Kings on NBC

RainMaker · 03-17-2009, 09:47 PM

Did anyone catch the two hour premier on Sunday? Looked kind of interesting and wondering if I should delve into my DVD and watch this tonight.

DaddyTorgo · 03-17-2009, 09:57 PM

I saw it on Sunday. I thought it was interesting I guess. I was only paying like 50% attention but it seemed to have an interesting premise, although we'll have to see what they do with it.

lordscarlet · 03-17-2009, 10:20 PM

It has a ton of potential and did a great job of setting itself up. Having said that, they'll have to pick up their game for it to really work.

Thomkal · 03-18-2009, 06:15 AM

I will echo the thoughts of the other commenters. Has some potential, but will need to do more to gain my interest.

JonInMiddleGA · 03-18-2009, 06:21 AM

I don't recommend getting too attached to it ...
Media Life Magazine - Royal pain: NBC's new 'Kings' topples

NBC’s new drama “Kings” looks like a royal flop.

The premiere of the new series, airing from 8 to 10 p.m. last night, managed just a 1.6 adults 18-49 rating, according to Nielsen overnights, a very distant fourth in its timeslot and barely beating Univision in its final half hour.

“Kings” averaged a 1.6 in its first hour and a 1.7 in its second, and it managed 6 million total viewers for the entire program.

The show, a modern retelling of David and Goliath, received mixed reviews from TV critics, and it had no lead-in to speak of. “Dateline” at 7 p.m. averaged a mere 1.1 18-49 rating.

It marked the second less-than-stellar series debut this week for NBC, whose premiere of reality show “The Chopping Block” managed just a 1.4 on Wednesday.

DaddyTorgo · 03-18-2009, 07:29 AM

Be nice if NBC wouldn't fuck-over their new shows by giving them no lead-in. Why are you putting this show on a Sunday night after Dateline? Really? Who's sitting there watching TV and watching Dateline? Not really your audience for this show.

Put it in ER's timeslot on a Thursday and give ER one week off before the end or wait till ER is done in a month.

As for Chopping Block - that's a shame. Marco Pierre White is quite the character and I like seeing him on it. At least I can content myself with watching "Last Restaurant Standing" on BBC-America (essentially the same premise but with Raymond Blanc as the chef and each of the sets of partners are given their own individual restaurant to run).

muns · 03-18-2009, 08:57 AM

I enjoyed it. I want to see where it goes from here. I agree with the others that it has potential, but from the post from Jon it seems it wont get a chance to reach it.

ISiddiqui · 03-18-2009, 09:06 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by RainMaker

Did anyone catch the two hour premier on Sunday? Looked kind of interesting and wondering if I should delve into my DVD and watch this tonight.

Yeah, go ahead. It has potential. Some obvious parallels to the David story in the Bible and Ian McShane is a badass.

spleen1015 · 03-18-2009, 09:42 AM

I thought it was good enough to keep watching.

RainMaker · 04-05-2009, 07:08 PM

I caught up to this on my DVR and have to say it's a really good show. Love the Biblical references and agree that Ian McShane is phenomenal. It's a far too intelligent show to make it on the air these days, but will enjoy the 13 or so episodes we get.

ISiddiqui · 04-05-2009, 08:26 PM

Yeah, it end long before all the intrigue is resolved, but they are building quite a web and peppering it with great biblical stuff (and who else to play the king in such a story than McShane). The final twist of tonight's episode was just great.

RainMaker · 04-06-2009, 12:03 AM

I'm a big fan of epic style movies and this really builds itself on that style. It's well written and I'm really digging the production of the show. The concept is real interesting and it's a shame that this show couldn't have been picked up by an HBO instead of NBC. It'll be canned for Biggest Loser Twins Edition or something else for the mouth breathers watching network TV these days. Just hope they are able to wrap things up in the 13 episodes they have.

JonInMiddleGA · 04-06-2009, 12:07 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by RainMaker

I'm a big fan of epic style movies and this really builds itself on that style. It's well written and I'm really digging the production of the show. The concept is real interesting and it's a shame that this show couldn't have been picked up by an HBO instead of NBC. It'll be canned for Biggest Loser Twins Edition or something else for the mouth breathers watching network TV these days. Just hope they are able to wrap things up in the 13 episodes they have.

Then again, those folks are the only reason network TV is still remotely viable. Without 'em, it'd be toast.

RainMaker · 04-06-2009, 12:11 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by JonInMiddleGA

Then again, those folks are the only reason network TV is still remotely viable. Without 'em, it'd be toast.

