# How Come There Aren't Any Christian TV Shows? **URL:** \ **Category:** Great Debates\ **Created:** [September 18, 2000, 5:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-come-there-arent-any-christian-tv-shows/33624 "2000-09-18T17:25:13Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Wildest\_Bill](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/b9e5f3/32.png) [@Wildest\_Bill](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wildest_Bill)\ **Post date:** [September 18, 2000, 5:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-come-there-arent-any-christian-tv-shows/33624/1 "2000-09-18T17:25:13Z")
I was just thinking about this at lunch. I can’t think of one. There is plenty of PI, lawyers, cops and witches etc show but no Christian shows. Why? Now you might bring up Touched By An Angel which is a pretty good show and does great in the ratings. But it never mentions Christ anywhere in the show. There is a huge percentage of Christians in this country to watch such a show but for some reason there is not one. Is Hollywood discriminating against Christians? What’s the deal? ---
**Author:** ![zev\_steinhardt](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/97f17d/32.png) [@zev\_steinhardt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/zev_steinhardt)\ **Post date:** [September 18, 2000, 5:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-come-there-arent-any-christian-tv-shows/33624/2 "2000-09-18T17:28:05Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Wildest Bill \* > \*\*I was just thinking about this at lunch. I can’t think of one. There is plenty of PI, lawyers, cops and witches etc show but no Christian shows. Why? Now you might bring up Touched By An Angel which is a pretty good show and does great in the ratings. But it never mentions Christ anywhere in the show. > > There is a huge percentage of Christians in this country to watch such a show but for some reason there is not one. Is Hollywood discriminating against Christians? What’s the deal? \*\* Well, you could have considered “Little House on the Prarie” a Christian show… Zev Steinhardt ---
**Author:** ![ElvisL1ves](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/5daacb/32.png) [@ElvisL1ves](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ElvisL1ves)\ **Post date:** [September 18, 2000, 5:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-come-there-arent-any-christian-tv-shows/33624/3 "2000-09-18T17:32:47Z")
If you’d ever seen “Seventh Heaven”, you’d have no doubt about it being Christian. Now why are there no Jewish/Buddhist/Hindu shows? THOSE people have some facts to support a complaint - unlike you. ---
**Author:** ![vanilla](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/f19dbf/32.png) [@vanilla](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/vanilla)\ **Post date:** [September 18, 2000, 5:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-come-there-arent-any-christian-tv-shows/33624/4 "2000-09-18T17:32:54Z")
Well, there IS trinity broadcast network. And turn on tv on any Sunday morning and you will find Chrisitian programs. What about PAX network? Though for a real treat, try to catch Jan Crouch sometime… ---
**Author:** ![Wildest\_Bill](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/b9e5f3/32.png) [@Wildest\_Bill](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wildest_Bill)\ **Post date:** [September 18, 2000, 5:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-come-there-arent-any-christian-tv-shows/33624/5 "2000-09-18T17:37:09Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by ElvisL1ves \* > \*\*If you’d ever seen “Seventh Heaven”, you’d have no doubt about it being Christian. > > Now why are there no Jewish/Buddhist/Hindu shows? THOSE people have some facts to support a complaint - unlike you. \*\* No I have not when is “Seventh Heaven” on and what is it about? And “Little House on the Prairie” was just a family show if I remember right. ---
**Author:** ![Sofa\_King](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/58956e/32.png) [@Sofa\_King](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sofa_King)\ **Post date:** [September 18, 2000, 5:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-come-there-arent-any-christian-tv-shows/33624/6 "2000-09-18T17:45:42Z")
I don’t think the ACLU would be very happy about that sort of show, but I’m not terribly certain that there is a way to prevent one from being aired. Art Clokey, creator of Gumby, had a boring, tedious claymation show called David and Goliath that was pretty seriously Christian in nature. I was the biggest Gumby fan in the world as a kid, but as soon as D&G came on, I found something else to do, far away from the television. I suspect that might be one reason why you don’t see overtly Christian television shows–if you can’t sell that sort of thing to a five year old, who _can_ you sell it to? ---
