CBS Orders ‘Dovekeepers’ Miniseries from Roma Downey, Mark Burnett
I am in love with a lot of their projects!
Quote:
Historical epic about Masada siege is first project from Eye's limited series unit
TV Reporter
AJ Marechal
TV Reporter
@Variety_AJM
CBS has greenlit production on a four-hour historical miniseries from Roma Downey and Mark Burnett based on Alice Hoffman’s 2011 novel “The Dovekeepers.”
The story chronicles the struggles of four women during the siege of Masada, when 900 Jews held off Roman soldiers for months after being forced out of Jerusalem in 70 A.D. CBS is targeting a 2015 premiere.
” ‘The Dovekeepers’ is a compelling, beautifully written novel that combines history and fiction into a timeless story of survival and heroism,” said CBS Entertainment prexy Nina Tassler. “Mark and Roma possess an amazing passion for telling biblical stories and for producing entertaining television on an event scale.”
“Dovekeepers” order is the first from CBS and CBS TV Studios’ newly created limited series and event programming arm, overseen by Stacey Mandelberg. There’s no word yet on a writer for the TV adaptation; Hoffman will serve as a consultant on the mini.
Burnett and Downey singlehandedly ignited the market for Biblical-themed epics with the success in March of the pair’s 10-hour “Bible” mini for History. “Son of God,” a revised version of Jesus Christ story from the mini, is set for release Feb. 28 as a feature from 20th Century Fox. The husband-and-wife producers are also working on a historical series for NBC.
“Dovekeepers” will be a co-production of CBS TV Studios and Downey and Burnett’s Lightworkers Media banner, which also produced “Bible.” Downey optioned the TV rights to the novel earlier this year. CBS Studios Intl. will handle worldwide distribution.
“This novel is a testament to the human spirit and how love can rise from the ashes of war,” Downey said. “It is, quite simply, an amazing story of heroism and hope, and a story that must be seen not just with the eyes but felt with the heart.”
Added Hoffman: “I am thrilled that my novel, produced by Roma Downey, who I so admire for her vision and strong commitment to the stories of women of the ancient world, will be at CBS with Nina Tassler, who is dedicated to storytelling at the highest level.”
Roma Downey banner steps up development activity on heels of 'Bible' success
AJ Marechal
TV Reporter
@Variety_AJM
Roma Downey’s LightWorkers Media banner has acquired the rights to Alice Hoffman’s 2011 novel “The Dovekeepers” with an eye toward adapting it as a miniseries.
“Dovekeepers” is set in ancient Israel and centers on a small Jewish settlement on the plateau of Masada, where several hundred people have taken refuge after being violently driven from Jerusalem.
“When I first read the book I fell totally in love with the story of Masada and with these characters,” said Downey, who described the project as “perfect” for her shingle since it emphasizes hope and uplifting values. “This novel is a testament to the human spirit and how love can rise from the ashes of war.”
Downey, who starred in “Touched by an Angel,” recently debuted miniseries “The Bible” on History with husband and fellow exec producer Mark Burnett. LightWorkers media produced “The Bible.” The husband-wife duo has set a followup series, “AD: Beyond the Bible,” set up at NBC, and last week LIghtWorkers set a deal with 20th Century Fox to distribute a feature film, “Son of God,” derived from the Jesus story in “Bible” next year.
By Matt Webb Mitovich / December 4 2014, 1:30 PM PST
Dovekeepers Cote de Pablo
CBS has set a premiere date for The Dovekeepers, its limited event series marking Cote de Pablo’s return to the network NCIS calls home.
The two-night event will air Tuesday, March 31 and Wednesday, April 1, from 9 to 11 pm ET.
VIDEOS In First Dovekeepers Video, NCIS Fave Cote de Pablo Declares: ‘I’m Back!’
Set in ancient Israel and based on Alice Hoffman’s acclaimed historical novel, the project follows a group of extraordinary women whose lives intersect in a fight for survival at the siege of Masada. That real-life event occurred in 70 C.E. (aka A.D.), when 900 Jews who’d been forced out of Jerusalem by the Romans held out for months against Roman troops at a mountain fortress in the Judean desert.
De Pablo, Rachel Brosnahan (House of Cards) and Kathryn Prescott (Finding Carter) star in the title dovekeeper roles, Sam Neill (Alcatraz) is the first-century Jewish scholar and historian Josephus, and Diego Boneta (Pretty Little Liars) plays a star warrior of the Jewish army at Masada.
