Much is being said and written about the success of the pilot for the Bible mini-series. Most reports are stating that it was watched by 13.1 million viewers, a stunning number when ordinarily successful shows draw 2 or 3 million.
But assessment of popularity and assessment of quality are not at all related. Members of a nearby mega-church were being urged to watch whether they were inclined to do so or not in order to boost the ratings and therefore encourage more productions like this. Numbers were inflated as well by the curious. By the time the sixth or seventh in the series rolls around, I wonder how many of those 13.1 million will still be around. My gut says not many.