The Passion

The two-hour show was a hodgepodge that never built momentum or drama. So this Passion aroused none. It was less than the sum of its parts.

It wasn’t the worst possible thing it could be, but it was also far from the best.

One would say that on balance they were chosen for their singing, which was faultless, rather than their acting, which in some cases felt stiff even as it was obviously impassioned; on the other hand, the acting didn't take up much screen time.

The script written for the host and narrator, Tyler Perry, included some attempts to cast the city’s post-Hurricane Katrina history as a resurrection, but it was notable mostly for the wooden, studiously neutral way it told the story of Christ’s last days.

Fox managed to turn the final hours of Jesus Christ into an extended “Today Show” concert. Except “Today” has never had so many taped segments. The bewildering sort-of-live production in New Orleans last night starred Tyler Perry as host and violated the cardinal rule of storytelling: SHOW, don’t tell.

It was well-sung, to be sure; it just wasn't well thought-out.

As a production of television, The Passion’s main problem is that it didn’t quite know what it wanted to be--Christian “Glee,” Jesus-y “Romeo + Juliet,” or Tyler Perry’s megachurch concert extravaganza.... The real problem with The Passion: It was trying to engage a mainstream audience through pandering.