LOS ANGELES (March 17, 2016) – The Parents Television Council responded to the news that ABC cancelled “Of Kings and Prophets” after only two episodes aired.
“The only reason networks cancel a show without burning off the remaining episodes is that there is no advertiser support. The dollars simply
aren’t there, and it is more economical for them to air something else entirely – despite the fact that they’ve paid for those unaired
episodes. And based on the conversations we’ve had over the past few days with several of the most premiere sponsors in the country – during
which we questioned their underwriting such over-the-top graphic violence in ‘Of Kings and Prophets,' it was clear that advertiser support for the
show was quickly evaporating. While we applaud ABC’s cancellation of the show, we can’t help but wonder why they would choose to air it in the
first place,” said Parents Television Council President Tim Winter.
The PTC
alerted the nation’s top 200 advertisers
about adult content anticipated on “Of Kings and Prophets,” which the show runner
compared
to HBO’s explicit “Game of Thrones,” saying, “It’s suspenseful. It’s extraordinarily violent. It’s sexual.
… We’ve sought to make the show modern…This is a non-dragon version of ‘Game of Thrones.’" In addition, the show runner Chris
Brancato said that he’ll be ‘
fighting with broadcast standards and practices
’ and that ‘
we’re going to go as far as we can’
throughout the series.
After reviewing the premiere episode before it aired on ABC, the PTC also
warned families
about the graphically violent content and did not recommend the show for children.