Roma Downey — a Hollywood star known as much for her leading role in the 1990s series “Touched By An Angel” as she is for her lilting Irish accent — is taking to the small screen once again, this time in a faith-based series reminiscent of “7th Heaven.”
Downey has had quite the storied career. She’s been an angel named Monica, a first lady named Jackie, a single mom named Kathleen, and a mother named Mary.
A producer, director, and studio executive, the 63-year-old celebrity is pulling double duty in her latest endeavor, “The Baxters,” a Prime Video show based on a book series by Christian novelist Karen Kingsbury.
In the show, Downey serves as one of the series’ executive producers and adds yet another in-front-of-the-camera role to her résumé: a matriarch named Elizabeth.
“We just felt it was a God moment; it was just providence played out,” Downey told CBN News of her partnership with Kingsbury, 60. “We felt like it was a blessing.”
Unbeknownst to one another, Downey had read “Redemption,” the very first book in “The Baxters” series by Kingsbury, and she was instantly hooked to the story.
“I just couldn’t put it down,” she recalled. “I really became aware of the project as a fan. I loved the book. I could see it visually. I thought, ‘This needs to be a TV show.'”
In the years since “Touched By An Angel” ended in 2003, Downey said she’s heard from so many fans asking for a show to fill the “void” it left, a faith-based series airing in the mainstream market. After reading “Redemption,” the faith-filled actor and producer felt she’d found the perfect source material for a burgeoning series — a show that’s both unwaveringly Christian and undeniably studio-quality.
Downey soon thereafter called Kingsbury to ask if she’d consider selling her the rights to turn the popular book series into a multi-season show. The request seemed kismet.
“She said, ‘It’s so extraordinary that you called me,'” Downey explained. “She said, ‘My father, before he passed, said to me, ‘You need to reach out to Roma Downey on ‘Touched By An Angel’ to make your book a TV series.” So, in that moment, we just felt as if it was a God moment.”
“It’s turned out even better than we hoped that it would,” she continued. “We’re delighted that we’re going to launch on Amazon’s Prime Video for Easter. I’m delighted that they’ve given me the Easter time slot.”
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Amazon is handing Downey the coveted launch time for good reason; last year, her studio, LightWorkers Media, brought “On a Wing and a Prayer” — a faith-based movie starring Dennis Quaid — to Prime Video, and it was a clear success for the platform.
Leveraging her name and knack for reaching Christian audiences, Downey insisted faith — and prayer in Jesus’ name — take centerstage in the series.
“I stepped in front of the camera — and I haven’t done that for a while — to play Elizabeth Baxter myself; I loved that she was a prayer warrior, I loved her kindness, I loved how much she loves her children, I love how feisty she is about loving her children,” the celebrity said. “[I] love that it’s a show about faith and about the values that we hold dear, but it’s not a preachy show.”
The series is undoubtedly grittier than the stereotypical faith series: it tackles myriad real-life issues, including infidelity and the possibility of divorce — all in the pilot episode. But it addresses such tough topics from an unapologetically biblical perspective.
Prayer is the driving force moving the story along.
“It’s how they deal with it, how they handle it as a family, I think, that separates it from other shows that we’ve seen,” Downey said of her forthcoming show. “We see mom and dad Baxter stop in the middle of a scene … and we see them praying. And I don’t know that we’ve ever seen that on a TV show. And they pray in the name of Jesus. I find it very touching and powerful. … I think that people of faith will love seeing a churchgoing family at the center of this new series.”
For Downey the series — like any of her projects — is more than media; it’s ministry.
She said she hopes the show exposes to viewers what’s possible when God “is at the center of your family and at the center of your life.”
“[That’s] what’s made such a difference in my life,” Downey reflected. “And I hope [people] see that play out in the lives of the Baxter family. I just think we, in our faith community, deserve to see a family on the screen that holds the things dear to their hearts that we hold dear to our hearts.”
“It’s amazing,” she added, “how few programs there are that celebrate people of faith in this way. I think people are going to love it. I’m hopeful that we’ll get a great response.”
The series is streaming on Amazon Prime Video beginning March 28.
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