Creators believe Bible-based show will win converts

LOS ANGELES — In the beginning, Patrick Walsh created “Living Biblically” — and he is convinced tthat the new CBS comedy is good.

His creation follows Chip Curry (Jay R. Ferguson), a reporter who decides to literally live his life according to the Bible.

His spiritual journey will take some help from his wife, Leslie (Lindsey Kraft); a priest (Ian Gomez); and a rabbi (David Krumhotlz)

Walsh recently told TV critics that he knows some people won’t view a Bible-based comedy as a good idea.

“I don’t think there is any scenario where the show wouldn’t bother someone in the world,” Walsh said. “But it is absolutely not the goal. And even those of us who aren’t religious, I think, have a great deal of respect for religion and what it’s trying to do.”

Walsh isn’t seeking to offend people of faith, he said, because that wouldn’t bode well for the future of “Living Biblically,” which premiered a week ago.

“I think people need guidance and help in their lives, much like Chip does in our show,” he said, “... and we hope that we treat it fairly and with respect.”

Walsh said he was “raised very religious,” but he recalled how his father would tell him that they were leaving immediately after Communion, to beat the rush out of church. Thus he grew up viewing religion as important but seeing no reason to spend excessive time in church.

He thinks that many viewers will relate to such thinking and find it funny.

“I think religious people are not given credit for having a sense of humor, and I think nonbelievers are not given credit for being curious about religion and wanting to know more about it,” Walsh said.

“We get into some pretty interesting topics on this show, and that is a goal.”

Walsh isn’t alone on his journey.

Johnny Galecki — who co-stars on “Big Bang Theory,” a show whose name offers a different viewpoint on the world’s creation — is an executive producer on “Living Biblically.”

“As we all know, the best way to approach a conversation that people are uncomfortable with is with comedy, and that’s our goal here,” Galecki said. “One, to make people laugh; and, two, to hopefully inspire a conversation around the water cooler that people might have otherwise been uncomfortable with.”

Galecki has been around religion all his life, as his mother spent years in a convent before she met his father.

“I don’t want to stamp my beliefs or my history as some sort of example of what we’re trying to do here,” he said. “A number of people involved with the show ... are devout in their beliefs, and we do have consultants of the cloth who keep us broadly accurate.”

Those experts are a priest and a rabbi who read every script to make sure that the comedy stems from actual religious teachings from the Bible. If “Living Biblically” survives for a second season, Walsh wants to add more consultants to be able to provide multiple points of view.

Both Walsh and Galecki said they want to have fun with the topic of religion — but in a reverent way.