ABC’s new drama Of Kings and Prophets is already having some serious problems. The show only premiered on March 8, but last night’s episode did not do anything to impress audiences or the network.
According to TVLine, the second episode of the show garnered only 2.4 million viewers and a 0.5 demo rating, which means the show, in its second week, is already down 27 and 37 percent (respectively) for the already meager debut it had. The previous time slot holder, Wicked City, got 2.4 million viewers and a 0.7 demo in its second week and only aired one more episode after those disastrous numbers. Meaning that Of Kings and Prophets is likely doomed, and the axe could come down swiftly.
The show is a Biblical drama that is based on the Books of Samuel in the Old Testament. The books detail the theological history of the Israelites and explains their religious laws under the guidance of prophets. The show focuses on Saul (Ray Winstone), the violent, battle-weary and paranoid king of Israel; David (Olly Rix), a resourceful shepherd who has aspirations toward leadership; and Samuel (Mohammad Bakri), the formidable, bitter and mysterious prophet who, years ago, chose Saul to be king and will soon lead the charge for change among the leadership of the country. The characters’ lives intersect, as do the lives of their family and friends, which leads to their very beliefs being tested at every turn.
Of Kings and Prophets got below average reviews from critics, with many of them noting that they felt the show was trying to become the Biblical equivalent of Game of Thrones without any of the real meat that the HBO show has. Metacritic’s media reviews have it at 47 out of 100 from 16 outlets, while Rotten Tomatoes has it at a 38 percent approval. The general consensus of Rotten Tomatoes reviews is that the series is “an aimless muddle.”
The new show probably didn’t get any help from the violent, sex-filled telling of the Old Testament, either. People who would have been interested in the potentially epic series have largely been turned off by it. The Parents Television Council, which, to be fair, has disapproved of a lot of TV shows since it was founded in 1995, asked for ABC to cancel the show for those very reasons.
Unfortunately for those involved in Of Kings and Prophets, even though the show has been compared to Game of Thrones, it has not been able to gather any of that audience to its side. It would appear that it’s only a, very brief, matter of time before the series is no more. And, while this is the time of year when new shows premiere and many quickly fall by the wayside, that certainly won’t help the cast and crew to deal with the show’s imminent demise.
