User Reviews

I don't even know if I can describe how much I loved Kingdom. It has quickly become one of my favorite shows of all-time. I wished it was longer than three seasons but those three seasons were brilliant! Once this show became available on Peacock (and Netflix before that) it found a huge audience and from what I can see most people loved it as much as I did. It's about the owner of mixed martial arts gym named Alvery Kulina (Frank Grillo). He's an ex MMA star who trains the next generation of MMA stars including his two sons Jay (Jonathan Tucker) and Nate (Nick Jonas) and another upcoming star named Ryan Wheeler (Matt Lauria). He struggles to keep his gym open and his athletes happy. The cast is incredible. I'm really having a hard time explaining just how good this show is. I'm just glad that I finally was able to watch this show because it's amazing!

I hate reviewing my favorite TV series because I can never do it justice.

I just rewatched all three seasons for the third time and this time I was struck with sadness upon the conclusion. Of course because the series ended, but that's not really why. It's such a tragedy that this was on Direct TV and not a more available streaming platform or known cable channel. Because of this and the major lack of marketing, Kingdom never reached their intended viewers. While it did reach those of us who had our ear to the ground and found the glorious reviewa and heard all the rumbles raving the acting and explosive drama.

This is an inside out version of Friday Night Lights. A dark and gritty opposite. Filled with adrenaline and imploding violence ethat quenches the viewers thirst for a top tier series.

While Frank Grillo is phenomenal, I have to give it to Jonathan Tucker for his incredible portrayal of Jay. Episode afree episode, I felt the gut punches life threw these characters---and what amazing characters they're for all their imperfections.

This show is beyond an addicting binge watch. It's simply a masterpiece that just didn't have the right stage but due to loyal fans, a spotlighted searched it and found it.

If you're an avid TV watcher and feel proud to have seen TVs all-time best series, you've probably heard about this series, but I believe (with only 46 reviews!!!??) that they're a massive amount of people oblivious that a gem awaits them.

I sincerely hope someone is reading this that is interested in maybe watching this series. God bless you because this is the one show I would pick to watch over for the first time.

This series is an emotional head-on car wreck. It's an emotional speedball plain and simple. Sure, there's fighting in the cage, but this show is really about fighting outside the cage. Fighting something no one can see. Life and fate. Tragedy. Dont misconstrue me, like the Sopranos, this show really knows how to be funny ala Jonathan Tucker (justified and westworld).

Please, do yourself a HUGE favor, watch this show. Right out of the gate you will be hooked.

Con: it only lasted 3 seasons

Pro: It went out on top!

This show is what TV should be measured against and executed!!

Best show of this century, imo.

10/10

Kingdom is one of the more underrated shows in years. It never really found a big audience because it was only available on DirectTV...until now. Netflix just picked it up and it's now available to a much bigger audience and people are loving it from what I can tell. Frank Grillo is perfect as the lead and overall the entire cast is excellent. I'm so glad that I finally was able to watch this show because it's amazing!

I've seen Kingdom since his birth and I had watched it closely until its end. An end which emotionally devastated me.

The show submerges you into the world of mixed martial arts and the lives of those involved in a family business. from beginning to end it 's all about fighting the difficulties each character has on its way.

The characters are complexly built, and along with the performances it makes the entirety of the show an earthly exciting drama, empty of clichés and elements of soap operas. I highlight the characters because they level the each episode to an uncontrollably climax.

Since Kingdom is one of the best TV dramas I've ever watched, it comes as as surprise how is often overlooked or underrated.

This is one of those shows that truelly didnt last long enough. I mean wow, what a phenomenal group of actors! And I dont just mean their looks! Jonathon Tucker, whom I'd never even heard of, was amazing. I'll definitely be checking out some more stuff hes in. Even Nick Jonas did great work. Who knew boy banders actually had talent? It's a shame this show didnt get marketing it deserved (and obviously needed to survive). It blows me away some of the crap on tv that goes on season after boring season and shows like this get killed. Shame on you Hollywood, shame on you!

