Another casualty of schedule changes in the spring, Living Biblically was forced to wait until the summer to air its final few episodes. With an intriguing enough premise and an even more promising cast list, it was hard not to pick it back up and finish off the series.
The main story of season one revolves around the life of Chip Curry (Jay R. Ferguson), a film critic for a newspaper, who is given the news that his best friend has died. This traumatic event causes Chip to rethink his life and through what he sees as an Act of God decides to improve his life by living according to the teachings of the Bible. Between becoming an expectant father with his wife Leslie (Lindsey Kraft), writing a blog about his religious journey for his boss Ms. Meadows (Camryn Manheim) and seeking the advice of his “God Squad”Father Gene (Ian Gomez) and Rabbi Gil Ableman (David Krumholtz), Chip tries to learn how to be a better person one verse at a time.
This series, produced by Johnny Galecki of Big Bang Theory fame, has a very similar tone and format to its storytelling which to some could be either a positive or a negative. The premise is refreshingly unique as it brings a different story beyond the typical family sitcom to the small screen. The constant look at the teachings of the Bible and how they can be applied to modern life not only give examples as to how someone can become a better person, but also shows how the Bible and its scripture can be a tad outdated.
This constant struggle between the morality of religion teachings versus the modern world becomes the best part of this show as the trio of characters that deal with these topics are hilarious to watch. Chip, Gene and Gil have great chemistry and its great to see both Gomez and Krumholtz in pretty much anything. The issue that arises is that while the topics it focuses on are not to be taken lightly, it avoids going into a thoughtful discussion and becomes distracted with canned laughter.
This season of Living Biblically is a standard sitcom that relies more on canned laughter than its unique premise. While the story drags a bit and the dialogue feels inorganic, the cast and their chemistry paired with the hilariousness of trying to apply the Bible’s teachings to modern society makes this an entertaining journey of enlightenment. From its mild humour and lack of offensive dives into religious topics, this show finds itself receiving a genuine laugh every so often so I’m going to say it’s worth the watch.
Score: 7/10
What did you think of Living Biblically? Was it an enjoyable concept? Let me know in the comments!
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