Time runs out for A.D. on NBC

US broadcaster NBC has axed its Bible-inspired Mark Burnett drama series.

A.D. The Bible Continues came from Burnett’s LightWorkers Media, but its ratings have generally failed to match its predecessor series, The Bible, which was a massive hit for cable channel History.

A.D. began well, scoring nearly ten million total viewers on Easter Sunday, but the audience quickly drifted away and the series ended with less than half the debut number. The Peacock Network has therefore decided not to go ahead with another run.

Producer Burnett (pictured), who is behind series such as The Apprentice and Survivor, envisaged A.D. as a returning series and may now seek to relaunch the show on another channel or on-demand platform.

Burnett, a devout Christian, has made Bible-inspired programming a forte in recent years. After getting the A.D. commission, he was also greenlit to produce The Women of the Bible, a two-hour Christmas special for US cable channel Lifetime.

Last year he sold 55% of his production group, which comprises LightWorkers and One Three Media, to studio MGM and was named CEO of the revived United Artists Media Group brand.