This is by far the most underrated show currently on TV AND up there with the most riveting. I absolutely love this show. It's addicting. I wish more people knew about this hidden gem it has all the elements that make a great drama. it is an MMA show but like walking dead it's not based purely on fighting. Frank Grillo is exceptional and nick Jonas, who knew can act and the true gem forgive me for not knowing his name but the older son who was on the last season of Justified is incredible. His range is great. As is the rest of the cast. The casting is the best. Maybe because this is from direct TV audience network it's reach is rather limited but the second season is just as good. Please you are making a terrible injustice to yourself by not watching this amazing series. I don't have direct TV and i watch it ; do your self a favor WATCH THIS GEM

I initially started watching Kingdom because I'm a huge fan of mixed martial arts, but the characters and story surrounding it really drew me in. I've been watching it for several episodes, and each one progressively gets better. Each character has their own unique personality and story, and I'm quite surprised at how developed and captivating each character is. There is no main character, and there are no heroes here, rather each person has skeletons in the closet. I can't believe there isn't more eyes on this show, because it really is a great drama. Feel like it is flying under the radar, and will become a cult classic after it is all said and done. There is an audience for this show, it just needs to get its name out there.

I would go as far as saying this tv show is probably one of the best I've seen. Jonathan Tucker who plays Jay is brilliant. If your looking for a real life show then this is it.

This is a smashing series. Literally and figuratively. The depth of character development and gritty realism is up there with the best of them. Superb performances from the entire cast.

The writing, direction and cinematography is almost doco in its raw realism. This is not to be missed if you're a fan of mixed martial arts, Venice beach or just really great drama.

I would rate it as one of the most real and deep drama series I have ever seen. If it was a movie it would be an Oscar contender for certain. Jonathan Tucker is masterful! Wow!

Not to be missed!! Seriously. Don't miss it!!!

Review based on the pilot episode:

It's very easy with shows like this, to exaggerate certain aspects. Over-the-top characters being too positive, too negative, too macho or too weak. The scenery being too rich or too run down. The plot being too simple or too accidental. This show makes none of these mistakes.

From beginning to end it feels real. Imperfect characters, no clichés and realistic action create very enjoyable entertainment.

Casting seems spot on and acting is very good. Camera-work might seem shaky at times, but I did not feel like I missed anything because of it. The action sequences kept the pace up and were choreographed quite well. The strain, exhaustion and determination of the fighters is extremely well shown.

I look forward to the next episode. I gave it 8/10 because this show is focused around fighting and hence it might not be for everyone. If you enjoy boxing and mixed martial arts, it's a solid 9/10.

Kingdom may have been released with a limited 10 episode schedule, but I will lay 10-1 odds that a second season is in the bag for this heavy hitting action/drama television series. Kingdom's story line focuses on a Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) gym run by retired MMA fighter Alvey Kulina played strongly by Frank Grillo. Alvey has two sons involved in his gym, one young, favoured son with much ring potential named Nate, played by bubble gum singing sensation and heartthrob Nick Jonas (of the famed Jonas Brothers singing trio), and the other bad son named Jay, played by the versatile and steady working actor Jonathan Tucker.

As with any family that has bypassed their kid's teenage years, the family has some baggage. Dad Alvey is trying hard to maintain financial stability with his MMA gym, having divorced his first wife who has some personal demons of her own. Alvey's new common law wife Lisa Prince, played by Kiele Sanchez has the business savvy that Alvey will rely on to keep the good ship "Navy St." gym afloat. Now Lisa has been with Alvey for the past two years and they fell in love while Lisa's ex-fiancé Ryan Wheeler, played by Matt Lauria, spent the past four years in prison. When Ryan gets out of prison he goes back to the Navy St. gym to see his old friend Alvey, and his ex-fiancé are now a happy couple. Ryan seems to be cool with his old friends' romantic and business relationship with his ex, and he admits that he caused his own problems that sent him to the big house. Ryan was a very good fighter before going to prison for brutally assaulting his own father and he is somewhat reluctant to go back in to the MMA cage. Alvey however sees his old friend Ryan as a means to keep the gyms reputation afloat if he can get Ryan back into fighting and winning shape.

The character that shows the most acting chops and promise for a bright acting future in the series Kingdom is Alvey's older son Jay, (Jonathan Tucker) who is fighting his own personal demons in the form of booze, drugs and a badass temper. Jay has an unyielding love for his trick turning drug addicted mother Christina, played by Joanna Going, and the heart strings will tug a bit with the periodic interactions between son Jay and mom Christina when they spend limited time together.

