‘The Chosen Adventures’: One Of The Best Animated Kids’ Shows Since ‘VeggieTales’
(REVIEW) Faith-based animation for kids is having a banner year. After years of largely sticking with live action since the company behind “VeggieTales” filed for bankruptcy, Angel Studios’ “King of Kings” was No. 2 at the box office when it premiered last April. The Jesus animated film “The Light of the World” was well reviewed and was No. 9 at the box office when it premiered last month. And Angel Studios has announced that they will be releasing an animated “David” movie on Dec. 19.
Add to that list “The Chosen Adventures,” an animated spinoff TV series from the team behind the hit show “The Chosen.” And while many — including myself — might question why we need another animated Jesus series, I’m surprised and pleased to report this might be one of the best. “The Chosen Adventures” is easily one of the best pieces of animated content for kids since “VeggieTales” and is worth checking out for anyone who’s at all a fan of the genre.
“The Chosen Adventures” follows 9-year-old Abby and her best friend Joshua as they navigate life in the ancient city of Capernaum. When the children encounter a wise craftsman and teacher, Jesus of Nazareth, he helps them change the way they see the world, and they help spread his influence far and wide (among the 7- to 12-year-old set). And did we mention that she has a talking sheep?
READ: ‘Light Of The World’ A Giant Leap Forward For Faith-Based Animation
The show stars Paul Walter Hauser as Sheep, Yvonne Orji as Pigeon, Romy Fay as Abby, Jude Zarzaur as Joshua, Danny Nucci as Abba and Zehra Fazal as Eema. Recurring and guest voice cast members include Jonathan Roumie as Jesus, along with several others from “The Chosen” series reprising their roles. Ryan Swanson serves as writer, executive producer and showrunner, with Dallas Jenkins executive producing under his 5&2 Studios banner. The show is also part of a larger partnership between Prime Video and 5&2 Studios to produce and distribute “The Chosen” and its upcoming sequels and spinoffs.
I’ll admit, there's a part of me that still can’t quite wrap my head around the purpose of “The Chosen Adventures.” It’s ostensibly a version of “The Chosen” for kids. But the original series is already — at least for the most part — family-friendly. Sure, it straddles the line between PG and PG-13, but it’s really only the youngest viewers who might find it unappealing or inappropriate. That makes the target audience for this new show feel pretty narrow. And with all the animated Jesus content that’s already come out this year, the concept initially triggered a bit of an eye-roll for me.
Even for those parents hoping to entertain their little ones with wholesome, faith-based programming, “The Chosen Adventures” may not be the most satisfying option — at least not yet. As of now, the series consists of short, 12-minute episodes. That’s barely enough to get through one afternoon before you’re back to turning on Bluey for the hundredth time. Skepticism aside, I can’t deny the quality of the show. It’s really darn good. The animation is beautiful, the humor actually lands and it can be surprisingly emotional at times.
The reason so much Christian kids’ content — and frankly, a lot of Christian content in general — falls flat is because it often gets the balance between message and entertainment wrong. Many shows start with a weak attempt at humor or storytelling, simply as a setup to deliver a moral. But the best content always begins with a well-constructed world and compelling characters, and lets the message flow from there. For example, “Sesame Street” is a great example: Kermit’s ABC bit works because the lesson is embedded within the joke, not tacked on afterward.
“The Chosen Adventures” sometimes falls into the same trap it’s trying to avoid. Sheep and Pigeon might go off on wild, entertaining antics, only for everything to come to a halt when Jesus — or another adult — delivers the “moral of the story” in a tidy speech. Then we’re back to the fun again. It can feel a bit formulaic.
But what makes this series work — much like “VeggieTales” before it — is that the characters are so well defined and the jokes are genuinely funny: Abby is curious and impulsive, Joshua is dutiful but fearful and Sheep is obsessed with food, naps and sarcastic one-liners (think Garfield). At the same time, Pigeon is the loyal friend trying to help Abby and Sheep be their best selves (also with sarcastic one-liners, mostly aimed at Sheep). These are the personalities that drive the story.
On top of that, the humor actually works. Sheep and Pigeon are clearly meant to be the goofy sidekicks, offering comic relief in contrast to the more serious moments. But their deadpan exchanges are genuinely funny. I laughed more during each episode than I did during “The Promised Land,” a recent faith-based comedy that was actually aimed at my age group. That’s largely thanks to the aforementioned Hauser and Orji, whose impeccable deadpan delivery makes even simple lines crackle with energy.
Because the show invests in its characters and relationships, the emotional payoffs land too. One two-part flashback reveals Sheep’s backstory in a way that’s surprisingly moving, adding depth to a character who could’ve easily remained one-note. Meanwhile, Joshua’s gradual growth from fearful to courageous provides a subtle but satisfying arc.
It’s been a long time since we’ve seen this much animated faith-based content for kids. Whether you think the market’s getting saturated or you’re eager for more, “The Chosen Adventures” is a standout as well as one of the best entries in both the faith-based animation and Christian kids’ content space.
“The Chosen Adventures” is available to stream on Prime Video Oct. 17
Joseph Holmes is an award-nominated filmmaker and culture critic living in New York. He is co-host of the podcast “The Overthinkers” and its companion website theoverthinkersjournal.world, where he discusses art, culture and faith with his fellow overthinkers. His other work and contact info can be found at josephholmesstudios.com.