Mark Burnett, Roma Downey add to faith-based empire with new TLC show

Mark Burnett and Roma Downey are taking their faith-based empire on a pilgrimage to TLC.

The husband-and-wife producing team will set up a new religious unscripted project on the cable network. The not-yet-titled series will focus on individuals who say they have experienced divine intervention.

Downey, in addition to executive producing the project with Burnett, will serve as host of the six-part series that is somewhat reminiscent of the long-running CBS drama “Touched by an Angel” she starred in.

The series is being produced by Downey’s LightWorkers Media, a division of United Artists Media Group — a newly-formed joint venture between MGM, Burnett, Downey and Hearst Entertainment.

The 54-year-old TV personality said the series fits in with the couple’s desire to make “projects that show people’s lives in positive and uplifting ways.”

“This is a wonderful opportunity to work with TLC and host a series that will inspire and encourage viewers to remember that even in the worst circumstances prayer can lead to divine intervention,” Downey added.

The project is planned for a late 2015 roll out, perhaps around the holiday period.

It adds to the couple’s roster of faith-based content, which has become profitable for the duo.

Burnett, the reality kingpin behind such hits as “Survivor” and “The Voice,” created “The Bible” miniseries along with Downey for the History Channel in 2013. The 10-part miniseries gave the cable network major bragging rights — it premiered to a hefty 13.1-million viewers and wrapped its run on Easter Sunday of that year to nearly 12-million viewers, according to Nielsen. At times it beat out “The Walking Dead” and “Game of Thrones.”

The success wasn’t unnoticed or stymied. The couple used footage from the “The Bible” and turned it into the big-screen film “Son of God” in February. The film grossed about $60 million domestically.

Next spring the couple are bringing a sequel to “The Bible” to NBC titled “A.D.: Beyond the Bible,” which looks at the period after Jesus’ death. The peacock network became the project’s home after offering a bigger paycheck than History Channel was willing to cough up. They are also developing a drama at NBC about a group of guardian angels whose job is to intervene for those in crisis.

Also coming next year from the duo, this time for CBS, is a miniseries titled “Dovekeepers,” based on the historical novel of the same name that follows four women who journey to Masada separately and are faced with trying to survive the Roman siege against the Jews holding out there in AD 70.

Twitter: @villarrealy