News
UP launches two-week Easter celebration April 7
ATLANTA – March 25, in the year of our Lord 2014 – For two weeks
in April, television audiences will be treated to an
unprecedented collection of inspirational movies and mini-series
when UP once again presents “The Greatest Stories of The Bible”
in honor of the Easter season. America’s favorite network for
uplifting entertainment will mark the holiday for a second year
with an unforgettable programming schedule. Starting on Monday,
April 7 and continuing through Easter, Sunday, April 20, UP will
air 21 classic stories from the New and Old Testaments (11
never-before-seen on UP), plus one all-new UP Original Movie
during prime time, totaling more than 123 hours of programming.
“As the leader in uplifting entertainment, it is fitting that we
are the home for the greatest lineup of Easter programming,”
said Charley Humbard, president and CEO, UP. “Our two-week
celebration of Easter, much like our America’s Christmas channel
on-air event, reflects UP’s dedication to being a safe haven for
all families seeking quality programming that affirms their
values during this most sacred season.”
Added Leslie Glenn Chesloff, executive vice president of
programming, UP: “We’ve brought together what we believe are the
most iconic movies telling stories from The Bible of the past 50
years, from monumental classics starring legendary movie stars,
to lesser-known but equally soul-satisfying gems. That’s what we
at UP mean when we say ‘Easter Lives Here.’”
Highlights of the two-week programming block include Mary,
Mother of Jesus, starring Christian Bale, Pernilla August,
Melinda Kinnaman and Geraldine Chaplin; Judas, starring
Johnathon Schaech, Jonathan Scarfe, Tim Matheson and Bob Gunton;
Jesus, starring Jeremy Sisto, Debra Messing and Gary Oldman; and
The Greatest Story Ever Told, starring Max Von Sydow, Charlton
Heston and John Wayne.
The centerpiece of UP’s two-week Easter celebration will be the
commercial television premiere of The Passion of the Christ, the
highest grossing independent film of all time. Mel Gibson’s
blockbuster retelling of Jesus’ final hours will be telecast
with limited commercial interruption on Palm Sunday, April 13, 9
p.m. EDT/6 p.m. PDT.
The complete list UP’s “The Greatest Stories of The Bible”
includes:
Peter and Paul – Peter and Paul assume leadership of the Church
as they struggle against violent opposition to the teachings of
Christ and their own personal conflicts. (1981) Stars: Anthony
Hopkins, Robert Foxworth, Eddie Albert, Raymond Burr, Jose
Ferrer. Monday, April 7, 8 p.m. EDT/ 5 p.m. PDT.
Solomon – King Solomon rules Egypt with wisdom and respect,
until his unrequited love for the Queen of Sheba plunges him
into despair and his realm begins to collapse. (1997) Stars: Ben
Cross, Anouk Aimée, Vivica A. Fox, Max von Sydow. Tuesday, April
8, 8 p.m. EDT/5 p.m. PDT.
*The Story of David – A biography of the second king of Israel
follows David from his days as a humble shepherd to his death as
king, recounting his accomplishments, his struggles, and his
sins. (1976) Stars: Timothy Bottoms, Anthony Quayle, Jane
Seymour. Wednesday, April 9, 8 p.m. EDT/5 p.m. PDT.
*Barabbas – Oscar® winner Anthony Quinn plays Barabbas, the
criminal set free so that Christ could be crucified, who is
haunted by the image of Jesus for the rest of his life. (1961)
Also starring Silvana Mangano and Arthur Kennedy. Thursday,
April 10, 8 p.m. EDT/5 p.m. PDT.
Jeremiah – A prophet abandons his loved ones in order to relay
God’s message of the destruction of the Holy City by the
Babylonians. (1998) Stars Patrick Dempsey, Oliver Reed, Leonor
Varela. Thursday, April 10, 11 p.m. EDT/ 8 p.m. PDT.
The Ten Commandments – The story of Moses, who, against
impossible odds, leads the Jews out of Egyptian slavery into
perilous freedom. (2006) Stars: Dougray Scott, Paul Rhys, Omar
Sharif, Naveen Andrews. Friday, April 11, 8 p.m. EDT/5 p.m. PDT.
*The Story of Ruth – In a story inspired by the scriptural tale,
the Moabitess priestess Ruth is drawn both to a Judean man and
to his talk of a forgiving God. After tragedy strikes, she
begins a new life in Bethlehem. (1960) Stars: Stuart Whitman,
Tom Tryon, Peggy Wood. Friday, April 11, 12 a.m. EDT/9 p.m. PDT.
The Book Of Ruth: Journey of Faith – An adaptation of the
Bible’s “Book of Ruth” deals with powerful themes of tolerance
and acceptance gained through love and understanding. (2009)
Stars: Lana Wood, Dan Haggerty and Sherry Morris. Saturday,
April 12, 8:30 a.m. EDT/5:30 a.m. PDT.
