'The Big Bang Theory' star Johnny Galecki wants to start conversation about religion through comedy
There are a few topics that people tend to veer away from during social gatherings, such as politics and religion. With such strong views abounding, it's inevitable for people to get into arguments.
However, "The Big Bang Theory" star Johnny Galecki believes there is a way people can have discussions about religion without getting into fights. This is what he hopes to achieve in his new show, "Living Biblically."
Galecki serves as the executive producer of the CBS show, and it follows the story of a man named Chip Curry (Jay R. Ferguson), who drastically changes his life to live in adherence of the Bible, according to The Christian Post.
Galecki told Fox News that it's important during this time to have a show with a faith element, because in his view it's sorely missing on television. "When I started my production company, it was No. 1 at the top of the list to try to do a comedy about religion," he said. "I recognized that these conversations [about religion] weren't being had despite the fact that ... 80 percent of people in the world subscribe their lives to some sort of spiritual belief."
As a result, Galecki created "Living Biblically" in order to "inspire a conversation around the water cooler" about the Bible. "One of the biggest hurdles is the fear to have the conversation about [religion]..." he said. "The best way to approach [a topic] that people may be uncomfortable with it is with comedy."
The show has 13 episodes so far, and it is created by Patrick Walsh. They got a lot of religious figures involved in the show as advisors to ensure that the scripts and portrayals would be accurate and respectful. "We have a priest and a rabbi read every draft of the scripts and tell us where we are wrong or where we could use a better example from the Bible," Walsh explained.