It is a bizarre, immovable object in the middle of our digital age. Every year, usually around Easter or Passover, ABC broadcasts a movie that is older than most of its viewers. We’re talking about Cecil B. DeMille’s 1956 epic. Seeing The Ten Commandments on TV is basically a seasonal ritual at this point, like smelling pollen or seeing those weird marshmallow chicks in stores. It shouldn’t work. The movie is nearly four hours long. It has intermission cards. The special effects—while Oscar-winning in their time—clearly involve a lot of painted glass and blue-screen fringes. Yet, it pulls in millions of viewers every single time.
It’s kind of wild when you think about it. In an era where Netflix cancels shows if you don't binge them in forty-eight hours, a mid-century biblical epic remains a ratings juggernaut. Why? Honestly, it’s not just about religion. It’s about the sheer, massive scale of old-school Hollywood that we just don't see anymore.
The ABC Tradition and Why It Won't Die
ABC has owned the broadcast rights to this specific version of the story for decades. Since 1973, it has been a staple. They’ve tucked it into a Sunday night slot almost every year, and it usually wins the night. People complain about the commercials. They groan about the 11:44 PM finish time. Then, they sit down and watch it anyway.
🔗 Read more: Who Plays Trudy on Chicago PD? The Story of a Local Legend
The broadcast of The Ten Commandments on TV isn't just a movie; it’s a shared cultural "event." In a fragmented media landscape where your neighbor is watching a Swedish thriller and your cousin is on a TikTok binge, everyone knows that Charlton Heston is going to be on Channel 7 with a staff in his hand. It creates a sense of collective experience that's getting harder to find.
The Charlton Heston Effect
You can’t talk about this movie without talking about Heston. He didn't just play Moses; he became the image of Moses for the Western world. When people think of the biblical figure, they don't usually picture a humble shepherd. They picture Heston’s chiseled jaw and booming voice.
Interestingly, DeMille chose Heston partly because he bore a striking resemblance to Michelangelo’s statue of Moses. That’s the level of ego and artistry we’re dealing with here. Heston’s performance is theatrical, sure. It’s loud. But it has a gravity that keeps you glued to the screen during the long stretches of dialogue in the Pharaoh’s court.
More Than Just One Movie
While the 1956 version is the king, it isn't the only time we've seen The Ten Commandments on TV. There have been plenty of attempts to modernize it.
- In 2006, there was a two-part miniseries starring Dougray Scott. It tried to be "gritty" and "realistic." It was fine, I guess, but it lacked the Technicolor soul of the original.
- Then you had Exodus: Gods and Kings in 2014. While a theatrical release, its inevitable TV and streaming runs sparked huge debates about "whitewashing" in Hollywood casting.
- Even the animated Prince of Egypt gets its fair share of airtime, though usually on cable networks like Freeform.
But none of them have the staying power of DeMille. There's something about the 1956 production—the 14,000 extras, the 15,000 animals, the massive sets built in the Egyptian desert—that feels "realer" than modern CGI, even if you can tell the Red Sea is actually just gelatin and water poured into a tank in reverse.
The Technical Marvels (For 1956)
People forget how insane the "Parting of the Red Sea" sequence was for its time. It cost about $1 million back then, which was a fortune. They used giant dump tanks. They used matte paintings. They used a "traveling matte" process that was incredibly tedious. When you watch The Ten Commandments on TV today, you’re seeing the peak of "big-picture" filmmaking before computers took over the heavy lifting.
Why the Ratings Stay High
You’d think the runtime would kill it. It’s three hours and thirty-nine minutes. With commercials, it’s a five-hour commitment.
But advertisers love it. It’s "appointment viewing." It attracts a multi-generational audience. Grandma watches it for the faith aspect; the kids watch it because the plagues are kind of cool; the film buffs watch it for the cinematography. It’s one of the few things left that brings the whole house into the living room.
The numbers don't lie. Even in recent years, the broadcast has pulled in upwards of 4 to 5 million viewers. In the world of linear television, those are "hit" numbers for a repeat of a 70-year-old film. It’s basically the Super Bowl of religious broadcasting.
The Script and the "Camp" Factor
Let’s be real for a second: some of the dialogue is hilariously over-the-top. Anne Baxter, playing Nefertari, delivers lines with a level of breathy melodrama that you just don't see anymore. "Oh, Moses, Moses! You stubborn, splendid, adorable fool!"
It’s great.
This theatricality is part of the charm. It’s not trying to be a documentary. It’s a Midrash—a storytelling expansion of the biblical text. DeMille famously spent years researching ancient texts to fill in the "missing years" of Moses’ life in Egypt. He wanted it to feel like history, even if it felt like a Broadway play. This mix of high-stakes drama and occasionally "cheesy" acting makes it endlessly rewatchable. You can quote it. You can mock it. You can be moved by it. All at the same time.
Where to Find it if You Miss the Broadcast
If you don't have a digital antenna or a cable package, you can usually find The Ten Commandments on TV via streaming services like Paramount+ or by renting it on Amazon. But honestly? It’s not the same.
There is a specific "vibe" to watching it on a network broadcast. There’s something about the rhythm of the commercials and the fact that you know a few million other people are watching the same scene at the same time. It’s the "water cooler" effect, even if the water cooler is now a Twitter (X) thread or a Reddit sub.
Looking Ahead: Will it Ever Stop Airing?
Probably not anytime soon. As long as the ratings hold, ABC will keep the tradition alive. There’s been some talk about whether the themes or the casting will eventually lead to it being "vaulted," but so far, the cultural momentum is too strong. It’s a piece of Americana now.
The film serves as a bridge. It connects the silent film era (DeMille actually made a silent version in 1923) to the Golden Age of Hollywood and carries that energy straight into our living rooms in 2026. It’s a reminder of a time when movies were built, not just rendered.
How to Make the Most of the Next Broadcast
If you’re planning on catching The Ten Commandments on TV this year, here’s how to actually survive the marathon:
- Check the local listings early. ABC usually airs it the Saturday night before Easter, but sometimes they move it to Palm Sunday depending on their other programming (like American Idol).
- Clear your DVR. If you can’t stay up until midnight, record it. But fair warning: the "live" experience is where the fun is.
- Look for the details. Watch the background extras. DeMille was a stickler for detail, and there are thousands of people in some of those shots, each with a costume and a task.
- Embrace the intermission. Use that time to stretch. It’s a long sit.
- Compare it to the text. It’s actually a fun exercise to see where DeMille stuck to the Book of Exodus and where he took "creative liberties" (hint: almost the entire romance subplot is Hollywood invention).
The endurance of this film is a testament to the power of a well-told story and the scale of human ambition in filmmaking. It’s big, it’s loud, it’s a little bit ridiculous, and it’s a masterpiece of its era. Whether you’re watching for the message or the matte paintings, it remains the ultimate TV tradition.