Violence, Gore, and Blasphemy in AMC’s New Show ‘Preacher’

By Nathan Glover --
11 May 2016 --

A small town preacher is given the power to speak to god after his town is destroyed in AMC’s upcoming TV show Preacher.

It’s been a long time coming, but fans of blasphemy, vampires, and lots of adult content rejoice: Preacher is finally set to hit TV screens this year, and it’s coming to basic cable.

Violence, Gore, and Blasphemy in AMC’s New Show ‘Preacher'[/tweetthis]

AMC, who have produced such adult-oriented TV phenomena as Breaking Bad and The Walking Dead in recent years, have announced that a pilot of Preacher has been picked up. The ten-episode first season is scheduled to begin May 22, and has all the ingredients needed to become the next big show for the network. Its executive producers are Seth Rogen, Evan Goldberg and Sam Catlin.

The show, based on the cult ‘90s comic book series of the same name, follows Rev. Jesse Custer, a small town preacher whose world is turned upside down when a heavenly being destroys his whole town, and he gains the power to speak with the word of God. On his quest to take that power back to heaven, and come face to face with the Almighty himself. Jesse must contend with hillbilly gangsters, an undead cowboy, and a shadowy group dedicated to preserving the bloodline of Christ at any cost.

My buddy Garth Ennis showed me the pilot for @AMC_TV 's Preacher last night. Prepare to be happy, Preacher fans. They done good.
— Frank Tieri (@FrankTieri) May 5, 2016

It’s almost certain that Preacher will attract controversy from religious groups, a major reason why a long in-the-works film version never came to fruition. AMC will have a tough time getting around FCC regulations too if they want to faithfully bring the series from page to screen. The comic book is legendary for its over-the-top violence and sexual content, so much so that it makes Breaking Bad look like Sesame Street in comparison. Nevertheless, if it’s even a fraction as edgy as the source material, then Preacher could be the most talked about show this season.