''Kingdom'' (previously titled ''Navy St.'') is an American drama television series created by

Byron Balasco Byron Balasco is an American television producer and screenwriter. He has written and produced for the shows ''Without a Trace'' (20062009), ''FlashForward'' (2010), and ''Detroit 1-8-7'' (20102011). In 2014, he signed on to executive produce and ...

. The series premiered on October 8, 2014 on the

Audience Network Audience Network (also known as Audience from 2016 until 2020) was an American pay television channel that was owned by AT&T. It featured a mix of original and acquired series, specials, and feature films. The network operated as a commercial-fre ...

and concluded on August 2, 2017. It stars Frank Grillo,

Kiele Sanchez Kiele Michelle Sanchez ( ; born October 13, 1977) is an American actress who starred in the A&E Network drama '' The Glades''. Previously, she had starred as Anne Sorelli in The WB comedy-drama ''Related'' and as Nikki Fernandez on the main cast ...

Matt Lauria Matthew Lauria (born August 16, 1982) is an American actor and musician. He made his television debut on the NBC sitcom ''30 Rock'' in 2007. He is best known for his roles as Luke Cafferty on the NBC/DirecTV drama '' Friday Night Lights'', Ryan ...

Jonathan Tucker Jonathan Moss Tucker (born May 31, 1982) is an American actor. He is known for his roles in the films ''The Virgin Suicides'' (1999), '' The Texas Chainsaw Massacre'' (2003), ''Hostage'' (2005), '' In the Valley of Elah'' (2007), '' The Ruins'' ( ...

Nick Jonas Nicholas Jerry Jonas (born September 16, 1992) is an American singer, songwriter and actor. Jonas began acting on Broadway at the age of seven, and released his debut single in 2002; this caught the attention of Columbia Records, where Jonas ...

, and

Joanna Going Joanna Catherine Going (born July 22, 1963) is an American actress known for the television series '' Kingdom'', '' House of Cards'', ''Mad Men'' and the movie ''Wyatt Earp''. Early life Going was born in Washington, DC, the eldest of six child ...

. Season one consists of ten episodes. On October 17, 2014,

DirecTV DirecTV (trademarked as DIRECTV) is an American multichannel video programming distributor based in El Segundo, California. Originally launched on June 17, 1994, its primary service is a digital satellite service serving the United States. I ...

announced that the series was renewed for an additional 20 episodes, 10 of which aired in 2014 & 10 in 2015. On July 7, 2016, it was renewed for a third season which premiered on May 31, 2017. On April 1, 2017, it was announced that the third season would be the final season of the series.

Summary

Alvey Kulina owns and runs a

mixed martial arts Mixed martial arts (MMA), sometimes referred to as cage fighting, no holds barred (NHB), and ultimate fighting, and originally referred to as Vale Tudo is a full-contact combat sport based on striking, grappling and ground fighting, incor ...

gym called Navy St. Gym in

Venice, California Venice is a neighborhood of the city of Los Angeles within the Westside region of Los Angeles County, California. Venice was founded by Abbot Kinney in 1905 as a seaside resort town. It was an independent city until 1926, when it was annexed by ...

, with his girlfriend, Lisa. He helps people work out and trains fighters along with his sons, Nate and Jay. Jay has a drug and alcohol problem, but puts it aside to start fighting again and Nate is dealing with personal issues as well. Ryan Wheeler used to be a great fighter who left Alvey when he got big until he was sent to prison after brutally assaulting his father. After Ryan's release, Alvey wants him to fight again and be his trainer as it would be good publicity for the gym. Lisa is initially opposed to this, as she and Ryan used to be engaged, but eventually accepts it for the sake of the gym. Alvey's estranged ex-wife, Christina, is a drug addict and sex worker, with sporadic contact with Kulina and her sons. Fighting is a way of life in this family both in and out of the ring.

Cast

Main cast

* Frank Grillo as Alvey Kulina, Jay and Nate's father. Owner of the gym Navy St., he's a retired MMA fighter who now trains MMA fighters at his gym. *

as Lisa Prince, Ryan's ex-fiancée and Alvey's girlfriend, She runs the business side of the gym and also manages Jay as a fighter. *

as Ryan Wheeler, an ex-convict who starts training to be a fighter again after being released from prison. He used to be engaged to Lisa and is still in love with her. *

as Jay Kulina, Alvey and Christina's older son and Nate's older brother. Seen as the screw up in the family by Alvey. Starts fighting again when Lisa begins to manage him. Jay is the loud mouth, obnoxious, but protective Kulina brother. *

as Nathaniel "Nate" Kulina, Alvey and Christina's younger son, an upcoming fighter who after an attack is put on the backbench. He is also a closeted gay man. *

as Christina Kulina, Alvey's ex-wife and the mother of Jay and Nate. She's a former drug addict and sex worker, which has a negative impact on Jay. * Natalie Martinez as Alicia Mendez, an upcoming fighter and Lisa's new client (season 2).

