the prime time showing of Tony Jordan's TV production of The Nativity on BBC1. Producer Tony Jordan said: ""The challenge for me was to retell a story that has been told countless times before."

STORYTELLER Tony Jordan's adapation of the nativity story is scheduled to be screened this Christmas in four 30-minute episodes, set for prime time broadcast at 7.00pm on BBC1 on Monday 20 December and the following three nights.

The production is being shown in a choice slot, usually occupied by The ONE Show, which has an average audience of around 5 million viewers.

Tatiana Maslany and Andrew Buchan star as Mary and Joseph, and the drama tells the traditional tale known to millions from a very human perspective. Other cast members include Peter Capaldi and Art Malik.

With Mary and Joseph's enduring love story at the centre this familiar story is given a contemporary twist, as the drama follows Joseph and Mary from their initial courtship – Joseph desperate to win the heart of Mary – to his emotional turmoil at her unexpected pregnancy.

Tony Jordan said: "The challenge for me was to retell a story that has been told countless times before, a story that everyone knows intimately, yet to do so in a way that will still surprise and move you, to see parts of the story you'd never seen before.

"I really think that we've achieved that and I'm incredibly proud to have been asked by the BBC to be involved in such a wonderful project."

The BBC's advance publicity describes how this 'gripping and vibrant adaptation shows the Nativity from a fresh viewpoint, highlighting how seemingly ordinary people reacted to the extraordinary and miraculous events that befell them.'

Footnotes:

Tony Jordan is widely recognised as TV's most compelling storyteller, having been the lead writer on EastEnders for many years, and also the creative genius behind such compelling and entertaining dramas as Life on Mars and Hustle.

You can find an in-depth interview with Tony Jordan here.

The Church and Media Network has also produced a small website with information about the series, ideas for how churches can use it.

Christians Together, 14/12/2010