Should You Try It: The Baxters on Prime Video

We’re through Easter weekend. Hope you had a good holiday. As we turn the corner to April, you might be looking to dive into a new series, but what’s worth the investment. That’s why we’re here! This series provides a look at new series to give you the inside scoop. Today, it’s a faith-based series drawn from some popular novels.

Series: The Baxters

Where to Find It: All 10 episodes of the first season are now streaming on Prime Video.

What’s It About: This new series is based on the books from author Karen Kingsbury. At the heart of the series are John (Ted McGinley) and Elizabeth Baxter (Roma Downey). They’re a loving couple with a committed Christian faith. They also have a group of adult children who are all on their own faith journey—some with a strong, rooted faith and some who’ve given it up.

The series follows this family and all the challenges in their lives, particularly focusing on the challenges of the grown Baxter children. Each of them deals with things in their own way, with challenges ranging from career to children, to their marriages. Their parents are there to provide guidance and prayer.

The episodes follow their daily lives as they try to make a great future for themselves and their families, while their parents provide love, support, and a sounding board.

You Should Try It If: You’re a fan of the books, looking for a good family drama, or want some more faith-based entertainment.

One Man’s Opinion of The Baxters

This series is clear from the jump what it wants to be. The presence of Downey, an outspoken Christian who has done other faith-based series, should give the audience a sense of what to expect. That’s true for those who are familiar with the book series, too.

The pilot episode runs about 45 minutes, while future episodes are about a half an hour. All the episodes are available, making for a quick binge for those looking to dive into something new and finish the journey without waiting weeks. This will also likely appeal to fans of the cast and fans of Kingsbury’s work.

I like faith-based series, but I like them best when they focus on telling a compelling story with a rich world and characters first. That’s where this series stumbled for me. The episodes are brisk, but I wasn’t pulled into the world or the characters. It felt too much like a run-of-the-mill Hallmark production. I wanted something more compelling with more of an emotional hook.