It's kind of a weird dynamic in TV. Networks are just not the place for good shows anymore due to the fact they have to play to such a wide audience. If you think of the top shows in the last 5 years, very few of them were network TV ones. Even the great ones on network TV like Friday Night Lights needs unique deals to stay on the air.

DaddyTorgo · 04-06-2009, 12:12 AM

network tv is monkeyshit these days for the most part (with the exception of cbs monday sitcoms). it's depressing

JonInMiddleGA · 04-06-2009, 12:20 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by DaddyTorgo

network tv is monkeyshit these days for the most part (with the exception of cbs monday sitcoms). it's depressing

And I wouldn't give you fifty cents for the unfunny crap of those sitcoms, so it's probably a lot of the eye of the beholder.{shrug} Does much to explain why I've watched ESPN, ESPN2, and History so far tonight I guess.

DaddyTorgo · 04-06-2009, 12:36 AM

fair enough jon. to each their own, which i suppose is why all the stuff exists.

my point was more from a creativity-standpoint, an artistic standpoint. it's just depressing to me as a creative personality that the creativity required to write even an unfunny sitcom or weak drama has been replaced by the "reality tv trend" because it's cheaper for the networks essentially.

i don't tend to watch much network tv either really.

JonInMiddleGA · 04-06-2009, 12:48 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by DaddyTorgo

it's just depressing to me as a creative personality that the creativity required to write even an unfunny sitcom or weak drama has been replaced by the "reality tv trend" because it's cheaper for the networks essentially.

But not just because it's cheaper, but because those shows can produce better ratings than unfunny sitcoms and/or weak dramas. And ultimately because of the ratio between cost & ratings that leads to profitability.

But it's increasingly difficult to lambast the broadcast networks for that situation, cable has it's fair share. The number of reality shows that are doing well is astonishing (I should know, my wife seems to watch about half of them). Even Ghost Hunters cracked the top 15 (or 20, can't remember off hand) in the past couple of weeks. And the most watched shows on cable, other than pro wrestling, are cartoons including reruns.

There are some exceptions, Burn Notice and the soon to return In Plain Sight come to mind, but by & large the same trends are being shared by broadcast & cable more and more.

On those reality shows, I've both given my wife some grief and had reasonable real discussions about stuff like Real Housewives lately.
Sounds odd maybe, but in my business it helps if I can at least have some notion of why people would actually watch this stuff and it's one that really mystifies me.

To me, it would be incredibly depressing, watching what amounts to the idle rich while I'm figuring out how to make the next mortgage payment. Her take is completely opposite that, she watches because she likes to see the shoes, the clothes, the kitchens, etc. with all of the catty drama being really secondary in appeal. That struck me kind of interesting because it was part of the formula that helped make shows like Dynasty a hit back in the day, which is something that network TV really can't afford to do like they used to. It's more cost efficient to use the real people & the real thing than to pay to recreate it I guess, which makes an odd sort of sense.

Meanwhile my 10 y/o son will watch Real Housewives occasionally because (I think) there's some comfort in realizing that his parents aren't the only oddball f'ed up people in the world.

RainMaker · 04-06-2009, 01:05 AM

I just don't get the reality shows because nowadays, they aren't real. Most seem very scripted with people playing to the cameras. I guess I never saw the lore of it. Thought the original Real World was interesting for that first season, but that was it.

lordscarlet · 04-06-2009, 08:31 AM

It's unfortunate that the biblical references are completely lost on me.

JonInMiddleGA · 04-06-2009, 11:35 PM

If you think the ratings started out bad ... ouch !
Media Life Magazine - Big bump for Country Music Awards

At 8, CBS took over the lead with a 3.3 for the first hour of the “Academy of Country Music Awards,” followed by Fox with a 2.9 for a new episode of “The Simpsons” (3.1) and a repeat of “Family Guy” (2.8), ABC with a 2.2 for a repeat of “Extreme Makeover: Home Edition,” NBC with a 1.1 for a new episode of “Kings,” Univision with a 1.1 for the first hour of “Nuestra Belleza Latina” and CW with a 0.4 for the movie “Rocky III.”

At 9, CBS held onto its lead with a 4.1 for the second hour of its awards show. Fox was second with a 2.9 for repeats of “Family Guy” (3.1) and “The Simpsons” (2.7), followed by NBC with a 2.4 for the first half of a new “Celebrity Apprentice.” ABC was fourth with a 1.7 for a “Desperate Housewives” repeat, Univision fifth with a 1.3 for the second hour of “ Latina” and CW sixth with a 0.5 for the second half of “Rocky.”

