What is it? The Story of God, six episodes on two disks from 20th Century Fox Home Entertainment
How much? $14.98
When? Now
That would be quite a complicated story, wouldn't it? It would. This series breaks a very broad topic down into several, more manageable pieces.
That said, it's not just about God. It's about religion in general, and different beliefs and cultures around the world and through the ages.
For this National Geographic series, actor Morgan Freeman (who played God in the comedies Bruce Almighty and Evan Almighty) travels all over the world to study a series of topics: Death, Apocalypse, Who Is God?, Creation, Why Does Evil Exist?, The Power of Miracles.
Each episode finds Freeman meeting with religious leaders, scholars and scientists to ask his series of questions.
He travels to Egypt to see the pyramids and learn about Egyptian beliefs in reincarnation. In the southwestern United States, he witnesses a Navajo coming-of-age ritual. In Jerusalem, he visits the Church of the Holy Sepulchre and hears about its little-known connection to the Adam and Eve story. During a visit to Turkey, he tries to discover if there's a connection between the birth of farming and the first consciousness of religion.
He also explores the relationship between religion and science. Can evil be detected through brain scans? Can the scientific and biblical explanations of creation co-exist? Is there really life after death?
How is it? Very interesting and enlightening, particularly for those with an open mind and curiosity about other cultures and belief systems.
Some of it is unnerving, like Freeman's "visit" with Bina48, an advanced artificially intelligent android, or his discussion with a serial rapist and murderer serving a life sentence.
But it's not all dark and heavy, as Freeman injects some of his personality, life story and dry sense of humor into his adventures. He's a good host, interested and open to the different stories he hears, although he doesn't hide his skepticism with some of them.
The series doesn't present hard and fast answers, just possibilities. Ultimately, while the ideas and beliefs vary quite a bit, this is also a story about how the similarities underneath the differences can bind people together.
Are there extras? There are several short discussion bits with Freeman and producers and two web series: one asking series-related questions to random people on the street and another with a rabbi, a pastor and an imam discussing the various episode topics.
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Next week: Beavis and Butt-head, complete series; Kojak, Season 1; Mercy Street, Season 2; Quarry, Season 1; True Women, miniseries.
Style on 02/05/2017