A few months ago, a friend of mine told me he was working on the set of a new series: an adaptation of the story of the life of David in the Bible. Hearing about the budget and how much work went into the filming process, I was genuinely excited to see the end product.
Of Kings and Prophets recently debuted on ABC in America with a very mixed bag of reviews. And after just two episodes airing, it was cancelled altogether. There were apparently a few reasons for this: Firstly, the viewer ratings were bad; and secondly, a whole lot of Christian groups called for it to be banned due to its violence and sexual content.
Producers had pre-empted the series, claiming that they were not going to shy away from gore and promiscuity. It was a risk, but with shows such as Game of Thrones dominating the screens, it was a justified one to reach a different type of audience.
Personally, I am a little disappointed with the whole situation. I believe there were a few factors that resulted in this television flop. I have listed them below:
- The story
Unfortunately, in the two episodes that were released there were some major plot changes from the original. Added narrative is justifiable in some ways, but not when it includes David sleeping with Saul’s wife or the tribe of Reuben betraying its nation. The prophet Samuel was also depicted as an adversary to Saul from the beginning. When it came to Saul’s downfall, they tried to make it look like he was tired of killing and wanted to make a statement as a leader, not that he made unfounded sacrifices refusing to kill the livestock of his enemy as instructed. The anointing of David was also extremely underwhelming – such a pivotal scene was handled as if they were all at breakfast.
So as a Christian, I was disappointed not only because what was added was inaccurate, but also because what was kept could have been a whole lot more effective. There seems to be a notion that real life stories are not dramatic or contextual enough for audiences these days. But I believe the Bible has more than enough twists and turns without adding anything.
- The Christian community
It disappoints me to see that Christians are not ready to embrace an honest retelling of the Bible as well. I have spoken to pastors about their opinions on movies such as Noah and many have had positive views – despite some outrageous interpretations of scripture. The consensus was, if it makes the general public more curious about the Bible, then it is a good thing. Of Kings and Prophets would definitely have fallen in the same vein. Yes, it may have had a whole lot of blood and gore. Yes, it did have scenes with a whole lot of skin. But to be honest, it is not even an exaggeration of what was going on in that day.
I think many Christians would be completely appalled by the environment of Davidic Israel. The reality was: Israel was constantly at war, killing nations of people including their women, children, and livestock. God told David he could not build the temple because of all the blood on his hands. And there was a lot of blood! It doesn’t stop there. It was acceptable for kings to have concubines. Prostitutes were part of society and are even in the lineage of Jesus. So “sexual immorality” was not a clear-cut and defined issue as it is today.
In many ways, these realities draw those who aren’t familiar with the Bible to the story. It is extremely frustrating to think that Christians are not ready to put down the felt board from their Sunday school days and actually accept the reality of what happened in the Bible. I don’t believe the story of David could be told without the blatant reality of the day. Granted, I do think it could have been portrayed much better, but in the end, real stories reach lost people.
Of Kings and Prophets never promised to be a family show to watch while drinking hot chocolate on the couch. It promised to be a provocative, edgy telling of a story that belongs on screen. Unfortunately the world – both Christian and non-Christian – wasn’t ready for the Bible to be honestly portrayed.
If you are reading this and have never thought about how the Bible is a book of real stories – of people just like you and me who were impacted by God – can I encourage you to take a closer look at what actually happened? I have found hope, wisdom, inspiration, and guidance through reading these epic stories that all lead to what Jesus came to do on earth. If you want to find out more, click on the link below.