July 15, 2007

Blogging TCA: Say Amen

Seth Arenstein, at the TV Critics Association summer press tour, finds CNN's Christiane Amanpour refreshingly frank

CNN'S WARRIOR: Christiane Amanpour, reporting God's Muslim Warriors, keeps the peace at TCA.

It’s Sunday morning and CNN’s on the stage talking about upcoming 3-part documentary, God’s Warriors (Aug. 21-23), which, over the course of three episodes, explores Christians, Muslims and Jews' views, struggles and efforts at peaceful coexistence: God's Christian Warriors premieres Aug. 21; God's Muslim Warriors premieres Aug. 22; and God's Jewish Warriors premieres Aug. 23 (all at 9pm ET/PT).

The docu-series also includes the final interview of Jerry Falwell and addresses questions like “how much political power does God have?” says host Christiane Amanpour.

After days of questions about the sexual explicitness of HBO’s Tell Me You Love Me, it seems TCA critics are feeling sacred. Sure enough, one notes that since each of those religious groups feels it has a direct line to the Almighty, one critic asks Amanpour well, what would God say about that?

The newly knighted (by the Queen of England) smartly steps off her royal throne and answers the somewhat ridiculous question better than most of the talent and execs we’ve seen in the past 3 days.

“Well, I am not in a position to say what God would think or say,” and then cites the New Testament passage where Jesus, “they say,” kept politics and religion separately. Amanpour reminds the TV critics Jesus said you should treat others as you’d want them to treat you, do unto others, etc. Thank God.

Mercifully, nobody asked "What would Jesus watch?" as a follow-up question.

• EARLIER: Blogging TCA: HBO Buzz Continues