Cecil B. DeMille’s 1956 Epic ‘The Ten Commandments’ Will Be Back on ABC for Easter 2026
Nearly every year since 1973, with a few exceptions, ABC has re-aired the gigantic 1956 Best Picture Oscar-nominated religious epic The Ten Commandments around Easter and Passover — which makes sense, given its story comes from the Old Testament book of Exodus about Moses’ (Charlton Heston) deliverance of the Israelites from slavery at the hands of Egyptian pharaoh Rameses II (Yul Brynner).
That tradition continues in 2026, as the network airs director Cecil B. DeMille‘s thrilling achievement on the night before Easter, Saturday, April 4, 2026, at 7pm ET. But if you can’t wait for the ABC airing, don’t worry — you still have options to watch this beloved Biblical classic before Easter!
Moses (Charlton Heston) lays down God’s law (and the hammer) in The Ten Commandments
Who is in 1956’s The Ten Commandments?
It’s easy to say “they don’t make ’em like that anymore” regarding such films, but in the case of The Ten Commandments, that is literally true — with its massive live crowd shots (of both people and animals) and spectacular set designs, the cost of creating a film like this in the manner in which it was produced would certainly be viewed as prohibitive by any studio today.
From an era in which biblical epics were fairly common in Hollywood, DeMille’s work is one of the few that remains so highly watched and beloved to this day.
Screen capture © 1956 CBS Photo Archive via Getty Images
Along with Heston in his iconic role as Moses (and as the voice of God via the burning bush) and Brynner, the film is also star-studded with the likes of Anne Baxter, an oddly cast Edward G. Robinson, Yvonne De Carlo, Debra Paget, John Derek, Vincent Price, John Carradine and more.
Movie Poster Image Art/Getty Images
DeMille is at the height of his directorial powers here as he wrangles so much into a captivating, if melodramatic, presentation.
Among the film’s other technical achievements are its Oscar-winning special effects (that depict, among other things, Moses’ parting of the Red Sea in a scene that still looks amazing), and it also boasts a grand musical score by Elmer Bernstein.
Where to stream The Ten Commandments
If youwant to watch it before this year’s ABC airing, you’re in luck — the three-plus hour film is still streaming many places. You can watch the movie for free with ads on Fawsome, Plex, Tubi, Hoopla, and Xumo Play. You can also buy or rent it from YouTube Movies & TV, Amazon Prime, Apple TV, Fandango at Home, and Google Play.
We featured more details about the history of The Ten Commandments and its past ABC airings — including a look back at how the network would hype it up in the intros for The ABC Sunday Night Movie, as well as a bit on DeMille’s 1923 silent film The Ten Commandments. — in our post about the 2023 ABC presentation of the film.
ABC’s annual airing of The Ten Commandments around Easter and Passover, similar to its long-running broadcast of The Sound of Music at Christmastime, continues to be one of the last of those big “gather-everyone-around-the-TV” movie events that used to be somewhat common, but not so much nowadays.
In cases like these, it seems to be not only the film itself, but the tradition and memories of watching it on television, most likely with family, over the course of many years that combine to make it a special event for many viewers.
With The Ten Commandments in particular, that is perhaps made stronger by the broadcast being set against the backdrop of various spring holidays that are important to so many.
For more about Biblical epics, make sure to pick up the special collector’s edition guide to The Chosen, which is packed with cast interviews, deep dives into Season 5’s biggest moments, and much more.
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April 2021
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