At 10, CBS finished the night with a 4.1 for the final hour of the “Country Music Awards,” followed by NBC with a 3.1 for the second half of “Apprentice.” ABC and Univision tied at third with a 1.0 for a “Brothers & Sisters” repeat and a special edition of “Quien Tiene la Razon,” respectively.

Lost to repeats on two networks and then followed up with the next show doubling the lead-in you provided. This ratings turkey may not even get a full run of it's episodes at this rate.

RainMaker · 04-07-2009, 12:04 AM

Yeah it'll either get shelved or moved to Saturday Nights is my guess.

stevew · 04-07-2009, 01:43 AM

At some point, are we going to get like maybe one 2 hour block of sitcoms, and 2-3 hour long dramas per week? Sure looks like it's headed that way, anyways. I can't see how it makes sense to program almost any original shows, when you can have one legged people have burlap sack races and score roughly the same ratings.

Seems like they could take a show like the Office, and shoot 50 episodes per season and it'd be worth paying the money to do so.

DaddyTorgo · 04-07-2009, 07:30 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by stevew

At some point, are we going to get like maybe one 2 hour block of sitcoms, and 2-3 hour long dramas per week? Sure looks like it's headed that way, anyways. I can't see how it makes sense to program almost any original shows, when you can have one legged people have burlap sack races and score roughly the same ratings.

Seems like they could take a show like the Office, and shoot 50 episodes per season and it'd be worth paying the money to do so.

this is my fear too

RainMaker · 04-07-2009, 07:40 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by stevew

At some point, are we going to get like maybe one 2 hour block of sitcoms, and 2-3 hour long dramas per week? Sure looks like it's headed that way, anyways. I can't see how it makes sense to program almost any original shows, when you can have one legged people have burlap sack races and score roughly the same ratings.

Seems like they could take a show like the Office, and shoot 50 episodes per season and it'd be worth paying the money to do so.

Perhaps on network TV, but I think cable is picking up the slack. They don't need the huge audience that network does and thus can focus on getting a couple million die hard fans. Their budgets are smaller though so you don't get the same kind of production.

I keep waiting for the reality craze to die but I don't think it will. The other night I was at my friends and he was watching that Dancing with the Stars show. I asked him how he could watch such stupid programming and his answer probably summed up the problem. That kind of programming doesn't require you to invest much time or thought in it. If you miss an episode or turn it on late, it doesn't matter. Shows like Lost require you to keep up, to focus on the entire hour. If you don't catch the initial season or two, you're basically never going to watch the show. With these reality shows, you have a fresh start every season.

JonInMiddleGA · 04-07-2009, 07:56 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by RainMaker

If you don't catch the initial season or two, you're basically never going to watch the show.

Bingo.

Explains why I followed BSG basically through skimming the threads here instead of futilely trying to watch it. It wasn't going to happen regularly, I knew that, I was already two years (?) behind, so I was free to catch a half an episode here or there out of sequence just enough to put faces to the names & what have you.

I've seen every L&O ever made ... except the ones from the current season. Same with all the CSI episodes. Sooner or later I catch up with them in reruns, syndication, or reruns of syndication but the odds of catching first run are virtually non-existent to me. And the Tivo/DVR suggestion wouldn't help matters any, hell, I've got probably two dozen DVD's that I've bought over the years that still have the shrink wrap on them.
Trying to plan time to watch stuff simply doesn't work for me, I'd just end up recording over them & I'd be in the same boat I'm in now so what's the point?

lordscarlet · 04-07-2009, 12:12 PM

My only argument would be that planning 20 or 40 mins to watch a show is very different from 2 hours to watch a movie on DVD.

JonInMiddleGA · 04-07-2009, 12:18 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by lordscarlet

My only argument would be that planning 20 or 40 mins to watch a show is very different from 2 hours to watch a movie on DVD.

I've got about as much chance of getting/finding/being willing to use time for one as the other it seems.

ISiddiqui · 04-07-2009, 01:48 PM

Oh crap... seems the party is over (not unexpected).

Twitter / Michael Ausiello: Another good show bites th ...

RainMaker · 04-07-2009, 01:59 PM

At least we get the last 8 episodes they made. Hopefully they have a way to wrap it up at the end.

03-17-2009, 10:20 PM	#3
lordscarlet Pro Starter Join Date: Oct 2005 Location: Washington, DC	It has a ton of potential and did a great job of setting itself up. Having said that, they'll have to pick up their game for it to really work. __________________ Sixteen Colors ANSI/ASCII Art Archive "...the better half of the Moores..." -cthomer5000

03-18-2009, 06:15 AM	#4
Thomkal Head Coach Join Date: Oct 2000 Location: Surfside Beach,SC USA	I will echo the thoughts of the other commenters. Has some potential, but will need to do more to gain my interest. Last edited by Thomkal : 03-18-2009 at 06:16 AM.

