Fox aired the semi-live The Passion musical on Palm Sunday featuring a 20-foot glowing cross being carried through the streets of New Orleans. Facing a full schedule from its network rivals plus The Walking Dead on cable, The Passion experienced a 42% decline from January 31’s Grease Live and set a low for network live musicals.
Fox’s second live musical event of the year so far, the drama of the last hours of Jesus had pre-taped segments, Tyler Perry as narrator, Trisha Yearwood as Mary, Seal as Pontius Pilate singing “We Don’t Need Another Hero” from Mad Max Beyond Thunderdome and Tears For Fears’ “Mad World”, Chris Daughtry as Judas, and Telenovela’s Jencarlos Canela as Jesus.
The program was also 46% lower than NBC's December 3, 2015 broadcast of The Wiz Live! However, that show as up 34% from Peter Pan Live which aired December 4, 2014. Both were down from the Carrie Underwood-led Sound of Music Live! which aired December 5, 2013.
Despite the infusion of contemporary music and Perry’s following among young viewers, the special was older-skewing compared to the other live musicals.
Fox finished Sunday tied with NBC and CBS for No.1 in adults 18-49.
