There are discussions about being in the "red light" district and lack of purity, but these will go over the heads of younger viewers. A person is referred to as a eunuch.
Did you know you can flag iffy content? Adjust limits for Sex, Romance & Nudity in your kid's entertainment guide.
Offers Judeo-Christian teachings throughout that are designed to help people be better.
Positive Role Models
a little
Jesus Christ is seen by some as a savior, and others as a threat. Some people become better, kinder, and more courageous people once they spiritually transform. The Romans are a negative presence.
Diverse Representations
very little
There is some Middle Eastern and African representation among the cast, but the overall interpretation features very Euro-centric representations of people living in the Middle East during that time period.
Parents need to know that The Chosen is a faith-based series about the lives of people who interacted with Jesus Christ during his lifetime. There are some strong visual references to rape, as well as to violence and bloody injuries. Sexual behavior is alluded to, but will go over the heads of younger viewers. The drinking of wine is also visible. All of this is offered within the context of Biblical stories, and are associated with Judeo-Christian teachings.
Wonderful show! My teen boys all love it and we watch it together as a family. Watching episodes together has led to many important conversations. It will make you see these familiar Bible stories and characters in a whole new, refreshing light. Some scenes are a little too intense for my 8yo but that’s only because they are staying so true to the Bible.
Fantastic TV show with countless Inspiring, positive messages. I almost never cry in movies or TV shows, and this show gets me!
I was extremely disappointed to see Common Sense Media's very anti-Christian bias in its reporting. To say that a show about Jesus, the greatest role model of all, only gets 2/5 for role model and 2/5 for positive message shows a unashamed bias. They also have 1/5 for diversity and said it's a European representation when a large portion of the cast has Middle Eastern roots (the actor who plays Jesus is half Egyptian with Syrian ancestry, one of the main female characters is Palestinian, another main female character is black, Matthew is of Indian descent, many are of Jewish ancestry, and they intentionally add in people of color at key moments in positive ways, etc. This is extremely diverse casting for a TV show portraying 1st century Palestine. Common Sense Media, please modify your review to make it accurate and take away the blatant bias.
What's the Story?
THE CHOSEN is a dramatic series about the life of Jesus Christ from the point of view of those who met him. It tells the stories of ordinary people like Mary Magdalene (Elizabeth Tabish), Nicodemus (Erick Avari), and future disciples like Matthew (Paras Patel), Simon Peter (Shahar Isaac), and John (George Harrison Xanthis). They're all negotiating their own challenges and issues, but once they begin interacting with Jesus (Jonathan Roumie), their lives begin to change. As they become believers and are called into his service, they must also cope with the changes in their lives, and what lies in store for them as a result of this transformation.
The faith-based, multi-season series, which is regarded as the largest crowdfunded media project of all time, offers dramatic interpretations of some of the key figures named in the Holy Gospels. Multiple plot lines are woven together throughout each episode, which is designed to provide viewers with a sense of what disciples' lives were like before meeting Jesus, and what their spiritual transformations were like once they did. It's an interesting approach to telling the story of the New Testament, and one that relies on a lot of creative license. Meanwhile, like most TV and movies of this type, The Chosen offers its fair share of Judeo-Christian-based biblical teachings. But it also offers a well-produced, substantive story world that goes beyond mere proselytizing.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about the way media can be used to teach different belief systems and values. Is this a good thing? What are constructive ways to deal with media that presents beliefs or values that don't correspond with your own?
What is crowdfunding? Why do people use this in order to make a movie or produce a TV show? Why were the creators of The Chosen so successful in getting people to invest in their series?
Research shows a connection between kids' healthy self-esteem and positive portrayals in media. That's why we've added a new "Diverse Representations" section to our reviews that will be rolling out on an ongoing basis. You can help us help kids by
suggesting a diversity update.
Common Sense Media's unbiased ratings are created by expert reviewers and aren't influenced by the product's creators or by any of our funders, affiliates, or partners.
By Melissa Camacho
,
based on child development research. How do we rate?