There are some realistic MMA fights interspersed through the series and they will be sure to raise your adrenalin level. The fights look real, and the family interactions between the main characters will have you rooting for them. I see some resemblance between the 1976 mini-series Rich Man, Poor Man, and the present day Kingdom, where the censors have really loosened up over the past 40 years to allow more real life drama. It is a great series with a bright future. A knockout action/drama sure to entertain an adrenalin seeking youthful audience, as well as us over the hill gang too!

This is the best show on TV in my humble opinion. I've watched many a show as well. Next to this 'Peaky Blinders,' is the only current series which compares to the addictive nature and rawness of this series.

Regardless of if you are into MMA (mixed martial arts), Kingdom is significantly engaging on multiple levels. The acting is flawless, paired with the overall production, a show unlike any other is created. This show is polished raw energy and jumps off the screen to deliver a slice of cool adrenalin filled entertainment.

If you are into MMA, or combat sports in general this show is bang on. Throughout the series you can spot multiple UFC and other high end MMA stars. The show doesn't dumb it down for your average audience The fact is, that it doesn't need to, as the story line without focus on fighting alone, would deliver a great show. Add in the intensely brutal world of making it in MMA, and you have viewing gold.

The show is about relationships, and instead of any sugar coating it is fuelled by high end athletic endeavours, dealing with the roller coaster of the fight world, paired with the reality that life goes on win or lose.

Whether you're a fighter, a ballerina, or just want to zone out with something good, check out 'Kingdom,' you will not be disappointed.

TV has changed so much in the last decade. Sons of Anarchy, for example, captured viewers by walking that fine line between fiction and reality, and pretty much set the bar for that style of script.

And then along comes Kingdom, and SOA suddenly starts to look a little forced, a little contrived.

That's how good this show is.

And a big shout-out to Kiele Sanchez who has a rare kind of charisma. Almost the female equivalent of being "the smartest guy in the room," she seems to be the character everyone else would ask advice from if something really bad happened.

And in this series bad things happen all the time.

The expression Hidden Gem is somewhat over used, but in this case nothing could be more true....this is THE hidden gem. I have recommended this show to so many friends and family and each and every one have thanked me and passed on the recommendation. Now it's your turn! The quality of acting and the terrific storyline will keep you hooked from the start. Just watch it, you will see what I mean.

Just binged the first season. Fantastic show! Grillo and Tucker STEAL the show!!!

Wow!!!! Just watch the first episode and you'll know if it's a show for you. Even if you aren't interested in MMA, which I am not at all, if you like really great acting you must see Jonathan Tucker in this show. Don't get me wrong the other actors, especially Matt Lauria do a great job, but Jonathan Tucker is in a class all his own. I plan to watch everything he has ever been in as soon as possible. I can't imagine how I've missed him until now. At one point he made me ugly cry so hard it hurt my face. I am not kidding. Tears flew about six feet across the room. I think even my cat cried a little bit. Dude is ridiculous... just ridiculous. He just gets better and better as the show goes on. I am truly and thoroughly mesmerized.

WHAT? How did this show go unnoticed for so long?! Great to see it's finally receiving the praise it deserves, the entire cast should be eligible for retroactive Emmy's and an apology letter from the viewing public. In a world of hammy, disposable TV this series went out on its own and quietly set the benchmark. An absolute masterpiece.

As an MMA fan, I thought I'd give this show a try and to be honest wasn't expecting much aside from the usual brutality which is stuff you'd get on Blackbelt TV or something, but hats off to the scripters for nailing this show spot on.

The choice of lead and support characters and their multi-layers, which continue to get deeper with each passing episode, plot and sub- plot..it is absolutely genius.

The simple premise on which the story is built and subsequent sub- stories and characters added on make the story telling angles just as juicy as the camera work and fighting scenes.

I'd love to see how far wide they can cast the story without losing the MMA base plot.

So far, excellent, RAW, watching. 9.5 out of 10 from me.

----------------------UPDATE---------------------------------------

having watched about 7 episodes now I can confidently say I await a 2nd season with baited breath. I usually hate giving off details that would ruin a first time watcher via the review so I'll keep it at that. The only close comparison I could draw with this is the movie "Warrior" (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1291584/?ref_=nv_sr_1) which in a way tried to condense all the relational angles and fighting into 140min. Kingdom draws it out more, allowing the audience to identify with each characters'struggles, pain, triumph and emotions. The pure rawness and reality of the everyday struggles on fighting for relationships to work, making ends meet, pursuing your dream are captured all to well. And as someone said, you don't need to love MMA to relate to this.

