Testify (TV series)

Testify is a 2024 New Zealand drama series broadcast on TVNZ 2. It centres on a wealthy and influential family at the helm of an evangelical megachurch in Auckland. The television series premiered on TVNZ 2 and TVNZ+ on 8 April 2024.

Synopsis
A youth pastor, David challenges his father, Scott to make their evangelical megachurch more socially inclusive. David teams up with his brother, Paul, the prodigal son and Dana, a queer podcaster. Together, they uncover historic sexual abuse in the church.

Cast

 * Vinnie Bennett as David Jacobson, youth pastor and adopted son of Scott
 * Craig Hall as Scott Jacobson, Pastor of Avow Church and family patriarch
 * Ari Boyland as Paul Jacobson, estranged adopted son of Scott and David's half-brother
 * Kat Browne as Jen Jacobson, Scott's wife
 * Jessica Grace Smith as Emmaline Jacobson, daughter of Scott
 * Paipera Hayes as Dana, podcaster
 * Holly Prestorius as Eden, Dana's flatmate and podcast partner
 * Molly Curnow as Isla, Dana's flatmate and church attendee
 * Matthew Lee as Leon Cheng, Avow Church dancer
 * Kael Munro-Nonoa as Mux, troubled 13 year old youth whom the Jacobsons become guardians.

Development and writing
On 7 July 2022, NZ On Air allocated NZ$5,551,956 to Warner Bros. International Television Production NZ to produce a six-episode television series for TVNZ2 and TVNZ+ known as The Bishop. The official description said that the series "centres on a charismatic young pastor who forms an unlikely alliance with a queer podcaster to challenge his father's mega-church, with explosive results." The series was subsequently retitled as Testify. Gavin Strawhan and Paula Whetu Jones served as screenwriters for the series.

Casting
Vinnie Bennett was cast as youth pastor David Jacobson, Craig Hall as pastor and family patriarch Scott Jacobson, Ari Boyland as estranged son Paul and Stacey Hayes as podcaster Dana. Supporting cast members included Molly Curnow as flatmate Isla, Kat Browne as Jen, Jessica Grace Smith as Emmeline and Holly Prestorius as flatmate Eden.

Hall described his character Scott as a "man of faith but his doubts and mistakes threaten to drown him." To prepare for his role, Hall visited several churches and also researched the Bible, cross-referencing and contextualising verses. He also listened to sermons from various countries. According to Hall, Scott regarded his son David as his protege but David was taking a more "open-minded" path that "causes Scott to try to rein him in."

Bennett described his character David as a "departure from the brooding or aggressive young men" he usually played and said "it was a strange thing playing such a nice person for once." Boyland described his character Paul, the adopted son of Scott and half-brother of David, as successful but troubled individual seeking closure with the past but "uncovering more than he expects," leading to an identity crisis.

Hayes, who is transgender, said that she brought her real-life experiences when playing her character Dana. According to Hall, the podcast subplot was a symbol of dissent within the mega church and was rooted in personal experiences.

Release
Testify premiered on TVNZ2 on 8 April 2024. The second episode was released on 9 April, with the remaining four episodes released on a consecutive basis weekly. It was simultaneously released on TVNZ's streaming service TVNZ+.

Reception
Tara Ward of The Spinoff concluded: "performances are solid, with Bennett, Hall and Boyland particularly strong, and the series raises timely questions about the role of organised religion in our society (when did worship become entertainment, podcasters Eden and Dana wonder, and is being a queer Christian an oxymoron?). Testify is a dark, brooding big-budget series with plenty of promise, but it’s strongest when it delves into the more sinister, secretive side of organised religion."

Dr Michael Frost and Andrew Urquhart of Christian television station Shine TV criticised the series's writing and said that it perpetuated negative media stereotypes and tropes of Christians. They conceded that churches needed to do more to correct public perceptions of Christianity in New Zealand.