**Author:** ![Ike\_Witt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ike_witt/32/283_2.png) [@Ike\_Witt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ike_Witt)\ **Post date:** [September 18, 2000, 5:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-come-there-arent-any-christian-tv-shows/33624/7 "2000-09-18T17:49:20Z")
Hasn’t _The Last Temptation of Christ_ been on network TV? ---
**Author:** ![Mojo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/85f322/32.png) [@Mojo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mojo)\ **Post date:** [September 18, 2000, 5:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-come-there-arent-any-christian-tv-shows/33624/8 "2000-09-18T17:51:18Z")
What do you consider a “Christian” show? One where all the characters are Christian? If that’s the case, you’ve got ALL the programming on the Trinity channel as well as all kinds of Sunday morning programming (700 Club, televangelists, religious cartoons, Davey & Goliath reruns). If you want a major character in a show who repeatedly professes his belief in God, there’s always the Flanders on the Simpsons, “Touched by an Angel”, reruns of “Highway to Heaven”, etc… By the same token, there are no Buddhist, Jewish, Muslim, Shintoist, Hindu, or atheistic (where the actors repeatedly profess that they do not believe in God) shows on TV. ---
**Author:** ![barker](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/919ad9/32.png) [@barker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/barker)\ **Post date:** [September 18, 2000, 5:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-come-there-arent-any-christian-tv-shows/33624/9 "2000-09-18T17:57:44Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Wildest Bill \* > > And “Little House on the Prairie” was just a family show if I remember right. \*\* I think the question comes back to what exactly are you looking for? I think Little House demonstrated great “Christian Values” as did other shows like _The Waltons._ I would consider those as Christian Shows as opposed to the Fr. Dowling mystery series. While I have memories of the _David and Goliath_, that was a long time ago. ---
**Author:** ![Dinsdale](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/97f17d/32.png) [@Dinsdale](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dinsdale)\ **Post date:** [September 18, 2000, 6:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-come-there-arent-any-christian-tv-shows/33624/10 "2000-09-18T18:04:59Z")
I’m not a really big TV watcher, so my info is limited, but weren’t there a couple in the last couple of years? One had Dan Ackroyd as a minister of some kind, and the other had some young curly headed priest in an inner city parish. I believe Catholics were upset at the portrayal of their faith in the latter and it didn’t make it past one season. Sorry I don’t know the names of either. As far as why there aren’t more, I think it is pretty much of a mindfield. What religion wants to be played for laughs in a sitcom? And if a show is viewed as overly sympathetic to any particular faith in a drama, how do other faiths feel about that? And, most importantly, what advertisers want to be anywhere near this potential controversy? ---
**Author:** ![Dinsdale](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/97f17d/32.png) [@Dinsdale](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dinsdale)\ **Post date:** [September 18, 2000, 6:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-come-there-arent-any-christian-tv-shows/33624/11 "2000-09-18T18:06:18Z")
Oops. Read “minefield.” ---
**Author:** ![tevya](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/4491bb/32.png) [@tevya](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tevya)\ **Post date:** [September 18, 2000, 6:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-come-there-arent-any-christian-tv-shows/33624/12 "2000-09-18T18:08:55Z")
When you say “Christian show” what do you mean? Do you mean fictionalized dramas, sitcoms, etc.? Do these shows have to specifically mention Christ? If you mean fictionalized dramas, sitcoms, etc. then I would think that Touched by an Angel would fit most peoples description of a Christian Show (even though Christ is not specifically mentioned). If you accepted this as a Christian Show then I beleive you might be able to find even more examples. If you are referring to any Christian Programming then look for the Pax Network, TBN, and on many stations on any given Sunday. There are many Christian programs on then on many stations. ---
**Author:** ![tevya](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/4491bb/32.png) [@tevya](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tevya)\ **Post date:** [September 18, 2000, 6:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-come-there-arent-any-christian-tv-shows/33624/13 "2000-09-18T18:18:29Z")
The following is a programming schedule from an organization that provides Christian themed programs to radio and t.v.: [http://www.familynet.org/network.htm](http://www.familynet.org/network.htm) ---
