Oscar von Seth If one manages to overlook the exaggerated alcohol consumption by the characters in this show (most of them are professional athletes after all, they wouldn't be able to down a bottle of hard liquor almost every day and then exercise the morning after), Kingdom is a great experience!Masculinity is a key theme, most of the time it's rough (bloody) but there are instances of compassion between the male characters as well. Nick Jonas' gay storyline isn't as developed as it could have been, but it offers something daring to the otherwise strictly heteromasculine context of professional fighting.What stands out the most in this show though is Jonathan Tucker's amazing performance as Jay Kulina. Eccentric, mesmerizing and at times beautifully haunting, Tucker distinguishes himself as one of the most overlooked acting gems of his generation.

Victoria Garry There are many television series which fly under the radar as under appreciated and under rated however, the one that sticks out the most to me is Direct TV's Kingdom. In 2014 Byron Balasco created a unique series surrounding the inner workings of an MMA gym owned by a retired fighter, Alvey Kulina (Frank Grillo). The show follows Alvey and his partner Lisa Prince (Kiele Sanchez) as they manage their fighters, friends and family while dealing with their own relationship obstacles. As an audience you fall in love with Alvey's sons Nate (Nick Jonas) and Jay (Jonathan Tucker) as they grow as fighters and people. We battle through life's triumphs and tribulations with fighter Ryan Wheeler (Matt Lauria) after he returns from time in prison, hoping to put his past behind him to be the best fighter possible. Each character represents their own struggle in society while depicting a realistic, heart breaking look at "fatal flaws" within one's being.Byron Balasco along with his team of brilliant writers have effortlessly created a story which displays the perfect balance of life drama including - sex, romance, racism, drugs, alcohol, athleticism, sexuality, money and health. Each character is forced to rely on one another to survive the crazy, unpredictable society of Navy Street Gym. Throughout the 3 completed seasons of Kingdom, the audience goes on multiple journeys with each character often which leave us on the edge of our seats, grabbing for the tissues or with a nostalgic smile as we slowly become apart of the family. The writing, directing and cinematography in Kingdom is outstanding however, it is the acting that makes this show a stand out from the rest. While watching acting of this caliber one can not help but question the authenticity of award shows such as The Emmys or Golden Globes because actors such as Jonathan Tucker and Matt Lauria should not have to miss out just because their television series is not from a "higher" or "greater" production company. Jonathan Tucker has taken a very unique and eccentric character as Jay Kulina and shaped him into one that the audience loves to love despite his many flaws and struggles. As each episode passes you can not help but question what crazy tirade Jay will take you on while hoping that it is even greater than the previous. Matt Lauria has had the difficult challenge of creating a character such as Ryan Wheeler which leaves the audience questioning his mystery without losing any interest in his obvious deeply buried emotions. Throughout the three seasons, Lauria has skilfully peeled the layers of Ryan's personality while surprising the audience at the best of times with his outrageous behaviours and antics. While these two are personal stand outs, each cast member raised the bar for any guest actor on the show and thus, creating a standard which had to be matched - and was matched. One does not have to be a fan of the UFC or MMA in any kind to still enjoy Kingdom. However, if you do hold an appreciation for the sport you will find that kudos must be given to the actors for the incredible work they have done off camera to prepare for shooting of this series. Each actor who portrays a fighter is in immaculate shape as they trained with professional fighters and trainers to provide complete authenticity to the sport. In no way has there been any lacking towards the fitness required to be involved in this series as there were no stunt doubles in any of the fight or training scenes in order to show the utmost respect the sport and it's fighters. Kingdom has it all and in no way does it disappoint. Viewer discretion is advised however as the show does contain strong content including nudity, coarse language, adult scenes, depiction of drug and alcohol use and violence. While the show has come to a close, I believe that this is one which can be appreciated and celebrated still in years to come. I would not dismiss this show nor would I forget these actors as they will be doing big things in the years to come.

Warren Scott I'm not sure how I came about watching Kingdom but I'm very glad I did. I was instantly captivated in the opening scene and I never looked back. The acting is riveting especially by actor Jonathan Tucker and the overall story line is superb. You don't even have to be a fan of MMA to like this show for it tackles every conceivable subject matter and it's done exceptionally well. It was so good, I watched season 1 and 2 all over again in anticipation of season 3 The only reason why I gave it a 9 rating is because so far, season 3 is not as intense as the prior seasons but I have a feeling the end will be an emotional powerhouse. I highly recommend this show to all.

k_dawson I am a massive fan of this series and in all honesty i have never watched a cage fight and couldn't name you a proper cage fighter. I guess some of the people in this series are fighters, if not, there very good at portraying that they are. Alvey owns a gym after retiring from being a world champion, and runs it with his pregnant girlfriend Lisa. They, like most of the people in this series have their own issues going on, which is what makes this program interesting and a joy to watch. Alvey is split from his ex wife who later makes an entrance as a heroin addict, which explains why they are no longer together. The elder son Jay loves having her around and does everything to make her better. Alvey's main fighters are his sons, youngest Nate and his elder brother Jay, who both want to be world champion. Alvey trains them to the top level, but worries one doesn't have what it takes. Also we have ex champion Ryan Wheeler, not long out of prison because of an incident involving his dad, has to be talked by Alvey to get back interested in cage fighting, as he now has this attitude portraying his hate for fighting. Ryan is one minute the nice guy and then he turns pretty bad, basically he has a bit of a split personality. Lisa keeps the gym running as debt sneaks up and signs a hot girl fighter with a bad record (in fighting). Surely Alvey will make her better like he does everyone. Alvey is always there for everyone but no one realises he is suffering inside with his own demons.Just watch, as i don't want to say anymore. With love from England. Thank you for this series and looking forward to season three.