I’m told one or two of you are interested in The Lost Tomb of Jesus, the documentary airing Sunday night on Discovery, produced by James Cameron, which purports to reveal the ossuaries containing the physical remains of Jesus Christ, and, in case that were not controversial enough, his wife (Mary Magdalene) and son. This morning, Discovery announced a follow up special, hosted by Ted Koppel:
The hour-long discussion will have minimal commercial interruptions and will present the many voices, opinions and beliefs related to the film’s content. The panel will explore the filmmakers’ profound assertions and challenge their assumptions and suggested conclusions.
“Inevitably, on a subject as important as this, there will be many unanswered questions,†said Koppel. “I expect to raise as many of those as possible.â€
The debate, produced by The Koppel Group and anchored by Managing Editor Ted Koppel, will air at 11 PM ET/PT on Sunday, March 4, immediately following the world premiere of the documentary which airs at 9 PM ET/PT.
So Discovery, having ignited a scientific and religious controversy, is inviting archeological and theological experts to argue the merits of its own documentary. And if a few million viewers happen to stick around for another hour to watch the exchange, why that’s just a cross, so to speak, they’ll have to bear. It’s the most selfless and public-spirited step a TV network has taken since Fox added a third night of American Idol.