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HalfMooner
Dingaling
Philippines
15831 Posts |
 Posted - 03/18/2009 : 21:56:08
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In what I suspect might be the really big TV event of the new season, NBC is running "Kings," a drama about the kingdom of Gilboa, a fictitious country oddly similar to the modern US.
I missed "Goliath," the 2-hour premier, which was apparently on March 15, 2009. If anyone cares to post a brief (or long) personal review, put it here, please. I'd love to read it.
The lead role of absolute monarch King Silas Benjamin will be played by Ian McShane, who made my skin crawl (and that's saying I liked his acting) when he played the scary, profane Al Swearengen on the HBO Western series, "Deadwood."
What I find most interesting is that when looking for an evil plot-line for inspiration, the Biblical story od King David fit the bill so well.
There are videos already at Hulu. I'll be watching the first episode for the next two hours, and will probably have my impressions here soon.
(Hat tip to Jon Stewart's interview of Ian McShane.)
Edit: Okay I'm very impressed. Slight spoiler below:
Good actors and fine writing. This series is following the story of King Saul, David (the character David Shepherd played by Chris Egan), and Jonathan (Jack Benjamin, played by Sebastian Stan) with fair accuracy, considering the translation to quasi-modern times. The King's son Jack character is even closet gay like the Biblical Jonathan, though as yet no interest is shown between and Jack and David. There's enough tension and intrigue to go around. In a way, the story plays as sort of an alternate history drama, but is probably better classified as a fantasy.
It's a very strange story. The hovering presence of a real God is strongly implied, and this doesn't bother me as an atheist, as it's used as a fantasy plot device like having the Olympians shown in "Clash of the Titans." There's even a scene in which the King discusses his belief in theistic evolution. Not your normal dialog!
Surprisingly to me, King isn't the primary heavy (thus far) in this drama. I guess I had mentally type-cast Ian McShane as a villain.
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“Biology is just physics that has begun to smell bad.” —HalfMooner
Here's a link to Moonscape News, and one to its Archive. |
Edited by - HalfMooner on 03/19/2009 00:30:41
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"Kings": New NBC series based upon Biblical David
