“It’s not popular to speak of God,” utters Ian McShane’s character, King Silas Benjamin, as he addresses the people of Gilboah in the opening minutes of the premier of “Kings“–a show that, if it’s about anything, it’s about God. Silas goes on to tell the story–told several times in various forms over the two-hour first episode–of how, amid the ashes of a city (now the glittering Shiloh and capitol of Gilboah), he stood, looking out over the wreckage, and monarch butterflies came around him from above and settled onto his head like a crown. This was God choosing him to rebuild the city and rule it as its monarch. Viewers meet King Silas at his proudest moment, when Shiloh (which resembles Manhattan but with a few funkier buildings thrown in) is at his feet, and the bitter war they’ve waged with a place called Gath, is almost won. People everywhere are hopeful, excited, and Silas rules with divine right.
From the very first moments of the premier I knew I was going to love this show: it’s epic and follows the Biblical storyline (more or less) of Saul and David–beginning with the David vs. Goliath matchup, and a young, beautiful boy named David Benjamin (Chris Egan), who faces down “Goliath”–a military tank of the enemy in this case–and ends up saving the King’s son from certain death. This wins favor with King Silas (to say the least), and Silas wants to reward the boy with anything, anything, and here we come to my favorite part: sweet David falls in love with the King’s daughter, the princess.

Michael Green (of “Heroes”) has written a story filled with drama and political intrigue, that turns on questions about faith, divine right, and religion, and manages to have romantic threads woven throughout. There is something to like for everyone. The two hour premier runs Sunday, March 15th at 8 p.m. Not to be missed!