The Bible miniseries on History Channel may not be as popular as the sacred text itself, but it has proved to be one TV's hottest shows.

But what do critics have to say about show created by Survivor producer Mark Burnett and Touched By An Angel star Roma Downey?

The Miami Herald's Glenn Garvin couldn't look past the History channel's hypocrisy in choosing to air such a miniseries, when they famously killed a dramatic mini-series about the Kennedy family on the grounds that its "dramatic interpretation is not a fit for the History brand."

"The Bible, on the other hand, doesn't amount to much more than a further piece of evidence that drama and reverence don't mix well. (To be fair, it would be the prohibitive favorite if only there were an Emmy for Screenplay In Which The Sentences 'God Has Spoken To Me' and 'God Will Provide' Are Said the Most Times.) With the pace of a music video, the characterizations of a comic book and the political-correctness quotient of a Berkeley vegetarian commune - laughably, the destruction of Sodom is depicted without the faintest hint of the sexual peccadillo that takes its name from the city - this production makes Cecil B. DeMille look like a sober theologian. The Bible marks the first attempt at drama by reality-show maven Mark Burnett, whose soul I would consider in serious jeopardy if it hadn't already been forfeited during the second season of Are You Smarter Than A 5th Grader?"

The New York Times critic Neil Genzlinger seemed most disappointed in producer Mark Burnett's missed opportunity in tackling "the ultimate make-me-believe-it-challenge."

"The result is a mini-series full of emoting that does not register emotionally, a tableau of great biblical moments that doesn't convey why they're great. Those looking for something that makes them feel the power of the Bible would do better to find a good production of Godspell or Jesus Christ Superstar. And those thinking that the ancient miracles might be better served by the special effects available in 2013 than they have been in previous versions should prepare for disappointment. The Red Sea parts no more convincingly here than it did for Charlton Heston in 1956."

There you have it. Though it's been a miraculous ratings success, The Bible is critically considered one of the least inspired shows on television.

To decide for yourself tune into episode 3 of The Bible on the History Channel.