Watch Beyond The Search

Beyond The Search is a thought-provoking documentary series from Celebrity Home Entertainment that debuted in 2011. This show captures the journey of Michael W. Smith, a Grammy Award winning musician, on his trip around the world to discover instances of hope and grace in the midst of despair and darkness.

The show is divided into ten episodes, each exploring a different part of the world and highlighting different individuals facing challenges. With a running time of 45-50 minutes per episode, viewers can get a good grasp of the stories shared in each episode.

From the series' introductory episode, viewers are treated to Michael's personal motives and motivations for the journey. It's revealed that during one of his tours, Michael came face to face with a fellow musician who had lost his only brother to a drug overdose. This interaction caused Michael to reflect on whether he was doing something or anything to make a difference in the world. He yearned to discover and highlight stories of individuals who were making a difference in uplifting their communities, even amidst trying times.

The journey begins with a visit to West Africa, where Michael meets with individuals from Ghana's rural communities. Ghana is known for its reputation as a West African democracy and a global leader in cocoa production. Still, the show highlights a different aspect of Ghana, namely, the individuals in rural communities, among whom happiness is found in the little things, like the beauty of their environment and the simplicity of their daily living. Michael explores the idea of hope and laughs with the children whose faces light-up in the midst of difficult and trying circumstances.

As he moves from one location to another, Micheal's chemistry with the people he meets is one of the standout highlights of the series. These encounteres are never forced and are always well-received. Each episode is an encapsulating story of a particular area or challenge's story. For example, the fifth episode centers around individuals living with HIV/AIDS, conveying a message of hope.

In Russia, Michael explores a story that might surprise viewers. Through his journey around the country, he comes across institutions and social groups that are working together to provide services to the poor and homeless. These services include providing meals and shelter and other essential services through engaging well-wishers in the community to support these services. The show is eye-opening in that for the first time, viewers get to see a different side of the Russian people that contrasts sharply with the media description of the country.

Other locations featured in the Show include South Africa, Haiti, The Middle East, and several states in America, about, among other things, those working actively in areas liberated from lead contamination. The documentary showcases various individuals and organizations working tirelessly to improve their communities' quality of life, with some organizations being spearheaded by eloquent youth activists.

Beyond The Search is not your average travel show. On the contrary, Michael introduces a broader perspective of travel that enables viewers to adequately understand the challenges people face globally and how they overcome those challenges. Viewers come out of the documentary reflecting on their own experiences and hopefully feel more inspired and empowered to take action. Overall, Beyond The Search is a must-watch documentary that will leave its viewers impacted as well as impart valuable lessons on the importance of having hope and determination in achieving success despite the most trying of circumstances.

Beyond The Search is a series that ran for 1 seasons (10 episodes) between January 1, 2012 and on Celebrity Home Entertainment