The Biblical drama based on the Saul and David story tried to imitate HBO's Game of Thrones and ITV's Beowulf in look and story but was a terrible mess right from the beginning for Disney's ABC TV network.
The show, starring several South Africans like Refilwe Modiselle, Danny Keogh, Grant Swanby, Sean Cameron Michael, Vicky Davis, and brimming with South African crew working behind the scenes, was plagued by problems from the onset with ABC demanding reshoots.
Originally planned to start earlier, the TV drama disaster was delayed by multiple months to try and rescue and improve the messy Disney production. Even after the reworking, recasting and reshoots, Of Kings and Prophets was still awful.
Of Kings and Prophets started with dismal ratings in America, even lower than Wicked City that M-Net planned to broadcast and then dumped after it was cancelled in America. The second episode of Of Kings and Prophets saw its viewership in the demo plunge another shocking 37%.
Of Kings and Prophets was picked up for 13 episodes but only 10 were filmed in South Africa after the episode order was cut back - never a good sign. Only two broadcast were broadcast on ABC.
The abrupt end to Of Kings and Prophets filmed in Cape Town and on-location around the Western Cape winelands region, follows the demise of the Syfy channel's Dominion that was also filmed in the same place and axed just a few months ago. It was seen on M-Net Edge (DStv 102).
Starz's Black Sails that's a few seasons behind and seen on History (DStv 186) is also filmed in Cape Town and the winelands region at the Cape Town Film Studios and is an ongoing production.
