When I was growing up, Christianity and entertainment were not typically regarded as complementary ideas. Recently, however, there has been an uprising in quality with Christian media. With today’s well-produced shows like “The Chosen” and “Young David,” many have high expectations for these biblical adaptations. But when I heard about an adaptation of the Exodus story in the style of “The Office,” I was very skeptical.
Exceeding my expectations, “The Promised Land” is a well produced, hilarious and accurate comedic representation of the events following the Israelites’ exodus from Egypt. Writer and director Mitch Hudson does a fantastic job making the narrative and characters relatable. On their website it says, “The Promised Land is built on a simple idea: the people in the Bible were people.” Helping accomplish this is the lead protagonist, Wasim No’mani, who portrays Moses as a leader struggling with anxieties and problem solving amongst his people.
The main draw of this show is the classic mockumentary style that is central to “The Office.” Characters like Moses, Aaron, Moses’s wife Zipporah, his sister Miriam and other additional characters break the fourth wall with hilarious lines and excellent timing. An added character I enjoyed is an Egyptian who washed up on the wrong side of the Red Sea and is trying to adapt to the customs of the Israelites. All these characters contribute to the audience's exploration of the biblical setting and day-to-day lives of the twelve tribes.
With the debut season consisting of six 30 to 40-minute episodes, I was shocked to see that it had all been produced in the span of six weeks. With the hope of more seasons to come, many others and I are excited to see how they tackle upcoming stories from the source text.
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