Although there are some powerful individual scenes in Revelations, overall, artistically and dramatically, this six-part religious horror TV drama is a complete mess – which is a great shame, as there’s quite a good story by writer David Seltzer (The Omen) buried beneath the rubble.

Astrophysics professor Richard Massey (Bill Pullman) returns to work after the funeral of his 12-year-old daughter, whose heart was torn out by a Satanist. Attractive, intelligent, strong-minded Sister Josepha Montafiore (Natascha McElhone) tracks him down from clues given by another girl who was struck by lightning and is now brain-dead, but has taken to quoting from the Book of Revelations in Latin. It seems that the prophesied End of the World is fast approaching. Confirmation comes in the form of assorted signs and wonders, while in his prison cell, satanic murderer Isaiah Haden (Michael Massee) plans further horrors.

All good stuff. But Sister Josepha can hardly form a sentence without quoting scripture, and Dr Massey’s perpetual and predictable scepticism becomes tedious halfway through the first episode. British TV series like the BBC’s Sea of Souls and ITV’s Afterlife did the whole academic-sceptic-meets-the-supernatural idea so much better.

The entire plot becomes derailed when Dr Massey’s son is kidnapped by the same satanic group who killed his half-sister, and Massey gets sidetracked from the coming of the Christ (or perhaps the Antichrist) to search for him. From then on, the various plot elements get in each other’s way rather than being mutually reinforcing. The final episode doesn’t so much come to a climax as stumble to a halt; a few things are resolved, but the End of the World seems to have been forgotten.

And there are other problems; most notably, the lack of explanation for why Michael Massee’s character – though a convincing psychotic murderer – is a Satanist, what it means to be a Satanist, or why other people should want to be Satanists. Or why they should want to rip the heart out of a 12-year-old girl. The lack of any raison d’être makes Isaiah Haden something of a cartoon villain.

The show is almost saved by the acting: Natascha McElhone, who at times has a most un-nun-like sparkle in her eye; the stunning Stephanie Leonidas as (sensibly) a young Greek woman; and the unexpectedly superb casting of Christopher Biggins as a cardinal who wants none of this superstitious End-Time business.

The religious music is powerful, some of the photography is stunning, and the special effects effective. But the dialogue, pacing and editing are clumsy and clunky throughout, ruining what could have been a fascinating series.