The Parents Television Council (PTC) is objecting to the ABC show "Of Kings and Prophets," which premieres on March 8, even though the series is based on the story of King David from the Bible.
The PTC already wrote a letter to each TV sponsor, according to Charisma News. "Although it is a mini-series based on the Old Testament, you should be aware that showrunners for the series have already broadcast their intention to 'go as far as we can' with depictions of sex and violence in the series," PTC President Tim Winter warned.
The PTC said its concern grew after showrunner Chris Brancato revealed during the Television Critics Association winter press tour that the stories in the series are "violent and sex-drenched" and that the producers are "going to go as far as we can. We'll be fighting with broadcast standards and practices."
Because some of the content is so explicit, Brancato said they might not even be allowed to air it on television and just share it online instead, since there are less restrictions there.
"We are urging each potential sponsor of 'Of Kings and Prophets' to carefully weigh whether an 'extraordinarily violent' and 'sexual' broadcast TV show that has been compared to an explicit premium cable TV show is truly a good fit for their corporate image," Winter further urged. "TV shows that are filled with sex and violence will only remain on the public airwaves as long as advertisers are willing to sponsor them. We urge companies to use caution when considering whether or not to advertise on this show, especially if the show's content is comparable to HBO's 'Game of Thrones.'"
Winter said contrary to popular belief, sex and violence don't always sell. Advertisers also have a huge role to play in determining what shows remain on the air because it is their support that keeps programmes on or off the air.
"We will be alerting our members to the sponsors of the miniseries, and urging them to make their buying decisions accordingly. We hope advertisers take heed and choose to put their sponsorship dollars towards programming that isn't saturated with sex and violence and which could harm children," said Winter.