03-18-2009, 06:21 AM	#5
JonInMiddleGA Hall Of Famer Join Date: Nov 2000 Location: Behind Enemy Lines in Athens, GA	I don't recommend getting too attached to it ... Media Life Magazine - Royal pain: NBC's new 'Kings' topples NBC’s new drama “Kings” looks like a royal flop. The premiere of the new series, airing from 8 to 10 p.m. last night, managed just a 1.6 adults 18-49 rating, according to Nielsen overnights, a very distant fourth in its timeslot and barely beating Univision in its final half hour. “Kings” averaged a 1.6 in its first hour and a 1.7 in its second, and it managed 6 million total viewers for the entire program. The show, a modern retelling of David and Goliath, received mixed reviews from TV critics, and it had no lead-in to speak of. “Dateline” at 7 p.m. averaged a mere 1.1 18-49 rating. It marked the second less-than-stellar series debut this week for NBC, whose premiere of reality show “The Chopping Block” managed just a 1.4 on Wednesday. __________________ "I lit another cigarette. Unless I specifically inform you to the contrary, I am always lighting another cigarette." - from a novel by Martin Amis

03-18-2009, 08:57 AM	#7
muns Pro Starter Join Date: Apr 2002 Location: Baltimore MD	I enjoyed it. I want to see where it goes from here. I agree with the others that it has potential, but from the post from Jon it seems it wont get a chance to reach it. Last edited by muns : 03-18-2009 at 08:57 AM.

04-05-2009, 08:26 PM	#11
ISiddiqui Hall Of Famer Join Date: Jan 2001 Location: Decatur, GA	Yeah, it end long before all the intrigue is resolved, but they are building quite a web and peppering it with great biblical stuff (and who else to play the king in such a story than McShane). The final twist of tonight's episode was just great. __________________ "A prayer for the wild at heart, kept in cages" -Tennessee Williams

03-17-2009, 09:57 PM	#2
DaddyTorgo Hall Of Famer Join Date: Oct 2002 Location: Massachusetts	I saw it on Sunday. I thought it was interesting I guess. I was only paying like 50% attention but it seemed to have an interesting premise, although we'll have to see what they do with it.

03-18-2009, 07:29 AM	#6
DaddyTorgo Hall Of Famer Join Date: Oct 2002 Location: Massachusetts	Be nice if NBC wouldn't fuck-over their new shows by giving them no lead-in. Why are you putting this show on a Sunday night after Dateline? Really? Who's sitting there watching TV and watching Dateline? Not really your audience for this show. Put it in ER's timeslot on a Thursday and give ER one week off before the end or wait till ER is done in a month. As for Chopping Block - that's a shame. Marco Pierre White is quite the character and I like seeing him on it. At least I can content myself with watching "Last Restaurant Standing" on BBC-America (essentially the same premise but with Raymond Blanc as the chef and each of the sets of partners are given their own individual restaurant to run).

03-18-2009, 09:42 AM	#9
spleen1015 Coordinator Join Date: Sep 2003	I thought it was good enough to keep watching.

04-05-2009, 07:08 PM	#10
RainMaker General Manager Join Date: Jun 2006 Location: Chicago, IL	I caught up to this on my DVR and have to say it's a really good show. Love the Biblical references and agree that Ian McShane is phenomenal. It's a far too intelligent show to make it on the air these days, but will enjoy the 13 or so episodes we get.

04-06-2009, 12:03 AM	#12
RainMaker General Manager Join Date: Jun 2006 Location: Chicago, IL	I'm a big fan of epic style movies and this really builds itself on that style. It's well written and I'm really digging the production of the show. The concept is real interesting and it's a shame that this show couldn't have been picked up by an HBO instead of NBC. It'll be canned for Biggest Loser Twins Edition or something else for the mouth breathers watching network TV these days. Just hope they are able to wrap things up in the 13 episodes they have. Last edited by RainMaker : 04-06-2009 at 12:04 AM.

04-06-2009, 12:12 AM	#15
DaddyTorgo Hall Of Famer Join Date: Oct 2002 Location: Massachusetts	network tv is monkeyshit these days for the most part (with the exception of cbs monday sitcoms). it's depressing __________________ If I've ever helped you and you'd like to buy me a coffee, or just to say thanks, I have my Bitcoin and Ethereum addressed listed below :) BTC: bc1qykhsfyn9vw4ntqfgr0svj4n9tjdgufryh2pxn5 ETH: 0x2AcdC5cd88EA537063553F5b240073bE067BaCa9

04-06-2009, 12:36 AM	#17
DaddyTorgo Hall Of Famer Join Date: Oct 2002 Location: Massachusetts	fair enough jon. to each their own, which i suppose is why all the stuff exists. my point was more from a creativity-standpoint, an artistic standpoint. it's just depressing to me as a creative personality that the creativity required to write even an unfunny sitcom or weak drama has been replaced by the "reality tv trend" because it's cheaper for the networks essentially. i don't tend to watch much network tv either really. Last edited by DaddyTorgo : 04-06-2009 at 12:38 AM.

