In a culture that promotes almost everything anti-Christian, many families crave wholesome entertainment.
However, a new television series recently launched on Amazon Prime that many families can enjoy and relate to: “The Baxters.”
The show, which targets a teen and adult audience, is based on novelist Karen Kingsbury’s book series “Redemption.” It follows a Christian married couple and their five adult children (four daughters and one son) as they navigate the ups and downs of everyday life.
The series address many issues families face, including an unplanned pregnancy, infidelity, tragedy, and a child who leaves her faith. The family, however, turns to their faith in everything, even in doubt. They endure trials many families can face, but they count on their faith to guide and strengthen them.
Some of the show’s themes include the sanctity of marriage, the importance of family prayer, and the sactity of life in the womb.
During one episode of the series, Roma Downey, who plays the family’s mother, Elizabeth Baxter, says to her pregnant daughter, “A baby’s a blessing no matter the circumstances.”
In the interview below, “The Baxters” actress and producer Roma Downey (“Touched by an Angel”) joins ChurchPOP editor Jacqueline Burkepile to discuss the series. She explains why it can relate to Christians and those of any faith.
Watch below:
Click here if you cannot see the video above.
Here’s the text of the interview:
Jacqueline: Why did you decide to create this TV series? I loved that it had a very Christian message to it– especially a pro-life message and a message about the sanctity of marriage.
Roma: Yes. This was a based on a best-selling book series by the amazing author Karen Kingsbury, and I came to the project really as a fangirl. Someone had given me the very first book, “Redemption,” and I couldn’t put it down. I was just pouring through it. And as I was reading it, I thought, “this needs to be a TV series.”
There are 27 books in this series. So in success, the TV series could live forever. After I completed that first book, I just felt compelled to reach out to Karen Kingsbury personally and asked her if I could option the rights to make it into a TV show. Thankfully, she agreed and here we are about to launch the series on Amazon’s Prime video for Easter and I’m really super excited.
Listen, everything – It’s hard to get anything going. It’s hard to get a show made. It requires so many people. It really does take a village. But I gathered a great team around me– a wonderful cast to bring these characters– these rich roles to life.
It is a family that reflects our values. We rarely get to see that on television. I don’t know that there is a church-going, praying, biblical-based show that exists on TV. I think people have faith that will be very meaningful to see a family like this.
They’re not a perfect family. There’s plenty of challenges that are thrown in their direction. They are brought to their knees many times, but I think what is different as we get to see these problems modeled through the lens of a family who believe in God and a family who are not afraid to hold hands and pray. And so that when life brings them to their knees, you know while they’re down there, they’re praying.
It’s a beautiful cast and you know, I’m like a proud parent suddenly to see this launch…[I’m] hoping that families everywhere when they’re gathered for Easter, which is our hopeful holiday, isn’t it? And when they’re gathered, I’m hoping that they’ll curl up in the comfort of their own home on the couch with their parents and their kids and watch this show together.
Jacqueline: Well, what what would your message be to those who might be turned off by something like this since it’s so counter-cultural? What would you want to say to them to encourage them to watch the show?
Roma: You can watch show but any number of topics, you don’t have to be living in the thing to enjoy the story. I think there’s something relatable and this family for everybody. It’s not exclusive to Christian audiences.
But I think what what is special is that Christian audiences don’t often get to see themselves on the screen. And so I think this is what makes this quite unique and special. And you know for anybody that’s going through any of these challenges themselves– infidelity, illness, addiction, someone in their family has turned their back on God–You know, maybe watching the Baxters will help you, you know be able to handle some of those situations because we see how this particular family come together. They don’t always like each other. They don’t always approve of each other’s behavior or each other’s choices. But they always love each other and and ultimately they always have each other’s backs.
Jacqueline: What do you hope that all all people take from this?
Roma: Maybe a reminder of the strength of families–that we all belong to each other. Even if you don’t have a family that looks like this, you may have a community that looks like this. I think that COVID reminded us all of how isolated we can be – how lonely life can be. And I think something like “The Baxters” is just to reminder that when people when good people come together, that sense of belonging is can be a very real and comforting thing.
