"I'll be really honest with you," admitted "God or the Girl" co-producer Darryl Silver. The A&E documentary, which looks at four young men as they try to decide whether to become Catholic priests or not, began as a joke, he said.

Indeed, the brainstorming process found Silver and his partners looking for the most outrageous crazy ideas they could find. But the laughter died very soon after.

"The joke version very quickly turned into a serious version," Silver said.

"We entered this show with a very different idea about what it was we wanted to do," added co-producer Mark Wolper, "and we completely shifted 180 degrees as a result of what we learned from these gentlemen, and how much respect grew in us for their decision for them as men and for the struggle they were going through. As producers, we entered this for one set of reasons and as the process went on, we learned a lot and really changed what we thought this show should and could be."

The five-part documentary airs over three nights: episodes one and two on April 16 at 9 p.m.; episodes three and four, April 17 at 9 p.m.; and the finale, in which the men reveal their decisions, on April 23 at 10 p.m.

The film is a very serious look at the discernment process, and while Silver said that he and his partners specifically chose these young men because they did have women in their lives, it quickly becomes clear that the ability to marry and raise a family was only one part of the decision.

The four young men are all very different.

Joe Adair, age 28, had already been in and out of the seminary twice before. A native of Chardon, Ohio, near Cleveland, his struggle revolved around the celibacy issue (he is interested in a young woman) but, as the sixth child in a family of eight, he also faced pressure from his parents to become a priest.

"He was the first one we actually met face to face," Silver said. "By the end of the conversation, in the reality staring us in the face, we turned to each other and said we just want Joe to be happy and find a way for him to move on in his life. He's a guy you just want to move so he can find some sort of peace."

The youngest of the four was Dan deMatte, 21 and a student at Ohio Dominican University. On fire for the Lord, he was trying to be sure of God's will for him, as was his mentor, Father Jeff.

Steve Horvath, age 25, graduated from the University of Virginia and by the age of 24 was making over $80,000 a year and had bought an expensive condo with his own money. But he suddenly gave it all up to become a campus minister at the University of Nebraska, Lincoln. His search for answers called him to leave his comfort zones, both physical and spiritual, to travel to Guatemala and work at a mission there.

Mike Lechniak, 24, was living with his mentor, Father Francis Paucelli, in Philadelphia, and trying to make up his mind even as he was falling in love with his girlfriend. Circumstances, however, pushed Lechniak into a decision.

As for the title, no one seems to like it that much. "Theologically, it's extremely not correct," said deMatte.

Silver said there had been several titles suggested. But a young man they were thinking about featuring made a comment on a casting tape --- that his choice was between God or the girl --- and that piqued the interest of the A&E executives.

"There was no turning back," Silver said. "The minute they saw that line, it was a done deal."

Even so, Silver said that it was probably just as well.

"We didn't want to turn people off to the show," he said. "This isn't a religious piece. It's the story about four guys who are going through a life experience. People will say the title is misleading. The title is misleading, but in a positive way."

The show was shot last August over the course of four to six weeks. The four men all said that they had had reservations about having cameras shoot their discernment process, but mostly decided to work with the producers in part to be a witness.

"My life is about God and being a witness," Horvath said.

And he's very serious about that.