04-06-2009, 01:05 AM	#19
RainMaker General Manager Join Date: Jun 2006 Location: Chicago, IL	I just don't get the reality shows because nowadays, they aren't real. Most seem very scripted with people playing to the cameras. I guess I never saw the lore of it. Thought the original Real World was interesting for that first season, but that was it.

04-06-2009, 08:31 AM	#20
lordscarlet Pro Starter Join Date: Oct 2005 Location: Washington, DC	It's unfortunate that the biblical references are completely lost on me. __________________ Sixteen Colors ANSI/ASCII Art Archive "...the better half of the Moores..." -cthomer5000

04-06-2009, 11:35 PM	#21
JonInMiddleGA Hall Of Famer Join Date: Nov 2000 Location: Behind Enemy Lines in Athens, GA	If you think the ratings started out bad ... ouch ! Media Life Magazine - Big bump for Country Music Awards At 8, CBS took over the lead with a 3.3 for the first hour of the “Academy of Country Music Awards,” followed by Fox with a 2.9 for a new episode of “The Simpsons” (3.1) and a repeat of “Family Guy” (2.8), ABC with a 2.2 for a repeat of “Extreme Makeover: Home Edition,” NBC with a 1.1 for a new episode of “Kings,” Univision with a 1.1 for the first hour of “Nuestra Belleza Latina” and CW with a 0.4 for the movie “Rocky III.” At 9, CBS held onto its lead with a 4.1 for the second hour of its awards show. Fox was second with a 2.9 for repeats of “Family Guy” (3.1) and “The Simpsons” (2.7), followed by NBC with a 2.4 for the first half of a new “Celebrity Apprentice.” ABC was fourth with a 1.7 for a “Desperate Housewives” repeat, Univision fifth with a 1.3 for the second hour of “ Latina” and CW sixth with a 0.5 for the second half of “Rocky.” At 10, CBS finished the night with a 4.1 for the final hour of the “Country Music Awards,” followed by NBC with a 3.1 for the second half of “Apprentice.” ABC and Univision tied at third with a 1.0 for a “Brothers & Sisters” repeat and a special edition of “Quien Tiene la Razon,” respectively. Lost to repeats on two networks and then followed up with the next show doubling the lead-in you provided. This ratings turkey may not even get a full run of it's episodes at this rate. __________________ "I lit another cigarette. Unless I specifically inform you to the contrary, I am always lighting another cigarette." - from a novel by Martin Amis

04-07-2009, 12:04 AM	#22
RainMaker General Manager Join Date: Jun 2006 Location: Chicago, IL	Yeah it'll either get shelved or moved to Saturday Nights is my guess.

04-07-2009, 01:43 AM	#23
stevew Hall Of Famer Join Date: Dec 2003 Location: the yo'	At some point, are we going to get like maybe one 2 hour block of sitcoms, and 2-3 hour long dramas per week? Sure looks like it's headed that way, anyways. I can't see how it makes sense to program almost any original shows, when you can have one legged people have burlap sack races and score roughly the same ratings. Seems like they could take a show like the Office, and shoot 50 episodes per season and it'd be worth paying the money to do so. Last edited by stevew : 04-07-2009 at 01:44 AM.

04-07-2009, 12:12 PM	#27
lordscarlet Pro Starter Join Date: Oct 2005 Location: Washington, DC	My only argument would be that planning 20 or 40 mins to watch a show is very different from 2 hours to watch a movie on DVD. __________________ Sixteen Colors ANSI/ASCII Art Archive "...the better half of the Moores..." -cthomer5000

04-07-2009, 01:48 PM	#29
ISiddiqui Hall Of Famer Join Date: Jan 2001 Location: Decatur, GA	Oh crap... seems the party is over (not unexpected). Twitter / Michael Ausiello: Another good show bites th ... __________________ "A prayer for the wild at heart, kept in cages" -Tennessee Williams

04-07-2009, 01:59 PM	#30
RainMaker General Manager Join Date: Jun 2006 Location: Chicago, IL	At least we get the last 8 episodes they made. Hopefully they have a way to wrap it up at the end.

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