Harris as Asher Mustapha Jamal as Unhappy butcher Richard Katz as Money changer Barnaby Kay as Man on road to Emmaus Abderrahim Moustaid as Simon the Leper Craig Parkins as Man at tomb Gary Pillai as Merchant Nadia Sadik as Screaming woman Abdelouahed Sanouji as Young baker Kiran Shah as Jude Peter Sullivan as Lawyer David Rubin as Pilgrim René Zagger as Bird seller Reception The serial opened with an hour-long episode on 16 March, followed by a half-hour episode on 17 March, another hour-long episode on 21 March and a concluding half-hour episode on 23 March. An omnibus-style repeat of the first three parts was broadcast in the afternoon of 21 March. The first part opened with overnight ratings of 4.1 million viewers and a 15% audience share. The second episode, scheduled against popular ITV soap opera Coronation Street, dropped to 3.2 million. Episode 3 brought in 3.7 million viewers and Episode 4 received 4.9 million and a 21% share. The series was generally well received. The main review in The Guardian of the first episode was positive, remarking "you could watch The Passion and totally forget that this story was central to a major world religion. And that's a good thing, I think." However, another article in the paper, discussing UK television over Easter 2008, called it "a dramatisation so conventional and reverent that the only harrumphing angle the papers have been able to find has been the position of the hands on the crucifix". The Independents Thomas Sutcliffe commented that "only the most zealously dogmatic Christian could complain that it was irreverent", The Daily Telegraphs James Walton's review of the same episode praised the humanising of Pilate and Caiaphas, and felt Mawle's depiction of Jesus, despite not having the same "spell-binding effect as Robert Powell did in Jesus of Nazareth", nevertheless was "more appealingly human". Andrew Billen of The Times praised "some nice touches", but was overall more critical, calling Mawle's portrayal of Jesus too "meek, mild and hangdog". Stephen Green, from Christian Voice, voiced disquiet over the series giving sympathetic portrayals to Caiaphas and Pilate, though press reactions found this unjustified. DVD release The Passion was released on DVD in the UK by Acorn Media UK on 20 October 2008. References External links 2000s British drama television series 2008 British television series debuts 2008 British television series endings BBC television dramas Portrayals of Jesus on television