RELATED NCIS Boss ‘Thrilled’ for Cote de Pablo’s Dovekeepers Role, Affirms There’s No Bad Blood
The four-hour event series is executive-produced by Roma Downey and Mark Burnett (The Bible).
I think I'm just in love with Roma! HaHa! I'll check out the show too. I think she is also producing a show about mailmen called "Signed, Sealed, Delivered."
It’s great to back to CBS. It’s been 20 years since Touched by An Angel…we made over 200 episodes, Roma Downey reminded TV critics this morning as she pitched her two-part miniseries The Dovekeepers to TV critics at Winter TV Press Tour 2015.
Related Kathryn Prescott Joins CBS Miniseries 'The Dovekeepers'
Ann Peacock was tapped a year ago to adapt the Alice Hoffman bestseller for Downey and husband Mark Burnett – Hollywood’s It Couple when it comes to religious programming since scoring massive ratings for their The Bible 10-part mini on History.
Hoffman’s historical novel is about the siege of Masada, focusing on “four extraordinary women whose lives intersect in a fight for survival,” according to CBS. Masada is the mountaintop fortress near the Dead Sea where the Romans found the last pocket of resistance after they conquered Jerusalem in 70 CE. Cote de Pablo stars along with Rachel Brosnahan, Kathryn Prescott, Diego Boneta and Sam Neill.
The network showed critics the first trailer for the four-hour miniseries, which premieres Tuesday, March 31, followed by Part 2 on Wednesday, April 1. (Watch it above.)
“Alice Hoffman said when she went to Masada and learned through that only two people and five children survived she took it as the seed of a narrative and built this beautiful fictional story,” Downey said this morning. “What attracted me is it had these amazingly powerful and courageous women. For many years as an actress myself I was always looking for the story or scripts that really put women out front and center. This does that. It’s profoundly moving.”
Although Downey calls The Dovekeepers a story of hope, and perfect for these times, she acknowledged it’s steeped in tragedy — describing a scene in which one of the women standing at the edge of the fortress sees a plume of smoke and “comes to the awful realization it’s the Roman army come for these 900 people — thousands of them” and their gradual realization that their initial sense “no one was ever going to be able to reach them…turns into a nightmare.”
Twenty years ago, Downey said of Touched By An Angel, “we were the little train…the first season we didn’t know what would happen, and at its height there were 20 million people that watched every week, for a very core message of faith and love. I think we’re seeing the desire for that is back. I think that with ratings we received on our Bible series; 100 million people tuning in shows people are interested in these themes and hungry for product that inspires and elevates…I am very encouraged by that hunger and I’m personally excited because it’s the kind of material I’m interested in making – and I’m delighted to be back on CBS.”
Asked how she and her husband work together and who performs what function in the production of programming, Downy said, “in this particular circumstance it was myself who read the book and felt the call to bring The Dovekeepers to the screen. As for Burnett, “there is no better man to wrangle large groups of people in remote areas,” she joked, adding, “It’s a great privilege to be able to do what you love to do, and to be able to do it with the person you love most of all in the world.”
Downey acknowledged she’s been fortunate in her career. As a woman in her 50s, she said, “it’s often a time when people are taking a step back in their career, and I feel really encouraged that I have stepped forward into a whole new chapter of my career as a producer. It gets complicated as an actor in your 40s and 50s.”
De Pablo corrected one critic’s suggestion things have been “quiet on the career front” for her since leaving CBS’ popular procedural crime drama NCIS. “Well, in regard to the ‘quiet’, I am quiet, but I have been working,” she said pointedly, drawing the critic’s attention to her well-reported casting last January in The 33, the feature film based on the 2010 rescue of 33 Chilean miners after being trapped 69 days in the Copiapo gold and copper mine more than half an mile below the earth’s surface. But, she acknowledged, “I have been spending time with family, which is very important to me. How can I tell stories if I’m not infused by life? ”
Downey, in turn, pointed out the miniseries will air after NCIS when it debuts. De Pablo clasped Downey’s hand and looked pleasantly surprised.
FILED UNDER: TV Breaking News Cote De Pablo Mark Burnett Roma Downey TCA The Dovekeepers
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CBS Orders ‘Dovekeepers’ Miniseries from Roma Downey, Mark Burnett
I am in love with a lot of their projects! 
AJ Marechal 
Dovekeepers
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