Scorsese Series on Saints comes to SA TV

by Admin · April 1, 2026

Screenshots from Episode 1: John the Baptist: The Patron Saint of Converts and Episode 3: Joan of Arc: The Patron Saint of Soldiers of National Geographic’s Martin Scorsese Presents The Saints

A series on the lives of saints created by award-winning director Martin Scorsese is finally coming to South African TV screens.

Martin Scorsese Presents The Saints is hosted, narrated, and executive produced by Scorsese, with the intention of bringing new perspectives to stories that have shaped faith, culture and history.

Season 1 explores Saints Francis of Assisi, Joan of Arc, John the Baptist, Mary Magdalene, Sebastian, Maximilian Kolbe, and Moses the Black.

The first episode will be shown on the National Geographic channel (DStv 181; in other parts of Africa on StarTimes 220) on Sunday, April 5 at 21:00, with new episodes airing weekly.

A cinematic recreation of the saint’s life is followed by a discussion by leading scholars who unpack the historical and geopolitical context of each saint’s life. The panel, hosted by Scorsese, comprises Jesuit Father James Martin, writer Prof Mary Karr, as well as author and editor Paul Elie, who has written biographies on Catholics such as Fr Thomas Merton, Dorothy Day and Flannery O’Connor.

The first episode focuses on John the Baptist, with the title “The Patron Saint of Converts”. The other episodes will follow in the same 21:00 (CAT) time slot on Sunday evenings. The series will end on May 17 with an episode on St Maximilian Kolbe.

A second season has already aired in the United States, focusing on saints such as Saints Patrick, Peter, Thomas Becket, and Carlo Acutis.