Just as the broadcast of
Love Actually
kicks off the television Christmas,
Ben-Hur
kicks off Easter. TVE has not made us wait too long, we enjoyed it on the afternoon of Holy Thursday. William Wyler's classic stands out whenever it shows the most famous chariot race in the history of cinema, although it's not like there are many chariot races in the history of cinema. Also that Charlton Heston was the only one who was unaware during filming that his relationship with Messala was disguised as friendship to go for a walk in Judea. Something that also went unnoticed by most viewers. Subtext stuff.
Once the favorite classic of television programmers had been dispatched,
Quo Vadis
had to be assigned a time slot and it was Friday afternoon. Mervin LeRoy's film smells of torrijas and blessed palm, of an afternoon of blanket and sofa. To those who believe that they have already seen it too many times - there are films that are never seen enough - I propose a challenge, to find among its hundreds of extras a couple of stars who were making their debut: the burly Bud Spencer and a Sofia Loren who neither It is not even credited. On Saturday night comes
King of Kings
, Nicholas Ray's epic about the life of Christ that transformed Añover del Tajo into the Mount of Olives, Aldea del Fresno on the Jordan River and Carmen Sevilla into Mary Magdalene, the magic of cinema. Is there any Holy Week in which TVE has not broadcast these three classics? We are not aware.
“Ben-Hur” (1959).
As movies are no longer the viewer's main menu, La 2 has joined the binge-watching trend and between Thursday and Friday they are sending out this year the eight episodes of the first season of
The Chosen
—Movistar Plus+ has just released the fourth —. The series about Jesus and his disciples has been a not unexpected success, although there are not very recognizable names in its cast, it adapts one of the best-selling books in history, a
best-seller
full of betrayals, passion, fantasy and fascinating characters, neither one of its pages has waste. The public channel will broadcast little more fiction specific to these dates. Gone are the times when recollection prevailed and the programming was nourished by sacred music and processions and the entire schedule was modified in his honor.
Night without miniskirts
A curiosity, in 1985, the first time the broadcast of
Un, dos tres...
coincided with Good Friday, Mayra Gómez Kemp warned at the beginning of the program that out of respect, off-color jokes would be avoided. That night there were no miniskirts and the central theme of the program was waking gastronomy. And with material like that they made a program as superb as always, the magic of Chicho and a television that understood public service. Today TVE is immersed in its own via crucis with a final miracle, that in front, even if provisionally, they have placed someone, Conchi Cascajosa, who in addition to knowing about television is a reference for those of us who write about it and, more importantly, Someone who enjoys watching it – which is not usually taken for granted – is a prodigy on par with turning water into wine, although at certain times of the night it is not valued as much.
As is usually the case, there is no trace of
ad hoc
programming on the private schedule, it is not the result of a relaxation of customs, there has never been one in its 35 years of history. For Atresmedia this is another festive period and it will limit itself to giving holidays to its star programs and replacing them with reruns and family films. Unfortunately for fans of the genre they have not yet discovered the vein of Easter television films. On Hallmark, the American channel of healthy, respectful and patriotic love (although they film all their products in Canada because it is cheaper), they have just released
A Poinsettia
, a romantic comedy in which Amanda, a young gardener, will try to save the family farm participating in a poinsettia contest, there she will meet Derrick, a shepherd (of souls, not sheep) who will make her regain the joy of living. No, don't think you've seen it, maybe you've seen the Christmas version where Amanda participates in a fir tree contest and Derrick herds her birth sheep. I hope the Antena 3 purchasing department is taking note.
Ángel Cristo Jr. (seated second from the right below) on the 'Survivors' program.
On Telecinco there will not be more Golgotha of the
Survivors
nor more Passion than what is experienced in
The Island of Temptations
. They neither alter their schedule nor give their star formats a break, to see if due to the non-appearance of the rest they get a few tenths of audience that will allow them to take a breath. To show that he does not intend to take his foot off the accelerator, he has chosen a week that for some lucky people was already on vacation, and in which television consumption historically drops, to premiere
Mental Masters
, one of his big bets of the season, a risky bet that hasn't gone wrong for them.
If someone finds the offer of sacred fiction scarce and longs for more movies with peplums and sandals, they can take refuge in TreceTV, where there will be no shortage of
The Bible
, the European co-production that never misses its date with Easter and reminds us that before From being McDreamy from
Grey's Anatomy
, Patrick Dempsey was Jeremiah. There are also Easter classics that have become such for no apparent reason, such as
The Curse of Tutankhamun's Tomb
that not a year of the last decade has gone unbroadcast, this time it will be programmed by Paramount. How a film that has nothing to do with the
Passion of Christ
, not even with Christianity, becomes unavoidable at this time is a phenomenon worthy of study.
Filmin, which never loses sight of current events, has brought together 43 titles under the “Classical Saints” label. Some obvious ones:
The Greatest Story Ever Told
or
Jesus Christ Superstar
; others of questionable fit,
Steel Magnolias
? But if in 2024 we can eat vegan French toast, why not also update the list of Easter classics. And it's not like an excuse is necessary to dedicate a couple of hours to Sally Field and Dolly Parton.
And if in the midst of so much gravity someone misses a little humor, they can turn to
Let them all burn
, the British series recently released on Movistar Plus+ about a family of religious fanatics. Let no one tear their clothes, it is as respectful as it is fun.
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