NBC Pulls 'Kings' from Sunday Lineup
NBC is pulling Bible-inspired TV series "Kings" from its Sunday time slot and moving it to Saturday due to the low ratings of the first four episodes.
Created by Michael Green ("Heroes," "Everwood"), "Kings" is a modern day retelling of the biblical story of King David, the second king of the united Kingdom of Israel whose life, Green said, provided enough material to shape at least several seasons.
But it might only get one, judging from NBC's latest move.
Though NBC executives had hoped "Kings" would help the network step back into the prime-time arena as a major player after it went from a ratings ruler to the lowest-rated TV network, the series' less-than-impressive performance didn't do the trick.
According to Nielsen Media Research data, "Kings" is averaging a mere 5.28 million viewers, with a 1.5 rating/4 share among adults 18-49.
Furthermore, "Celebrity Apprentice," which runs after "Kings" has lost viewers because of its weak "Kings" lead-in, according to Reuters.
So starting April 18, "Kings" will air Saturdays at 8 p.m. while a second hour of "Dateline" will run Sundays at 8 p.m.
Though the chances of a second season of "Kings" are not looking too good right now, NBC said it does plan to air the eight remaining episodes of "Kings."
The series stars Chris Egan ("Eragon") as David Shepherd, Ian McShane ("Deadwood") as King Silas, Susanna Thompson ("Once and Again") as Queen Rose Benjamin, and Allison Miller ("Lucy's Piano") as Silas' daughter and David's love interest.