The Religious Hour is a Laiorian faith-based daytime chat show broadcast on LTV English 1 from 10:00 to 11:00 on a Monday morning, from 30 September 2024.
Originally picked up as Monday morning filler, the hour is a discussion between three faith-based leaders and seven students (occasionally with special guests from the Christian faith) on faith-related matters. More often than not, they discuss various topics outside of it, including politics, global affairs and travel.
The show was praised for making religion feel more accessible for those outside of the Christian faith and its relaxed discussion about the participants' personal lives. It also turned the three priests - one Pentecostal, one Catholic and the other Anglican - into regional celebrities, solidified when LTV started to repeat the series on LTV English 3 in a primetime slot at 8pm on a Monday evening.
A few weeks in, it was noted in the Laiorian Standard that the show had gained a significant following among non-religious Laiorians, attributed to the personalities of the three starring church officials, as well as the show not shying away from discussing different aspects of faith, including those which would be often seen as taboo. The show is not supposed to be an evangelistic endeavour, so those featured do not talk directly to the camera. Across the Kadersaryinan Islands, the show was repeated on different Alo'olka Union networks following its success in Laioria.
The show's success on a Monday morning led to LTV commissioning another series to start in January 2025. They also commissioned four extra themed episodes in the run-up to Christmas and then in the Twelve Days of Christmas, with the final episode in the first series aired on Epiphany (which, helpfully, fell on a Monday in 2025).
The show was commissioned for one season and was extended into the first 2025 season, with a second season following soon after from January to Easter, which also covered and debated the papal conclave. The third series featured specials for Easter and for Ascension, plus a light-hearted Wednesday evening ecumenical service at the end on 4 June 2025. In May 2025, was announced that Pentecostal representative John Rolle would leave at the end of the series: he was replaced for Series 4 by Vitória Echevarría.
The show was recommissioned for a longer fourth series in the summer of 2025. Anglican representative Catherine Stevenson left at the start of 2026, being replaced by Laura Omerson.
Series[]
| Series | Start date | End date | Episodes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 30 September 2024 | 6 January 2025 | 11 + 3 extra |
| 2 | 20 January 2025 | 5 May 2025 | 14 + 1 extra |
| 3 | 13 May 2025 | 4 June 2025 | 4 + 1 special |
| 4 | 22 September 2025 | 12 January 2026 | 13 + 1 special |
| 5 | February 2026 |
Episodes[]
Series 1[]
- Anglican: Rev Dr Catherine Stephenson
- Catholic: Fr Richard Poole
- Pentecostal: Rev Dr John Rolle
Note that the episode aired 11 November was cut short for Remembrance Day. The extra episodes aired on 16 December, 23 December, 30 December and 6 January were in a modified format and were focused on the preparations in the run-up to Christmas.
| # | Date | Ratings | Ratings (primetime) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 30 September 2024 | 8,100 | |
| 2 | 7 October 2024 | 9,100 | |
| 3 | 14 October 2024 | 17,200 | |
| 4 | 21 October 2024 | 13,500 | 18,300 |
| 5 | 28 October 2024 | 10,500 | 15,200 |
| 6 | 4 November 2024 | 15,000 | 24,000 |
| 7 | 11 November 2024* | 7,200* | 20,000 |
| 8 | 18 November 2024 | 18,100 | 21,200 |
| 9 | 25 November 2024 | 14,200 | 18,200 |
| 10 | 2 December 2024 | 15,300 | 20,100 |
| 11 | 9 December 2024 | 17,300 | 27,100 |
| 12 | 16 December 2024** | 25,100 | 44,100 |
| 13 | 23 December 2024** | 22,100 | 28,100 |
| 14 | 30 December 2024** | 20,100 | 23,000 |
| 15 | 6 January 2025** | 22,400 | 22,000 |
Series 2[]
- Anglican: Rev Dr Catherine Stephenson
- Catholic: Fr Richard Poole
- Pentecostal: Rev Dr John Rolle
No episode was aired on Easter Monday on 21 April 2025. The episode aired on 28 April covered the death and funeral of Pope Francis, with an extra episode being commissioned the following week to discuss the resulting conclave.
| # | Date | Ratings (daytime) | Ratings (prime time) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 20 January 2025 | 17,300 | 24,100 |
| 2 | 27 January 2025 | 15,300 | 20,400 |
| 3 | 3 February 2025 | 17,100 | 19,800 |
| 4 | 10 February 2025 | 16,470 | 14,800 |
| 5 | 17 February 2025 | 17,100 | 16,700 |
| 6 | 24 February 2025 | 14,200 | 20,100 |
| 7 | 3 March 2025 | 14,400 | 19,800 |
| 8 | 10 March 2025 | 15,400 | 17,600 |
| 9 | 17 March 2025 | 17,100 | 21,400 |
| 10 | 24 March 2025 | 16,500 | 23,100 |
| 11 | 31 March 2025 | 18,200 | 19,600 |
| 12 | 7 April 2025 | 17,800 | 24,100 |
| 13 | 14 April 2025 | 21,400 | 15,010 |
| 14 | 28 April 2025 | 31,500 | 45,100 |
| 15 | 5 May 2025 | 24,500 | 25,600 |
Series 3[]
- Anglican: Rev Dr Catherine Stephenson
- Catholic: Fr Richard Poole
- Pentecostal: Rev Dr John Rolle
| # | Dates | Ratings (daytime) | Ratings (prime time) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 12 May 2025 | 21,400 | 25,100 |
| 2 | 19 May 2025 | 13,500 | 18,400 |
| 3 | 26 May 2025 | 15,100 | 16,400 |
| 4 | 2 June 2025 | 21,000 | 23,600 |
| 5 | 4 June 2025 - End of year primetime special | 28,800 | |
Series 4[]
- Anglican: Rev Dr Catherine Stephenson
- Catholic: Fr Richard Poole
- Pentecostal: Victória Echevarría
This series saw John Rolle replaced with Vitória Echevarría as the Pentecostal leader.
| # | Dates | Ratings (daytime) | Ratings (prime time) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 22 September 2025 | ||
| 2 | 29 September 2025 | ||
| 3 | 6 October 2025 | ||
| 4 | 13 October 2025 | ||
| 5 | 20 October 2025 | ||
| 6 | 27 October 2025 | ||
| 7 | 3 November 2025 | ||
| 8 | 10 November 2025 | ||
| 9 | 17 November 2025 | ||
| 10 | 24 November 2025 | ||
| 11 | 1 December 2025 | ||
| 12 | 8 December 2025 | ||
| 13 | 11 December 2025 ("Carols with TRH") | ||
| 14 | 12 January 2026 ("Bonus Episode") |
Series 5[]
- Anglican: Rev Laura Omerson
- Catholic: Fr Richard Poole
- Pentecostal: Victória Echevarría
This series saw the arrival of Rev Laura Omerson as the Anglican representative, starting from February 2026.