You probably didn’t expect to ever hear The Chosen and Baywatch in the same breath — but the hit religious drama has just beaten an incredible TV record.
The Chosen follows the ministry of Jesus Christ, chronicling the Gospels while expanding on other events in the lead-up to his crucifixion and resurrection. Baywatch revolves around a team of lifeguards on America’s sunniest beaches; hunks and bombshells who run from A to B in perpetual slow motion.
In short, they are incredibly different TV shows. However, despite its frivolous reputation — it’s all-time trashy television, and that’s okay — Baywatch had an impressive accolade: it was the most widely translated series in television history…. until now.
As reported by Christianity Today, The Chosen has since been translated (via dubbing and/or subtitles) into 50 different languages, beating Baywatch’s previous record of 34.
This is thanks to Come and See, the charity that’s partnered with The Chosen to ensure it remains free for all — wherever they are in the world. In that regard, 50 languages is the tip of the iceberg — they’re aiming to translate the series into 600 languages in total.
“Translation also has to be beautiful. It’s an art as much as it is a science… it’s a huge challenge, but we’re finding it to be a goal that is so very important,” CEO Stan Jantz explained.
Subscribe to our newsletter for the latest updates on Esports, Gaming and more.
While focus remains on the most-spoken languages globally, there have been “exceptions,” Jantz said. For example, it was translated into Malagasy, a language spoken by around 25 million people in Madagascar and the Comoros.
“The effect goes on to this day. It’s been almost a year since that was done, but we still get stories of how they’re taking these translated episodes into remote places. It’s really exciting to see,” Jantz said.
Kyle Young, head of The Chosen’s marketing and distribution, credited the translations for increasing the show’s popularity around the world. “If the translation work was poor, we would certainly not see that level of engagement. That is a huge aspect of the success internationally,” he said.
The Chosen Season 5 is currently in production. Make sure you check out the latest updates on The Chosen Season 4’s streaming release, as well as how to pre-order The Chosen Season 4 on Blu-ray.