**Author:** ![Sofa\_King](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/58956e/32.png) [@Sofa\_King](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sofa_King)\ **Post date:** [September 18, 2000, 6:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-come-there-arent-any-christian-tv-shows/33624/14 "2000-09-18T18:18:42Z")
…And then there was the Little House spinoff, _Father Murphy_, starring the imcomparable Merlin Olsen.\* \*“Incomparable” of course refers to Olsen’s 14 consecutive Pro-Bowl invitations and his legendary status as a defensive tackle for the LA Rams. As Father Murphy, well… He should have stuck a little closer to Dick Enberg. ---
**Author:** ![Running\_with\_Scissors](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/a183cd/32.png) [@Running\_with\_Scissors](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Running_with_Scissors)\ **Post date:** [September 18, 2000, 6:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-come-there-arent-any-christian-tv-shows/33624/15 "2000-09-18T18:19:19Z")
> [@](#): > > _Wildest Bill wrote:_ > > There is a huge percentage of Christians in this country to watch such a show but for some reason there is not one. Is Hollywood discriminating against Christians? What’s the deal? As has already been pointed out at length, there is also a large group of people who are **not** Christians, so Hollywood would potentially alienate them while catering to a particular religious group. As far as discriminating, of course they are, everyone knows Hollywood is controlled by us Jews… 🙂 Seriously, I think Hollywood would be more likely to be accused of discrimination if they **did** have “Christian” shows (whatever that means) - then they’d be discriminating against all the groups that **didn’t** have their own show. ---
**Author:** ![Sofa\_King](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/58956e/32.png) [@Sofa\_King](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sofa_King)\ **Post date:** [September 18, 2000, 6:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-come-there-arent-any-christian-tv-shows/33624/16 "2000-09-18T18:19:54Z")
Yes, I am imcompetent. ---
**Author:** ![Lucky](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/e9c0ed/32.png) [@Lucky](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lucky)\ **Post date:** [September 18, 2000, 6:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-come-there-arent-any-christian-tv-shows/33624/17 "2000-09-18T18:20:45Z")
No Christian shows? I guess you don’t watch much Sunday morning TV. In addition to the shows others have mentioned, PBS also airs The Vicar of Dibley. It’s Brittish, but it’s braodcast in the US so I assume it qualifies. ---
**Author:** ![AWB](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/bb73d2/32.png) [@AWB](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AWB)\ **Post date:** [September 18, 2000, 6:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-come-there-arent-any-christian-tv-shows/33624/18 "2000-09-18T18:25:47Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Wildest Bill \* > **I was just thinking about this at lunch. I can’t think of one. There is plenty of PI, lawyers, cops and witches etc show but no Christian shows. Why? Now you might bring up Touched By An Angel which is a pretty good show and does great in the ratings. But it never mentions Christ anywhere in the show.** So, what exactly would a show about Christians be about. I mean, if the main character in a show is a private investigator, you expect to see him investigating. If he’s President, he does presidential things. For a Christian character, you’d follow him around being Christian? Well all and good, but high-ratings TV it’s not. ---
**Author:** ![xizor](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/xizor/32/102_2.png) [@xizor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/xizor)\ **Post date:** [September 18, 2000, 6:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-come-there-arent-any-christian-tv-shows/33624/19 "2000-09-18T18:26:25Z")
On PBS is a show called **Veggie Tales** which is an extremely christian kid show. Does that count? ---
**Author:** ![Wildest\_Bill](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/b9e5f3/32.png) [@Wildest\_Bill](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wildest_Bill)\ **Post date:** [September 18, 2000, 6:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-come-there-arent-any-christian-tv-shows/33624/20 "2000-09-18T18:29:11Z")
I know about Sunday morning ones(but we are kinda like in Church then). But what I am talking is prime time. It could either be fictional sit com or drama. Sorry I should of made that more clear in the original post. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-come-there-arent-any-christian-tv-shows/33624.md?page=2)