Here’s the latest from the crossroads of faith, media & culture: 06/19/25

TV Comfort Food. If your looking for culturally diverse programming that shows people getting along, having a good time and enjoying good food, you should know that new episodes Somebody Feed Phil have dropped on Netflix. This marks the show’s eighth season, making it the longest-running unscripted show in the streamer’s history. The show works, I think, because it features friendly people who we are drawn to like and a simple concept. In a TV landscape where too many shows are dark and have overly complicated concepts, Somebody Feel Phil hits the spot.

As the show’s creator and star Phil Rosenthal (who also created and produced the classic sitcom Everybody Loves Raymond) just explained to Variety:

“You can sell something to the network with a high concept. Not gonna last very long,” Rosenthal says. “‘Everybody Loves Raymond’ has a guy who lives across the street from his parents. That’s it. Nobody’s going, ‘What a sexy idea!’ But ‘All in the Family,’ ‘Mary Tyler Moore,’ ‘The Office’ were all pretty low concept, too. It was the writing, acting and relatability of the stories that made them last. If ‘Everybody Loves Raymond’ had been about a family from Mars, it would have made us a slave to that concept. We would have run out of ideas after a season and a half.”

IMHO: The recipe for popular TV that goes down easy and has people coming back for more isn’t complicated. Easily digestible concepts featuring (perhaps imperfect) people we care about and actually like to spend time doing interesting things in interesting settings – with perhaps a dash of eternal wisdom subtly thrown in. In a stressful world, people want to be reminded that, whatever challenges we may face, together people of goodwill can rise above them. It’s a  recipe that works for dramas, comedies and reality programming. The question is why aren’t we being served more of it?
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Lifetime has announced series of four new Saturday night faith-themed movies featuring women of faith overcoming harrowing circumstances. Here’s the list:

Faith in the Flames: The Nichole Jolly Story (July 19th) based on the true story of the devastating 2018 fire that ripped through Paradise, California stars  Chrissy Metz (This is Us).
Synopsis: Nichole Jolly (Metz), a nurse at the town’s hospital, begins her day as usual but soon finds herself facing an unimaginable crisis when a wildfire rapidly engulfs the town. Torn between her duty to protect her patients and her desperate need to find her husband Nick (Colin Moss) and their children, she discovers an unyielding strength within herself to save not only her family but countless residents from the encroaching flames. The film is a tribute to the indomitable human spirit and the unsung heroes who emerge in the face of tragedy.

Before Your Father Finds Us (July 26th) tells the story of a woman who draws on her faith as she and her daughter hide from her violent ex-husband. Alexa PenaVega (Spy Kids, Perfect Pictures Mysteries) stars and executive produces.
Synopsis: Sophia (PenaVega) and baby daughter Emily are forced to go into witness protection after she has to testify against her ex-husband Mason (Tahmoh Penikett) for his crimes. After years of living a seemingly normal life with new friends and relationships, Sophia learns that Mason has escaped from his maximum security prison. Knowing his strength and connections, Sophia is forced to reveal the truth to her now teenage daughter about who her father really is as they are forced to flee and leave everything behind.

If I Run (August 2nd) is an adaptation of the bestselling Christian suspense novel by Terri Blackstock. The film stars Kat Graham (Duplicity, How It Ends, The Vampire Diaries) as a woman on the run after being framed for her best friend’s murder. Graham also executive produces.
Synopsis: Framed for the murder of her best friend, Casey Cox (Graham) relies on her intelligence, resourcefulness and some divine guidance as she goes on the run in hope of clearing her name. Meanwhile, a war-weary veteran and private investigator with PTSD is hired to track her down.

Finding Faith (August 9th) stars Paula Patton (Precious) as Faith Mitchell, a woman whose life is shattered by an unexpected tragedy and now must rebuild her life through a journey of rediscovery, hope and purpose.
Synopsis: Struck by a sudden death of her husband, Faith (Patton) spirals out of control and loses her trust in God. With the unwavering support of her family, pastor and close friends, she begins to find her way out of the darkness and into the light, rebuilding her life one step at a time.

Talking about the films, Elaine Frontain Bryant (who heads programming at Lifetime, Lifetime Movie Network (LMN) and A&E) says “We are always listening to our audience and we know there has always been a desire for stories that reflect strength, resilience, and faith…With these four new films, we’re thrilled to step into the faith-based space in a way that feels authentic, powerful, and deeply emotional. These are stories of healing, hope, and perseverance—and we believe they will resonate with anyone who’s ever faced adversity and looked for light in the darkness.