Overview
- Kevin Costner Presents: The First Christmas premiered Dec. 9 at 8 p.m. ET on ABC and is now available to stream on Disney+ and Hulu.
- Costner hosts and narrates a hybrid format that blends cinematic reenactments with interviews from biblical scholars and clergy across Christian traditions.
- Reviews describe a respectful yet gritty approach that depicts political violence under Herod, with cautions that several sequences may be too intense for younger viewers.
- The production emphasizes historical detail, including a cave setting for Jesus’ birth, with David L. Cunningham directing and location work designed for realism.
- Gia Patel portrays Mary and Ethan Thorne plays Joseph, with an ensemble cast, as Costner connects the project to his lifelong church background and early nativity pageants.