Of Kings and Prophets is an American television drama based on the Biblical Books of Samuel that premiered on ABC. The series follows an ensemble of characters including Saul and David, the successive Kings of Israel, their families, and their political rivals. Of Kings and Prophets is set in the Kingdom of Israel, but filmed in Cape Town, South Africa. The series was originally scheduled to premiere in late 2015. However, due to creative changes, it was moved to mid-season in the 2015–16 television season, and premiered on March 8, 2016. Due to low ratings, ABC canceled the series after airing two episodes. All nine episodes aired in New Zealand in March–May 2016. As of February 2018, all nine episodes were available for rent or purchase on Amazon Prime, Google Play, iTunes, Vudu and YouTube.
Writers Adam Cooper and Bill Collage said at the Television Critics Association press tour that they hope to push the envelope "as far as we can" in regards to the amount of sex and violence featured on the series. Showrunner Chris Brancato later clarified "This story is an Old Testament violent sex-drenched. It’s one of the world’s first soap operas.... You will watch a show that is tasteful but that also tells the story you can read if you want to pick up the Bible." Then-ABC president Paul Lee described the pilot episode simply as "muscular". Cooper suggested that if need be, some of the more graphic scenes on the series may be edited for public broadcast, and release the originally intended scenes for online viewing. This did indeed occur with the first episode, which was released online with additional sexual content and nudity that was not seen in the ABC broadcast.
Reception
Critical response
The show has received below average reviews from critics, with some critics negatively comparing it to Game of Thrones. On Metacritic, the first season of Of Kings and Prophets received a score of 47/100 based on 16 media reviews, indicating "mixed or average reviews". On Rotten Tomatoes, it holds a 29% approval rating based on 17 media reviews with its critical consensus: "Of Kings and Prophets tries to add a Game of Thrones-inspired spin to the Old Testament, but ends up an aimless muddle." In the show's favor Variety wrote "Its courtly sets, tents, and marketplaces often have a pleasingly realistic level of detail, and some glimpses of the outdoor scenery of South Africa are breathtaking." IGN noted, "It does have a few things going for it, including high production values and intriguing political and religious themes. Winstone brings a very human quality to the character that is usually left out of other depictions."
Parental group reaction
The Parents Television Council criticized the series for scenes of sex and violence and called for it to be removed from the network's schedule. The PTC has compared the show's content to a "broadcast" version of Game of Thrones.
Ratings
The first episode opened up to 3.32 million viewers. The second episode had lower ratings, having live viewing of 2.42 million viewers, assuring the show's cancellation. Beyond the Tank, which had aired several episodes in the fall and early winter in the same timeslot, returned for the remainder of the season.
