‘Of Kings and Prophets’ Premiere: This Is From the BIBLE?

“Of Kings and Prophets” executive producer and showrunner Chris Brancato reflects on bringing the Books of Samuel to life.

On what drew him to the story:

To me, the interconnectivity of the universe was what’s interesting about this story, and I feel like it’s like, to me also, David versus Goliath … We all know the story. He killed Goliath. Then read the chapter so carefully and do the scholarly reading on it. Jonathan Pearce has a nice book … I just looked at a whole bunch of different sources and found myself going, “Killing Goliath is kind of like number 7 on the list of most interesting things that happens with David.”

Writing about charismatic, complicated characters is what I’m most interested in as a writer, and I actually think … I hope this is true when you see all episodes … I hope the audience in general doesn’t paint it with a black brush because of work that people who aren’t the showrunners did in a previous life.

You use the opportunity when you’re doing network TV. Forgetting all the b.s. about the business and all this stuff, we have a chance to open the story up to people who don’t know it. In other words, this is a wonderful opportunity.

On why these stories still fascinate:

It’s one of the greatest stories. There’s a reason the Bible’s in every hotel and motel in the country. In other words, the book doesn’t survive if the stories aren’t riveting and personal and universal to people.

On the challenge of doing the Old Testament as a series:

When you put the nine episodes together, what you’re going to have is something that is faithful to what gets inspired by reading 1 Samuel. In other words, the aspirational notion of the David story — his few chances to kill Saul and end it all, which he does not take. His confusion over, not only what to do with this anointment that both thrills and terrifies him, but also his lack of understanding and confusion as to why Saul wants to kill him.

We have to, in the show, compress 10 years of him as, essentially, a brigand on the run, into two episodes. Why? Because Saul has to die, and you write to what’s in the contract [with the actor]. In other words, I have deal with the realities of the casting hand I’m dealt. Ray Winstone is wonderful as Saul, but it forces story compression all over the place. I personally think that people of faith who watch the show will understand the care that went into trying to get it right in nine episodes.

What did you guys think about “Of Kings and Prophets”?

Here’s a sneak peek:

Image: Courtesy ABC

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