Of Kings and Prophets
By Melissa Camacho,
Common Sense Media Reviewer
Common Sense Media Reviewers
Soapy Bible story drama is racy, over-the-top violent.
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Of Kings and Prophets
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What's the Story?
OF KINGS AND PROPHETS is a dramatic series based on the Books of Samuel, the biblical First Testament stories about King Saul, the first anointed King of the Israelites, and David, the future king of Israel and Judah. It's 1,000 years before Christ, and Saul (Ray Winstone) is defending the fledgling nation against the violent Philistines with his sons Jonathan (Haaz Sleiman) and Ishbaal (James Floyd) beside him. In an attempt to unite the 12 tribes of Israel and defend his people, Saul and his wife Ahinoam (Somine Kessel) have arranged a marital alliance between his daughter Merav (Jeanine Mason) to a man from the tribe of Judah, much to the excitement of her younger sister Michal (Maisie Richardson-Sellers). But a message from Elohim (God), delivered by the seemingly resentful Prophet Samuel (Mohammad Bakri), sends Saul into battle to destroy the Amalekites to test his faith. Meanwhile, a young and sometimes foolhardy shepherd from Bethlehem named David (Olly Rix) seeks to avoid being flogged and having his father's debts forgiven by using a sling shot to kill the lion that is attacking the local sheep. Their worlds soon collide, and Saul soon realizes that David poses a bigger threat to his rule than any of his enemies.
Is It Any Good?
The series relies on the biblical stories drawn from ancient religious texts and uses lots of show biz style to create a melodramatic chronicle of one of the most significant periods in Jewish history. Fueling the drama is its suggestion of espionage, personal vendettas, and other events, as well as savage violence. The sexual exploits featured throughout also give it a soap opera-like quality and sometimes push the boundaries of network television.
It's meant to be more entertaining than accurate and isn't driven by the spiritual lessons. You don't need much (if any) knowledge of the Bible to follow the sequence of events, but folks familiar with the story of David and Goliath and related narratives will have an easier time with it. Nonetheless, chances are that faith-driven viewers will cringe at, if not be offended by, this televised interpretation.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about the adaptation of stories from the Bible and other religious-themed texts for TV and movies. What are some of the more famous TV and film adaptations to date? What makes them interesting? How can these stories be interpreted without being disrespectful to those communities who consider them sacred?
Compare the stories told in this series to their actual Bible counterparts. Why do you think they made the changes they did?
TV Details
- Premiere date: March 8, 2016
- Cast: Ray Winstone , Olly Rix , Mohammad Bakri
- Network: ABC
- Genre: Drama
- TV rating: TV-14
- Last updated: October 14, 2022
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