Though NBC had high hopes for its ambitious Kings drama, the series has just not lived up to expectations. You know things are bad when a network ships a series off to Saturday nights. You know things are incredibly bad when the networks pull them from Saturday nights!
Kings revolves around the fictional nation of Gilboa, a United States-like country except that it’s ruled by a king, Silas Benjamin (Ian McShane). Based on the biblical tale of King David, the series features the talents of Christopher Egan, Susanna Thompson, Michael Patrick Crane, Allison Miller, Sebastian Stan, Eamonn Walker, Dylan Baker, Wes Studi, Joel Garland, Jason Antoon, Sarita Choudhury, and Macaulay Culkin.
After a lackluster premiere and poor subsequent showings, the peacock network decided to send the drama off to Saturday nights, the least-watched evening for network television. Last Saturday night, April 18th, was the first airing. It attracted a dismal number of viewers; 2.24 million and a 0.5/2 rating/share in the desirable 18-49 demographic.
That apparently isn’t enough for NBC and they’ve pulled the show from Saturday nights effective immediately. Repeats of Law & Order: SVU will fill the timeslot, at least for the time being. Fans of the show will have to wait until June 13th to see their show return to the Saturday at 8pm timeslot.
Despite a devoted following and a big budget, it looks like Kings is going down in the history books as one of this season’s biggest failures.
Image courtesy NBC.
Only 2.24 million viewers? That’s 2.24 MILLION PEOPLE who cared enough about this show to follow it to its Saturday night slot!
I LOVE this show! Why can’t they give good shows a chance anymore? We are instead forced to suffer through the bubble-gum crap they like to call entertainment. Can’t they at least let a show finish out the season?
I’m a little mad too! I really enjoyed the show and kept checking to see if I missed any of the series, on Fios. I hope it does come back on, any nite is fine.
i am outraged that nbc has pulled the plug on this fine show. i was totally hooked from the premiere and a huge fan. we need more diversity on the tube. enough of the reality stuff already. the last time nbc had this good of a show was american dreams but at least they let that run for a couple of seasons. abc cancelled lost on mars (another fine ground-breaking show) and now this. bah humbug to the execs !!!
when they moved it to Sat nights, they didnt even tell the veiwers, and they wonder why it had a bad veiwing! I catch it on hulu.
Oh great! Here we go again.
We are in our mid-fifties. We each have our own TV. KINGS is one TV show we’ve gotten together to watch on one TV. It was one of very few shows worth watching on Sunday nights. Our Mom enjoyed it as well…she is only 88!
For heaven’s sake, give it a chance!
I love this show! It was amazing to see something different from NBC. I was so into it but why did they not give the show a chance and have to move it around. Please give the show a chance for a second chance and move it to the Sci-Fi channel? Maybe then people who might like that type of show might give it a chance!
I first saw the show when Sci-Fi I think had parts 1, 2, 3, and 4 running back to back late one night. I could be mistaken on the channel, but I instantly liked it. I was waiting for episode 5 but it got moved around. I agree with the previous comments about poorly advertised, and those that wish to follow the show could not keep up with the shifts in schedule. Much like a restaurant that does not keep it’s posted hours, you quick going back because the restaurant, in this case “Netowrk” is un reliable. I agree also… Read more »
I just have to add I’m 23 and love this show but seriously Saturday Nights, who in my age group is home to watch tv on Saturday evening? NBC wanted this show dead!
I’m so mad just like everyone else. How does NBC expect a show to do well when they purposely move it around. No joke, my whole family is into this show and were waiting for Sunday evening, only to find out it aired the night before. Then I waited again until tonight on Sunday and found it it’s been axed until the summer. Please NBC, go ahead do more SVU or Southland or just become like fox already and feed us Osborne garbage crap!
I can’t believe that one of the few really good shows has been pulled.
When will the network gurus realize that there are millions who are sick to death of these faux reality shows–repetitive, no talent, banal.
I suppose the upside of the current programming is that it is like aversion therapy for anyone watching too much TV.
Apologies… this is likely my fault. Each year it seems I pick a show to watch and destine it to failure. First The Mountain, then Journeyman and now it would seem Kings takes it’s wrongful place in the lineup. RIP well written, cast and shot tv series.
The initial marketing was bad it gave a false impression of the show (like it was some gossip girl type show) and I didnt know when it was going to air. if it wasnt for hulu i would have never seen the show. then they keep moving the show around so that people who FOLLOW it cant even keep track and they think that will help? On top of all that, the show only aired like 5 episodes and was a mid-season replacement – which hardly ever do well. I dont get how a show with a lot of potential… Read more »
I really hate to see the show pulled. Hope it will return. One of the best shows I have seen in a long long time. ” Reality” shows and crime shows are just getting to be too much. Hope to see “Kings” back again!
My feelings of disappointment, sadness. and even anger have been well expressed by the comments before mine — even my liking something being the kiss of death So I will simply say — another fine show doomed because it’s too good and too intelligent.