I’m hooked on NBC’s “Kings” just from the premier, so I’ve been searching around for new and interesting tidbits about the show and its future–especially on the religion front. So if you’re loving the show like me, don’t miss this interview from Busted Halo, where Michael Green, the creator of the show, discusses how he’s “brought a modern aesthetic to the Old Testament story of King David.”
Here’s an excerpt where Green responds about his hopes for this retelling of this particular Old Testament story:
“I just hope [viewers] enjoy the storytelling and the characters and their interactions…I think one of the reasons everyone has a natural curiosity about the story of King David is because it is familiar, even if you’re not familiar with it. It’s just so much a part of our cultural DNA — so many of the Old Testament stories, but specifically the hero’s journey associated with David — that I think they’ll find it compelling. Everyone at least knows David and Goliath. They might not know what comes after, but to my mind, that’s where it gets interesting.”
Beliefnet
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posted March 16, 2009 at 9:08 pm
Wow – hot damn fantastic – hooked from Day One.
Now watch them cancel it after 3 episodes.:(
posted March 18, 2009 at 11:09 am
I also thought the show was good expect for one big problem. The character of Jack (patterned after the biblical character of Jonathan) is totally wrong. This really messes up the show for me because I find Jonathan in the Bible story to be a wonderful person. His example of love and friendship toward David is one of the things that makes this story so unique. Nowhere else in scripture is there a better example of a bond of love between two men than here. It always impressed me and now I know it to be possible to achieve as I have that kind of friendship in my life. So many have looked at that story and said “those two were gay” but I know that it doesn’t necessarily mean that from my own experience. In the TV show the other night, they clearly showed Jack as the villain. They also pointed out that he prefers boys. But the main thing I noticed was that he viewed David with jealousy rather than immediate friendship like in scripture. Only Saul was jealous of David’s popularity with the people. Sure, David falls for Jonathan’s sister and marries her, but they spend more time showing the love between him and Jonathan. Jonathan’s soul was knit to David’s and he gave him all his armor and made a covenant with him. (I totally understand the covenant and have done this myself) We all know that David loved women and had a few wives, and he ended up raising Jonathan’s son. But I will never forget the relationship that he had with Jonathan. It seems obvious that they have decided not to play that out in this version. Of course, they don’t have to. They can tell any story they want. But since they have made it a point to say how this is based on the biblical account (though modern), then it seems that they should have stuck to that story. They probably thought that if they say it was based on David and Goliath, then they would get the Christian viewers.
posted March 23, 2009 at 12:58 pm
I wouldn’t be so quick to dismiss Jonathan’s character as unBiblical. It looks to be still developing this friendship and I am not expecting NBC to do a literal interpretation of the Bible. However, I agree Jonathan’s character is one of the most compelling in the Bible and I hope they follow it closely. Why because Jonathan is caught between his crazy, manipulative dad and innocent David and has to constantly juggle the two. I for once can’t wait for Sunday nights now!