Reality television pundit Mark Burnett, of Survivor, The Voice and The Apprentice fame, will turn his hand to the Bible in 2013, developing a 10-hour series of Biblical stories for the History Channel.

The project, announced in 2011, is set to air as a 5-part series in March next year. First previews of the series have been released this week.

Burnett and his wife Roma Downey have spoken about the project, saying the series, titled The Bible, is a “passion project” for them. “I’ve loved Jesus all my life,” Downey told The Christian Post this month.

Downey, who played the angel ‘Monica’ in TV series Touched By An Angel, will star in the new Biblical series, playing Mary, the mother of Jesus. Portuguese actor Diogo Morgado will play the role of Jesus.

Burnett says the Bible unpins the “greatest storytelling in the history of the world.” Speaking with The Guardian, he said The Bible series is likely to be the biggest and most significant thing he’s worked on in his life.

Among the Biblical stories to be covered in the series are Noah’s ark, the Exodus, Abraham, and the birth, death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. Burnett says it will bridge the Old and New Testaments, “from Genesis to Revelation”. The History Channel has said the series is based on the New Revised Standard Version (NRSV) and New International Version (NIV) Bible translations, and a committee of theologians have been called in to consult on the project.

Watch the preview, with music from CeeLo Green here: