It’s fascinating that scripture is being breathed into new life far outside the confines of the church and smack dab in the middle of Hollywood. NBC’s show, Kings, is a modern re-imagining of the life of David…that’s right… the guy from the Old Testament.
Not since Touched by An Angel has a show been so outspoken about the God of the Bible on Network TV. Thankfully, this show has a way better storyline, an excellent cast, and I’ve yet to see a halogen lamp light up the room whenever someone declares to some washed-up former sit-com star that they’re an angel sent by God.
While a lack of strong advertising led to low ratings for its premiere, Kings has managed to generate some strong critical acclaim and an even stronger word-of-mouth buzz (heavily aided by its presence on Hulu.com). NBC co-chairman, Ben Silverman says in an interview with The Live Feed, “I’m hoping because intent [to view] went up and awareness went up after it aired, clearly people responded to it, and it grew over its two hours. That gives me some hope. It's just hard to launch things that are not obvious. We may get nailed for it, but I'm proud of the show, and we need to keep taking chances like that.”
So why is Kings so good? First of all, it’s bold. It presents itself with the confidence that it’s imparting one of the oldest, most compelling narratives in history without changing much of the original story at all. It doesn’t assume the liberties that a franchise like the Left Behind series did when it tried to invade pop-culture. Rather than scare people with their own interpretation of the future, Kings simply endeavors to creatively communicate the past.
Secondly, Kings is a babe. It looks good, sounds good, and draws you in. Stellar performances led by Ian McShane, Christopher Egan, and Eamonn Walker are only heightened by the high def visual elegance of its cinematography.
Thirdly, Kings brings into focus cultural hot topics without being too preachy. We’re only three episodes in this thing and already they’ve dealt with the evolution-creation debate, homosexuality, and the question of why bad things happen to good people. The beautiful irony is that the writers have neither spoken for or against these topics but have simply portrayed their reality in the lives of its characters, and have let its Bible-inspired storyline speak for itself.
I can only hope Silverman and NBC order more shows. There’s so much more to delve into when considering the incredibly rich story that is the life of David. It’s definitely got me eager to go back and read 1st and 2nd Chronicles for a deeper look.
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