Kingdom (2014)
Sky Sports | DirecTV | Audience Network | Audience | Release Date: October 8, 2014
CRITIC SCORE DISTRIBUTION
72
METASCORE
Generally favorable reviews based on 16 Critic Reviews
Positive:
14
Mixed:
2
Negative:
0

Critic Reviews

Critic scorePublicationBy date
91
IndieWireBen TraversMay 31, 2017
Season 3 Review: Kingdom feels genuine, and it’s earned that attribute from turning minor moments into major ones. Read full review
91
Entertainment WeeklyKyle AndersonOct 2, 2014
Season 1 Review: Without surging too deep into soapy territory, Kingdom grinds out excellent family drama via lived-in characters and escalating stakes. The cast's chemistry is phenomenal, with Jonas as the standout. Read full review
83
The A.V. ClubKate KulzickOct 8, 2014
Season 1 Review: Featuring a strong cast, a unique setting, and an alternately energetic and reflective tone, the series has a lot going for it and could easily grow into a surprise hit for DirecTV. Read full review
80
New York Daily NewsDavid HinckleyOct 8, 2014
Season 1 Review: So we have solid setups here for tales of love, redemption, friendship and the same championship dreams that made Rocky an American icon. Read full review
80
Philadelphia InquirerDavid HiltbrandOct 7, 2014
Season 1 Review: This is an incredibly violent and an incredibly powerful show about men who find it difficult to talk to one another but have no problem raising their voices--and their fists. Read full review
75
San Francisco ChronicleDavid WiegandMay 30, 2017
Season 3 Review: Kingdom follows in the tradition of great fight films like “Raging Bull,” “Somebody Up There Likes Me” and “Rocky.” Three seasons aren’t enough, but at least Kingdom isn’t going down without a fight. Read full review
75
San Francisco ChronicleDavid WiegandOct 9, 2015
Season 2 Review: If Kingdom were only about mixed martial arts, it would be boring and one-dimensional. But Belasco does a superb job of creating credible, compelling characters for his talented cast to run with. Grillo, Tucker and Sanchez deliver beautifully detailed performances. Read full review
75
HitfixAlan SepinwallOct 8, 2014
Season 1 Review: It's not a great show, but it's a solid one that, like the various fighters in Alvey's stable, has the potential to knock you out if it can put everything together. Read full review
70
Los Angeles TimesRobert LloydOct 8, 2014
Season 1 Review: It's almost as if, like its testosterone-fueled fighters, the show loses its mind every once in a while and just has to punch something, and punch it and punch it and punch it. Between these attacks, however, it relaxes into well-written scenes in which the wounded characters express ideas and feelings other than rage. Read full review
70
TV Guide MagazineMatt RoushOct 8, 2014
Season 1 Review: A grueling but intriguing new double-fisted drama set in the world of mixed martial arts. Read full review
70
Pittsburgh Post-GazetteRob OwenOct 8, 2014
Season 1 Review: The premiere feels a little overly long--it clocks in at 53 minutes--but it capably creates the show’s insular world of blood, sweat and cheers, ending in an inevitable fight that features Nate as Ryan and Jay offer encouragement from the sidelines. Read full review
70
The WrapDiane GarrettOct 8, 2014
Season 1 Review: After an exceedingly violent first episode, it eases up a notch, and the show is better for it. Read full review
70
VarietyBrian LowryOct 6, 2014
Season 1 Review: It’s to the credit of all concerned, frankly, that Kingdom is more compelling than it sounds, conjuring a gritty atmosphere (you can practically smell the gym through the TV) around its fractured family ties, along with familiar questions regarding redemption and second chances. Read full review
67
Boston HeraldMark A. PerigardOct 14, 2015
Season 2 Review: The second season of Direc­TV’s MMA fighter family saga Kingdom circles familiar territory, but the third episode is a knockout, with a swerve that could permanently divide this fractured family. Read full review
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