Last week, ABC cancelled Of Kings and Prophets after just two airings. Viewers who were enjoying the biblical drama are understandably upset that the network won’t be airing the remaining episodes. However, not everyone is sorry to see the TV series go.
Parents Television Council (PTC), a “non-partisan education organization advocating responsible entertainment”, had been pushing for the series to be cancelled even before it premiered. The group criticized the show for its sexual and violent content. In a statement, PTC president Tim Winter said the series “demonstrates a disconnect” between the entertainment industry and family audiences:
The real question here is, why wouldn’t ABC and the show’s producers want to reach the largest audience possible by making a series based on the Bible able to be viewed by families? Instead it appears that their primary objective was to be edgy and explicit, rather than to entertain with a biblical story. And in so doing, they’re carving away a large percentage of their potential market. This further demonstrates a disconnect between what the entertainment industry wants to produce and what family audiences want to consume.
Now that the series has been cancelled, due to low ratings, the PTC is claiming victory. From the organization’s website:
“The only reason networks cancel a show without burning off the remaining episodes is that there is no advertiser support. The dollars simply aren’t there, and it is more economical for them to air something else entirely – despite the fact that they’ve paid for those unaired episodes. And based on the conversations we’ve had over the past few days with several of the most premiere sponsors in the country – during which we questioned their underwriting such over-the-top graphic violence in Of Kings and Prophets, it was clear that advertiser support for the show was quickly evaporating. While we applaud ABC’s cancellation of the show, we can’t help but wonder why they would choose to air it in the first place,” said Parents Television Council President Tim Winter
What do you think? Do you think that Of Kings and Prophets should have been cancelled? Do you think PTC’s actions had any effect or was this just another case of a show being cancelled becasue not enough people watched?
So it’s all ok if it’s on the pages of the Bible, David’s adultery & murder, Saul slaying an entire nation of people to the last newborn infant but put it on TV & the fascists that falsely call themselves “Christian” will howl & scream for its destruction. Jesus said “go out into all the world preaching the gospel & baptizing disciples in my name”, he didn’t say “go out into all the world & legislate your morality upon those who want nothing to do with either you or me”. Lets start calling for the banning of a few churches,… Read more »
Can we get the rest of the episodes on Hulu?
Also, it’s very hypocritical for a Christian group to call for the cancellation of a Christian show because it depicts stories in the bible that don’t fit with their view. Unfortunately, people do this all the time with the bible, taking the parts they like and ignoring the parts that they don’t.
It’s a shame too, I was really enjoying the show.
No, I do not think the show should have cancelled. I am a Christian and was enjoying the theatrical dramatization of the Old Testament book. The Old Testament is full of violence, sex, and immoral behaviour; oft times by committed those favored by God. The PTC say they want stories from the Bible on television. Well, apparently the stories they want don’t actually follow the Old Testament. The stories they want would be sanitized of all the “sin” that the people in the Old Testament committed and used by the writers of the Old Testament to tell God’s story. The… Read more »
I LOVED this show! I am beyond sad that ABC chose to cancel this show!
I really enjoyed this show. Why is the PTC allowed to dictate to networks what shows to put on and to refuse? ABC is an entertainment network and this show is entertainment. If the PTC believes that everything depicted on TV is real and true, they need their heads examined. Most shows about the Bible take liberties with their stories. This one is not different. Please bring it back. From the comments posted here, I think the majority of people want it back.
My husband and I also changed our plans tonight to make sure we were home in time to watch the third episode. Just so you know, ABC, I switched to a different channel. Can’t take any more Shark tank. I am so disappointed.
First of all, there was a statement printed on the screen at the beginning of both aired episodes saying that the content was for adult viewing. Second, the program was aired at 10:00pm, so why are children still up on a school night? Third, have these people ever read the bible? You think Saul is violent, just wait until you see what David does when he is king. Hope they aren’t reading the bible to their children for bed time stories.
How much longer will a tiny minority of religious wackos overreact and get a really interesting show cancelled that the majority of the audience enjoyed because of their belief that it is too edgy, it’s on network TV, how edgy can it be! I think that the people at the PTC should stick to the Republican debates where they are comfortable, and leave television to those of us who know that the earth is NOT 6,000 years old; and the “Flintstones” is not a documentary!
The PTC is not a religious group, they are atheists. But that’s not the point with shows like Scandal and Greys Anatomy on with their scenes. They’re on at a time when children are supposed to be unable to view. So let adults decide whether or not they choose to view the show too.
There are far worst programs that are absolutely vile, and disgusting. Why isnt the PTC going after those other programs? It’s just people who hate God, and don’t want anyone to know him.
I was finally getting to watch something that was not a game show, a sitcom, or reality tv. I cannot believe that it got cancelled. It was airing at a suitable time when children we’re in bed and adults had a choice of watching it or watching Nick at Nite. I really hope Netflix picks it up so I can continue watching it. ABC I’m so disappointed in you, we both know that after just two episodes the word was barely starting to spread about ‘Of Kings and Prophets’. Shame on you and PTC.
I’m writing because I’m sick of groups of people who are not forced to watch these programs haveing Alot to say. No one is forcing you to sit in front of the TV and watch a program its free will. I enjoyed the show its better then some of the sitcoms that insult your intelligence. I’m glad there is the prime channels to watch that are for now allowed to show life as it is. Grow up people if you don’t like something turn to another channel.
I was initially skeptical that it would be ‘hollywood-ized’ & biblically inaccurate. Much to my pleasant surprise, the series was very accurate, well presented, & showed very limited sex/violence only when it was important to the story. I am very sad it was cancelled. I am also not an idiot – the real reason gor cancelled is because the subject was God and it taught about the biblical characters/stories and gee, neither of those are politically correct these days, are they? As far as sex & violence, you see more ‘sex’ in a 30 second commercial & 30 minute sitcom… Read more »
I am ticked off. I hope History Channel or Netflix picks it up. It’s better on cable or a streaming service anyway. Screw ABC. The better programming isn’t on regular old channels anyway. Have you seen “Vikings” on History Channel? That’s where this show belongs anyway.
Definitely! I’d love to see this on history channel. It would fit beautifully next to vikings, my second favorite show!
What will the pc people do next…rewrite the entire Bible so there’s a more “sanitized” version? Conservatives are already trying to rewrite the history books…so maybe that’s not so far off the mark.
This was a very brutal, savage, and barbaric period in history. And yes, sex was a big part of it, too, along with slavery, etc. I cannot abide the political correctness of people these days. It just borders on the ridiculous.
If people read the old testiment they would realize that it is violent, there is promiscuity, but there is an underlying message. A message of hope, forgiveness, and salvation. Its a shame that a show like lucifer is still on tv, where the name itself is associated with anything but hope, forgiveness, and salvation.