The Keys to NBC’s Kingdom

Well, actually, NBC doesn’t have much of a Kingdom anymore, so to speak. They’re more like a war-torn Kandahar. Come to think of it, I don’t even think they have a serviceable drama on-air. Heroes has turned into a walking punch-line (two of the top stars are looking to break their contracts), ER is done this year, Night Rider got a full season pick up (?!?!) and next year, the Monday through Thursday 10 PM block is going to be usurped by Jay Leno. Could this be the end of an era? It certainly looks like a possibility, especially with the quality dramas shifting more and more to pay and cable channels (Mad Men, Damages, and Breaking Bad, just to name a few).

I’ve recently come across a number of viral marketing posters for a new NBC show called Kings, and they’ve intrigued me enough to do some digging (the posters described a new government, complete with a butterfly logo, which I assume symbolizes said country). After some digging, I’m cautiously optimistic. The pilot to Kings is directed by Francis Lawrence (I Am Legend), a technically adequate filmmaker, who has a knack for directing Manhattan (which is a good thing, since it’s where the show is filmed). The stellar Ian McShane (who played the fabulously foul-mouthed Al Swearengen on HBO’s Deadwood) plays Silas, the king of a world not dissimilar to our own, but with some rather large tweaks. Shiloh (a city, which, from the previews, looks an awful lot like Manhattan), has been at war with a rival nation for years, and when the King’s son is rescued by David Sheppard (Christopher Egan), the David-and-Goliath tale begins. I’ve also read that Bryan Cox has been cast (for a four episode arc, as the rival country’s king), as well as Macaulay Culkin, so the show looks to be shaping up quite nicely. This sort of alternate timeline type story can contain a wealth of potential, and while doing my research I found myself thinking back to when I heard about LOST’s high concept before its initial airing (and look how well that turned out).

At least it’s a risk; something, that lately, NBC has taken very few of. I know serialized dramas are a tough sell, but I hope, in the end, that the gamble pays off.