The Apostles was a 2001, ten-part television series, on the speculated lives of the Apostles presented by Melvyn Bragg, for London Weekend Television. Commissioned by Steve Anderson, each episode ran for 30 minutes and interviewed historians, biblical scholars, theologians, and the clergy, in an attempt to uncover the lives and identities of the first disciples who followed the teachings of Jesus. The last episode included the significant role of Mary Magdalene with the Apostles, which was criticised by some churches as being too historically revisionist. The series was later released on a single DVD disc (260 minutes) in 2003, as The Apostles: the Complete Ten-part Series the Story of the First Disciples of Christ.