With the ongoing writers’ strike depriving me of my favorite television shows, I have finally joined the masses in checking out the vast material on YouTube and similar sites to find some entertainment. Idol Chatter has already covered the irreverent web series “Mr. Deity” , but I have come across a new satirical web series that is a spot-on spoof of Christian subculture, “Jesus People.” The series is currently being featured on Will Ferrell’s comedy video website, and the Hollywood rumor mill (okay, by “Hollywood rumor mill,” I mean a few of my industry friends who are usually in-the know) has it that “Jesus People” may become an indie film or a full-fledged TV series should the WGA strike ever end.

“Jesus People” stars a hip, experienced comedy cast of improvisational actors, including Edi Patterson (“Showbiz Show with David Spade”), Joel McCrary (“Seinfeld,” ) ad some pretty cool guest stars including Kate Flannery (“The Office”), Victoria Jackson (“SNL”), and Tim Bagley (“Knocked Up”) and focuses on a pastor of a megachurch (think of a twisted version of “Purpose -Driven Life” pastor/author Rick Warren) who brings together a motley group of Christian singers together to become an all-star contemporary Christian music group. ( You can even watch the group’s music video “Snatched Up” — a song about the Rapture — on the site as well.)In the style of “The Office”, there are no sacred cows here and even a little bit of controversywith lines like ” the “devil makes one gay” and the Lord is coming back like a “bomb in Iraq” sprinkled throughout this cheesy group’s performance.”Jesus People” is the kind of alternative programming networks fear, and it just what i needed to tear me away from watching “Celebrity Apprentice” and “American Gladiator”.