Final verdict: 10/10

It's 2020 I've watched just about every show available on Netflix since just about everything is closed and I have nothing to do. I stumbled across this saw Frank Grillo and eh I like that dude. I'll give it a shot. I binged the entire first season in one go. There's way more going on in this than just MMA. The characters are interesting and flawed. I thought the acting was going to be atrocious and it's actually really good. After the first season Jay was the standout whom I couldn't stand in the beginning halfway through I realized he was my favorite. I just started the second season and I hope it grows. It's harsh and gritty. It's violent, there's lots of alcohol, and drug abuse. I've enjoyed the ups and downs so far and this is a hidden gem I feel I should've watched much much sooner.

I obsessively watched this completed series over the course of a week, almost nonstop, the first season over the course of a day dragging myself to bed at 5am. I've never done anything like that with a show before and at the end of it I can't decide if I loved it or hated it.

The show centers around a family of MMA fighters who run a small Gym in California. That said theres no amped up melodrama or theatrics. Every character is real and 3 dimensional. The highs and lows are everyday and empathetic to anyone who's faced diversity and tragedy.

The show was impossible to put down despite few real climatic moments. I stayed tuned after every episode mostly out of bizarre worry for the characters. Like I'd watch the next episode because I wanted to see that the characters would be ok.

The show has it's fair share of laughs, but it's largely a drama and a painful one at that. I think that's where the hate comes in. By the end of it the emotional weight of it really dragged me down. The 3rd and final season arc ends in Shakespearean tragedy effecting perhaps the most likable character in the show. I yelled at the TV. In a way the show made up for it by ending. My exact thoughts were "how can they possibly keep going after this??!". Thankfully they didn't. The show closes out on a bittersweet high note. I feel comfortable recommending this because it really doesn't need anymore closure. All the pieces, though sometimes painful, end up exactly where they should.

We had DirectTV back in 2013-15, and Kingdom was part of Direct's original line-up shows. We became so invested I. The characters that we grew so close to and anticipated watch week. Not only are all the actors phenomenal in their roles, the writing is gritty and edgy, never boring. Then, top it all off with a top notch soundtrack of songs during each episodes from Johnny Cash to Disturbed, and everything in between. I always say Man Men and Breaking Bad are by fav series, this 1 would be next in line.

This show was so good, how it went 3 seasons under the radar is beyond me. Jonathan Tucker, a phenomenal performance as Jay, Frank Grillo's Alvey was incredible. Everyone on the show did a great job. Why wasn't anyone nominated for an Emmy is anyone's guess. The writing was so amazing that some scenes seemed like it was just adlibs between the characters because the chemistry between them is undeniable. I'm so glad Netflix picked it up and hopefully will be motivated to allow a season 4. Don't sleep on this show, you will not be disappointed.

Amidst all the recommendations I get for shows to watch, I decided on this one over all others. I was not let down, and absolutely love this show. Jonathan Tucker gives an incredible performance that truly outshines the rest of the cast. All actors are great, but his just stand out more than the rest. If you like drama, violence and all kinds of crazy situations that could possibly go into a life of an MMA family, I definitely recommend this show.

I really don't understand how I missed this show when it originally came out but I'm glad to have discovered it. The writing, storylines and more so, the acting performances are brilliant. Season one starts off a little slow but the quality of everything just increases as you go, so stick with it. I haven't watched a show with such a strong main cast performance from all actors in such a long time. It's hard not to fall for every one of these tragic characters. The character development, transformation and even minor facial expressions are top quality - so much is said and expressed without words. Standout performance from Jonathan Tucker!!! He was phenomenal. Paul Pauser, Matt Laurier and Nick Jonas's performances were a pleasant surprise, along with Frank Grillo, they were fantastic - would love to see more of all of them on screen.

The storylines and subplots are unique to the bog standard on tv, they're developed well and also engaging. I'm not into fighting, it usually makes me wince to see people take hits but I loved every part of this show. There's depth, action, violence, sex, addiction, pain, emotion, heartwarming moments and humour - Everything you could want from a show. I just wish they would revive it, it did not deserve to be cancelled. I would definitely recommend this to any adult audience, there's enough for everyone to enjoy/like/relate to.