If last week was all about “The Man in Black,” Johnny Cash, then we can dedicate the coming week to the man in white, Pope John Paul II.

That’s because two major networks, ABC and CBS, are rolling out their respective biopics based on the life of the 264th pope, who died on April 2.

ABC’s “Have No Fear: The Life of Pope John Paul II” is a two-hour made-for-TV event that will air at 8 p.m. Thursday on KOMO-TV, Channel 4.

CBS’s four-hour miniseries, simply entitled, “Pope John Paul II,” will begin at 9 p.m. Sunday, with the final two hours airing at 8 p.m. Dec. 7, on KIRO-TV, Channel 7.

Hallmark Channel earlier this year also tackled the John Paul II’s rise to the papacy with a four-hour film, “A Man Who Became Pope,” which began with his college years and ended when he was elected pope in 1978.

Both of the new films attempt to tell the story of the man who was born Karol Wojtyla in Poland in 1920, but the CBS version takes a deeper look at what made Wojtyla into the man who would lead the Catholic Church for more than 26 years.

Both versions show Wojtyla’s love for theater and the dramatic effect the Nazi invasion of Poland and subsequent Communist regime had on the eventual pope’s approach to his faith.

But ABC’s take comes off as more of a “Cliffs Notes” type of story that serves a purpose, but will leave the more curious viewer wanting to see more.

ABC’s “Have No Fear” begins with John Paul II’s visit to Jerusalem in 2000, where he prayed at the Western Wall and asked forgiveness for all the sins of the Catholic Church against Jews and Arabs.

It then flashes back, all the way back to Wojtyla’s childhood, leading to the film’s fundamental flaw. It tries to cover more ground than any of the three TV movies about John Paul II, but does it in half the time.

While the attempt at conciseness is appreciated, it simply fails to provide enough time to tell the story of one of the most influential people of the 20th century.

In the ABC version, German actor Thomas Kretschmann plays the title character, from his college years to his death, with makeup artists bearing the burden of showing his age.

The two hours pass quickly, from young Wojtyla losing his mother at age 9, his brother a few years later and his father a few years after that, to his quick rise to Catholicism’s highest post.

“Have No Fear” feels more like a highlight reel of John Paul II’s life, where CBS’ four-hour miniseries better shapes the man and provides the insight that most curious viewers demand.

“Pope John Paul II” begins its four-hour journey on the day the pontiff was shot in St. Peter’s Square.

The event triggers quick flashbacks to his childhood, but the story begins with a 20-year-old Wojtyla in a theatrical production.

The Nazi invasion begins, as does Wojtyla’s journey toward the seminary – most of which he attended in secret.

At first, it’s difficult to swallow the casting in CBS’s film, with Cary Elwes of “The Princess Bride” and “Robinhood: Men in Tights” playing the younger Wojtyla, while Jon Voight, Angelina Jolie’s dad, plays the pope in his later years.

The actors, fittingly, make the exchange at the beginning of the miniseries’ second night, when John Paul II trades his red robe for a white one after being elected pope.

But both performances are quite convincing and your initial reservations will disappear almost immediately.

“Pope John Paul II” gives us more insight into his eminence’s love of the outdoors and his need to travel to give his message to the masses. It also emphasizes John Paul II’s role in significant world events, including the end of communism in Poland.

With a weightier story and stronger writing, the winner of TV’s papal duel is CBS.

Victor Balta’s column runs Mondays and Thursdays on the A&E page. Reach him at 425-339-3455 or vbalta@heraldnet.com.