Esther – When the King of Persia falls in love with Esther,
unaware of her Jewish heritage, she asks him to show her people
mercy and becomes a symbol of hope and virtue in life’s darkest
moments. (1999) Stars: Louise Lombard, F. Murray Abraham, Jürgen
Prochnow, Thomas Kretschmann. Saturday, April 12, 10:30 a.m.
EDT/7:30 a.m. PDT.
*The Book of Esther – Chosen as queen consort to King Xerxes of
Persia, the Jewish maiden Esther discovers a plot to exterminate
her people and must outwit her enemies. (2013) Stars: Jen
Lilley, Linda Bisesti. Saturday, April 12, 7 p.m. EDT/4 p.m.
PDT.
*Esther and the King – Joan Collins stars as Esther in the
Biblical story of the queen who saved a nation. (1960) Also
starring: Richard Egan, Sergio Fantoni. Saturday, April 12, 1
a.m. EDT/10 p.m. PDT.
The Greatest Story Ever Told – George Stevens’ epic retelling of
the life of Jesus Christ was nominated for five Academy® Awards
and features a star-studded cast. (1965) Stars: Max Von Sydow,
Dorothy McGuire, Robert Loggia, Charlton Heston, Robert Blake,
Roddy McDowall, Sidney Poitier, Pat Boone, Shelley Winters, John
Wayne, Telly Savalas, Angela Lansbury, Martin Landau, Jose
Ferrer. Palm Sunday, April 13, 4:30 p.m. EDT/1:30 p.m. PDT.
*The Passion of the Christ (Commercial Television Premiere with
Limited Commercial Interruptions) – From Academy® Award-winning
director Mel Gibson, this uncompromising film depicts Jesus
Christ’s profound courage and sacrifice during the last 12 hours
of his life on Earth. (2004) Stars: Jim Caviezel, Maia
Morgenstern and Monica Bellucci. Palm Sunday, April 13, 9 p.m.
EDT/6 p.m. PDT.
Mary, Mother of Jesus – A compelling portrayal of a mother’s
undying love for her son, the film celebrates the humanity of
Mary as she accepts her son’s destiny and dedicates her life to
his message of love and salvation. (1999) The film stars
Christian Bale, Pernilla August, Melinda Kinnaman and Geraldine
Chaplin. Thursday, April 17, 8 p.m. EDT/5 p.m. PDT.
The Story of Jacob and Joseph – Brothers Esau and Jacob turn
against one another, tearing their family apart for 20 years,
only to see their conflict echoed in the next generation as
Jacob’s sons sell their brother Joseph into slavery in Egypt out
of jealousy. (1974) Stars: Keith Michell, Tony Lo Bianco and
Colleen Dewhurst. Good Friday, April 18, 8:30 a.m. EDT/5:30 a.m.
PDT.
*Judas – A new perspective on the intertwined lives of Judas
Iscariot and Jesus of Nazareth that depicts Judas
sympathetically, as he tries to free the Jewish people from
Roman rule. (2004) Stars: Johnathon Schaech, Jonathan Scarfe,
Tim Matheson and Bob Gunton. Monday, April 14, 8 p.m. EDT/5 p.m.
PDT.
*King of Kings – An epic film detailing the life of Jesus Christ
from birth to crucifixion and resurrection. (1961) Stars:
Jeffrey Hunter, Siobhán McKenna and Rip Torn. Tuesday, April 15,
8 p.m. EDT/5 p.m. PDT.
Jesus – The extraordinary life of Jesus is captured in this
riveting film as he grows from a simple carpenter into a man
whose spiritual teachings and loving ways continue to inspire
the world. (1999) Stars: Jeremy Sisto, Debra Messing, Gary
Oldman, Jacqueline Bisset, G.W. Bailey. Good Friday, April 18, 8
p.m. EDT/5 p.m. PDT.
*The Robe – A tribune wins Jesus’ homespun robe after the
crucifixion, but becomes tormented by nightmares. Hoping to find
a way to live with what he has done, he returns to Palestine to
try and learn what he can of the man he helped kill. (1953)
Stars: Richard Burton, Jean Simmons and Victor Mature. Saturday,
April 19, 8 p.m. EDT/5 p.m. PDT.
*Demetrius and the Gladiators – The sequel to the masterful The
Robe finds Christ’s robe conveyed to Rome for safekeeping, where
the scheming emperor Caligula covets its power, not realizing
the peril to those who do not believe in the true power of God.
(1954) Stars: Victor Mature, Susan Hayward, Anne Bancroft and
Ernest Borgnine. Saturday, April 19, 11 p.m. EDT/8 p.m. PDT.
*Apostle Peter and the Last Supper – In the hours before his
death, Simon Peter of Galilee—apostle, disciple and personal
friend of Jesus—recounts his life as a simple fisherman who
became one of the boldest figures in all of Christianity. (2012)
Stars: Robert Loggia, Bruce Marchiano and Laurence Fuller.
Sunday, April 20, 8 a.m. EDT/8 5.m. PDT.
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