On July 25, the final episode of the NBC series Kings aired. And most people didnt notice.

Although the majority of its run occurred during the summer, the show was actually canceled months before. Its run during the summer was just the network burning off episodes already paid for, just to fill holes in the schedule.

But why was this show canceled? Yes, I know the simple answer is because of ratings. The shows finale only had 1.8 million viewers, and a 0.4 rating/8 share in the highly coveted 18 to 49 demographic popular with advertisers. Its clear no one but the devoted were watching. But why?

NBC may have given us a big part of the answer themselves. During the NBC panel at the Television Critics Association summer meeting, the NBC executive in charge of scripted programming, Angela Bromstad, had this to say about Kings:

"You have to sell something, and people want to know what something is about. That was a very complex idea. ... We thought it was just a little too highbrow and a little bit too difficult to sell in a 30-second spot. It doesn't mean that we're not looking for big ideas, but they have to be big ideas that the audience sort of can grab onto and be a little bit more relatable."

I have to agree with them. Some may think they are calling the NBC viewing audience stupid. I would prefer to say less sophisticated. "Kings" was a difficult show for the average viewer to get his or her head around.

It looks like America, but its not. It is set in the kingdom of Gilboa, who at the start of the series is at war with its neighbor Gath. Gilboa is a kingdom, rules absolutely by its king. Theres no constitutional monarchy here. Its an old school, Old Testament monarchy. Which is fitting since its a retelling of the Old Testament story of David.

NBC appeared to shy away from any mention of the Old Testament, or anything of a religious nature when advertising the series. They actually didnt seem to know how to describe the series at all. So what they did say in ads failed to attract an audience.

This was a show that deserved to live. It was smart, with excellent performances and it looked amazing. They spent a lot of money on this show, which is another reason shows die.

If a show is expensive, it needs higher ratings to justify its continued existence. I think the show was doomed when the second episode aired and ratings went down instead of up. The numbers werent there to justify the cost.

It was a smart, intelligent drama, and that type of show doesnt seem to flourish on broadcast television anymore. The intelligent drama has moved to cable or pay television. But unless you are on pay television such as HBO or Showtime, you dont get the kind of money this series needed.

"Kings" was a fun ride, and I enjoyed it from beginning to end. And I wish I was looking forward to the second season. But at least with this show, I can crack open the Old Testament and extrapolate the next phase of the life of King David into this shows mythology.