UK monastery series to hit the US

-27/09/06


UK monastery series to hit the US

-27/09/06

The ground breaking BBC television programme ‘The Monastery’ is about to hit TV screens in the US.

As in the UK series, five men — each in the midst of personal crisis — agree to take a leap of faith: for 40 days they will leave families and jobs behind to embark on a spiritual quest led by 30 Benedictine monks.

The Monastery premieres on Sunday, October 22, and follows the five men of varied backgrounds and faiths. As in the UK series for the duration of their stay, they agree to the monastery’s strict rules and the regimen of prayer, study, reflection and manual labour set out by St. Benedict 1,500 years ago — a regimen that the monks believe, followed correctly, can transform lives.

The men featured in the US series will include a recovering alcoholic, an ex-con, a veteran of the war in Iraq, a ‘cynic’ and an aspiring Episcopal priest. Despite their different backgrounds and faiths, all participants reportedly share hope that this journey will put their lives back on track.

Filmed at The Monastery of Christ in the Desert in northern New Mexico, the group will be guided by Abbot Philip Lawrence, who pairs each participant with a monk as a mentor to share their experiences and daily struggles.

Participants are also furnished with private video cameras to record their thoughts and reactions throughout the process.

“The Monastery is a social, spiritual and learning experiment in which people experience the intensity of monastic life,” says TLC General Manager David Abraham.

“The purpose is to expose people to the reality of unplugging from modern life completely and creating the opportunity to explore their lives in a contemplative environment. The tone of the series is thoughtful and respectful to the brothers and sisters who graciously opened their monastery home to our production team and the participants.”

When the series was run in the UK, the programmes stimulated widespread media interest and many were struck by the quality of the genre of television. Follow-up materials were also created for individuals and schools.


UK monastery series to hit the US

-27/09/06

The ground breaking BBC television programme ‘The Monastery’ is about to hit TV screens in the US.

As in the UK series, five men — each in the midst of personal crisis — agree to take a leap of faith: for 40 days they will leave families and jobs behind to embark on a spiritual quest led by 30 Benedictine monks.

The Monastery premieres on Sunday, October 22, and follows the five men of varied backgrounds and faiths. As in the UK series for the duration of their stay, they agree to the monastery’s strict rules and the regimen of prayer, study, reflection and manual labour set out by St. Benedict 1,500 years ago — a regimen that the monks believe, followed correctly, can transform lives.

The men featured in the US series will include a recovering alcoholic, an ex-con, a veteran of the war in Iraq, a ‘cynic’ and an aspiring Episcopal priest. Despite their different backgrounds and faiths, all participants reportedly share hope that this journey will put their lives back on track.

Filmed at The Monastery of Christ in the Desert in northern New Mexico, the group will be guided by Abbot Philip Lawrence, who pairs each participant with a monk as a mentor to share their experiences and daily struggles.

Participants are also furnished with private video cameras to record their thoughts and reactions throughout the process.

“The Monastery is a social, spiritual and learning experiment in which people experience the intensity of monastic life,” says TLC General Manager David Abraham.

“The purpose is to expose people to the reality of unplugging from modern life completely and creating the opportunity to explore their lives in a contemplative environment. The tone of the series is thoughtful and respectful to the brothers and sisters who graciously opened their monastery home to our production team and the participants.”

When the series was run in the UK, the programmes stimulated widespread media interest and many were struck by the quality of the genre of television. Follow-up materials were also created for individuals and schools.