LIVING BIBLICALLY stars Jay R. Ferguson as Chip Curry, a modern-day man at a crossroads in his life who decides to live strictly in accordance with the Bible. Photo: Sonja Flemming/CBS é2017 CBS Broadcasting, Inc. All Rights Reserved
CBS’s new comedy Living Biblically premieres next week on CBS. In a sitcom with good values, Jay R. Ferguson stars as Chip Curry, a man who attempts to live his life according to the bible. It is the first series produced by The Big Bang Theory’s Johnny Galecki and We Live Entertainment was at the Living Biblically TCA panel to hear Galecki and the stars talk about it.
“I think one of the biggest hurdles is the fear to have the conversation about it,” Galecki said. “As we all know, the best way to approach a conversation that people are uncomfortable with is with comedy, and that’s our goal here: one, to make people laugh, and, two, to hopefully, inspire a conversation around the water cooler that people might have otherwise been uncomfortable with, no matter what the result of that conversation.”
Creator Patrick Walsh has sources in the Judeo-Christian to make sure his episodes actually live biblically.
The series premiere of LIVING BIBLICALLY, Monday, Feb 26 (9:30-10:00 PM, ET/PT) on CBS Television Network. Photo: Michael Yarish/CBS é2017 CBS Broadcasting, Inc. All Rights Reserved
“We have a priest and a rabbi that read every draft of the script and tell us where we are wrong in certain cases, or where we could use a better example from the Bible,” Walsh said.
Chip is attempting a stricter code than anything Ferguson has attempted in real life. “I know a lot of people that do, on a yearly basis,” Ferguson said. “In fact, a friend of mine who is here tonight was just talking about his dry January that he is about to engage upon. I admire that.”
Camryn Manheim plays Chip’s editor Ms. Meadows. She encourages him to live biblically for all the stories it will inspire.
Pictured L-R: Camryn Manheim as Ms. Meadows, Sara Gilbert as Cheryl, and Tony Rock as Vince Photo: Sonja Flemming/CBS é2017 CBS Broadcasting, Inc. All Rights Reserved
“I thought it was going to be more of an indictment on the Bible in today’s modern day society and how kind of brash everything is, the way it’s going on television and in the media,” Manheim said. “The truth is, it somehow kind of gorgeously straddles both sides. If you’re nonreligious, I think you can go, ‘This is what I’m talking about. These are the things that really piss me off.’ And if you are religious, I think you can say, ‘These are things that I’ve thought about myself that don’t seem to work well in my life, but I do see the soulfulness and the beauty of many of the tenets of it.’
Ian Gomez plays Father Gene, one source of guidance for Chip.
The series premiere of LIVING BIBLICALLY, Monday, Feb 26 (9:30-10:00 PM, ET/PT) on CBS. Pictured L-R: Jay R. Ferguson as Chip, David Krumholtz as Rabbi Gil, and Ian Gomez as Father Gene Photo: Michael Yarish/CBS é2017 CBS Broadcasting, Inc. All Rights Reserved
“I’ve met a few priests in my life,” Gomez said. “There was one guy who in Chicago under his robes, he had a Black Hawks jersey, and would take that off and it was like a guy in a bar. I’ve known priests who you would consider to be the typical priest, a couple of humorless people, and I didn’t want to be that guy. I’m not that guy. I’m more of the Black Hawks guy.”
David Krumholtz, who we spoke with more after the panel, plays Rabbi Gil.
“My father had a soft spot for Judaism,” Krumholtz said. “He wasn’t devout or religious, but he grew up with the traditions of it. So he kept me in line and kept me devout for quite some time.”
Living Biblically premieres Monday, February 26 at 9:30PM on CBS.
