In January 2021, viewers of the USA Network met The Rev, who's described as a "hilarious, melodic and inspirational" series focusing on "larger-than-life" Pastor Richard Hartley as he works to transform the choir at his Long Island congregation into a world-class vocal ensemble. As a profile in Newsday pointed out, Hartley is no garden variety choir leader; he's regarded as "one of the world's leading gospel choir directors," also known for his role as the choir director in off-Broadway hit Mama, I Want to Sing!
Also featured in the series are Hartley's wife of 30 years, Stacey Hartley, and their millennial children, Judea and Jordan Hartley.
Speaking with the Christian Post, Hartley explained that while religion is at the center of The Rev, the show is far from preachy. "I think that's the greatest characteristic of this show is that it shows love, so hopefully, the non-Christian base would see that we're not a cult, not extremists," he shared. "We're regular people who have a lot of fun, even the church is fun. Hopefully, it can reach those people that way."
