Only a few months ago I was blogging about some of my random thoughts on the NBC show Kings. Since that time, NBC has played all of the remaining episodes that it was holding and has officially canceled the show. This was confirmed in a statement from the creator of the show which was posted online last week.
What bothers me the most about the cancellation of Kings is that it appears NBC is taking the easy way out of a show that could have really had some legs to it. NBC owns the USA Network, Bravo, SyFy, some Spanish channels, and any other number of channels that could have successfully aired this show. If any of you are Kings fans out there, would you have had a problem watching this show on SyFy or USA Network or Bravo? I think not.
In any event, when the DVD set is released on September 29, 2009, you can bet that I’ll be purchasing it. Although I was a little freaked out by the fact that there were too many “perfect” people on the show (not enough “regular” folks), I really did enjoy watching Kings and I believe that NBC could have found another platform on which to display this asset. If you’ve already clicked over and read the note from the creator of the show, then you can skip ahead. However, if you haven’t yet read that note, let me share a portion of it that I found very interesting:
— Some have speculated that the cost of the show was prohibitive. While it is true that the episode budget was high for a first season show, that number was reduced by the outstanding aggregate 30% tax benefit New York provided (which we all hope will remain in effect), thus bringing the cost down to rates comparable to other prime time dramas. And, of course, plans were already made to bring the costs down to whatever number the studio required of us in the future.
Isn’t that something? Kings was allowed to film in New York City and they even were given a 30% tax benefit for doing so. Sounds like some pretty good economic conditions if you ask me! Another piece of the note that I found interesting:
Your interest in show here is, to me, evidence enough of this. (As an interesting aside, Kings was #1 on iTunes on the day we were cancelled.)
How about that? On the day that NBC tossed this show, Kings was the top downloaded show on iTunes. That’s great! And yet…NBC cancels the show.
It would be great if Kings achieved the type of post-cancellation success that Family Guy or Futurama have both achieved (did you hear that Futurama was uncanceled a week or so ago?). That’s what I’m hoping for at least.
What I don’t understand is they knew all along that the show was struggling and will probably be canceled and yet they still decided to end it as if they were coming back. They should have at least finished the show; have some sort of a conclusion.
Kings was a breath of fresh air. I finally felt like I had found a show I could get excited about seeing each week, only to have it cancelled before it even finished. Shame on you NBC, way to let your viewers down.
@ Jared: I agree. I heard that the DVD will have some type of deleted scenes where you can seen even more “intriguing” shots of what the writers had planned for the next season.
@ Beth Anne: Kings definitely was a breath of fresh air in a television line-up that, in my opinion, is boring and stale. And I was in the same position that you are, Beth Anne – King was one of the few shows that I actually gave a damn about watching each week (albeit from my DVR, which shouldn’t matter to NBC).
I just got the news of the cancellation…I AM BOMBED!!! My wife and I DVR the show on Sunday because of church obligations but would not go to bed until we watched the entire episode. We loved the Saturday move and were hoping against hope they would not cancel. I taped all of the show and watch them at least once a week. I HAVE NEVER BEEN HOOKED ON A TV SHOW LIKE THIS BEFORE!!! I may have to drop Law and Order to show my displeasure with this decision.
This show was fantastic . They have made a huge mistake in canceling it. Hopefully the syfy channel or even ABC will pick it up . NBC missed the mark here.
KINGS Canceled I am a christan and its few show that incorporated God in a healthy manner! Kings was a show for everyone now NBC can turn it’s chime in and say SCREWED!
This show was great. Even if you’re not really into the religious aspect, it still had a great story line. I hope another network picks it up; I’d like to see how things turn-out!
Great show. I think we should send a letter/email to NBC or all other networks. Send a picture of KINGS FLAG and type SAVE KINGS. If we all do this “together mountains can move”. Let’s all spread the swarm of butterflies.
http://savekings.org/
http://www.petitionspot.com/petitions/nbcsavekings
and join “SAVE KINGS” on facebook, twitter ect.