Recurring cast

* Juliette Jackson as Shelby, Lisa's friend who runs the front desk at Navy St. Gym (seasons 1–3) *

Paul Walter Hauser Paul Walter Hauser (born October 15, 1986) is an American actor and comedian. He is known for his supporting roles in the films '' Cruella'', ''I, Tonya'', '' Late Night'', ''BlacKkKlansman'', and ''Da 5 Bloods''. In 2019, Hauser had his breakout ...

as Keith, Ryan's friend and roommate at the half-way house turned housemate after Ryan moves into Keith's home (seasons 1–3) * Mac Brandt as Mac Sullivan, nurse and personal friend and drug supplier of the Kulinas (seasons 1–3) * Jamie Harris as Terry, Christina's pimp, later former (seasons 1–3) *

Bryan Callen Bryan Callen (born January 26, 1967) is an American stand-up comedian, actor, writer and podcaster. He studied acting at the Beverly Hills Playhouse. Callen initiated his career as one of the original cast members on the sketch comedy serie ...

as Garo Kassabian, fight promoter (seasons 1–3) *

Joe Stevenson Joseph Christopher Stevenson (born June 15, 1982) is a retired American mixed martial artist fighting out of Hesperia, California. Coached by ( UFC Hall of Famer) Matt Hughes, Stevenson rose to prominence by becoming The Ultimate Fighter 2 W ...

as Fight Coach "Daddy" (seasons 1–3) * Phil Abrams as Dr. Kramer, Alvey's therapist (seasons 1–3) * M. C. Gainey as Rick, Ryan's father who is in a wheelchair (seasons 1–2) *

Bruce Davison Bruce Allen Davison (born June 28, 1946) is an American actor and director. Davison is well known for his starring role as Willard Stiles in the cult horror film '' Willard'' (1971) and his Academy Award-nominated and Golden Globe-winning perfor ...

as Ron Prince, Lisa's father (seasons 1–2) *

Zuleikha Robinson Zuleikha Robinson (born 29 June 1977) is a British actress. She first came to attention as Yves Adele Harlow, a mysterious thief on the 2001 series ''The Lone Gunmen''. She has appeared in the films '' Hidalgo'' (2004), ''The Merchant of Venice ...

as Allison (season 1) *

Ronnie Gene Blevins Ronnie Gene Blevins (born June 20, 1977) is an American character actor. He is best known for his role as small-time criminal Willie Russell in the 2013 film '' Joe'', directed by David Gordon Green. Career His TV credits include '' NCIS'', '' ...

as Michael, bully at the half-way house with Ryan and Keith (season 1) * Mario Perez as Carlos, a gang member that's involved with Nate's beating (season 1) *

Meaghan Rath Meaghan Rath (born June 18, 1986) is a Canadian film and television actress. She is known for her television roles on '' Being Human'', ''15/Love'', ''The Assistants'', and '' Hawaii Five-0''. Personal life Rath was born in Montreal, Quebec, ...

as Tatiana, Nate's physical therapist (season 1) * Jai Rodriguez as Diego Diaz, Nate's physical therapist after Tatiana resigns (season 1) *

Jamie Kennedy James Harvey Kennedy (born May 25, 1970) is an American actor and comedian. He has played Randy Meeks in the '' Scream'' franchise (1996–2000) and a multitude of characters in ''The Jamie Kennedy Experiment'' (2002–2004) on The WB. His ot ...

as Bucky DeMarco, a fight promoter (season 1) *

Jessica Szohr Jessica Karen Szohr (;) is an American actress. She started her screen career appearing on television shows such as ''My Wife and Kids'' (2003), ''Joan of Arcadia'' (2004), '' What About Brian'' (2007) and ''CSI: Miami'' (2007). She gained recogn ...

as Laura Melvin, a professional photographer who was briefly Jay's girlfriend after photographing him on the beach (season 2) *

Mark Consuelos Mark Andrew Consuelos (; born March 30, 1971) is an American actor. He is best known for his portrayal of Mateo Santos on the ABC soap opera ''All My Children'' (1995–2001; 2010) and as Hiram Lodge on The CW drama '' Riverdale'' (2017–2021) ...

as Sean Chapas, a friend of Alvey's and ex-fighter turned businessman (season 2) *

Andre Royo Andre Royo (born July 18, 1968) is an American actor, producer, and writer. He is best known for his role as Reginald "Bubbles" Cousins on the HBO crime drama series ''The Wire'', and his appearances on ''Fringe'', ''Party Down'', ''How to Make I ...

as the owner of the Sunset Hawaiian (season 2) *

Lina Esco Lina Esco is an American actress, producer, director and activist. She gained recognition in 2007 for portraying Jimmy Smits' character's daughter in the CBS television drama ''Cane''. Esco has also performed in films, including ''London'' (2005) ...

as Ava Flores (season 2) * Wendy Moniz as Roxanne (season 2) *

Jeff Ross Jeffrey Ross Lifschultz (born September 13, 1965) is an American stand-up comedian and actor. He is best known as the "Roastmaster General" for his insult comedy, his multiple appearances at celebrity roasts held by the New York Friars Club, the ...

as a promoter (season 2) *

Paul Ben-Victor Paul Ben-Victor (born July 24, 1965) is an American actor. He is best known for playing Greek mobster Spiros "Vondas" Vondopoulos on the HBO drama series '' The Wire'', Alan Gray in ''Entourage'' (2005–2008), and Ray in '' Body Parts'' (1991). ...

as Bob (season 2) * Billy Lush as Jason (season 2) *

Kirk Acevedo Kirk M. Acevedo (born November 27, 1971) is an American actor. He is primarily known for his work on television for the portrayals of Miguel Alvarez in the HBO series '' Oz'', Joe Toye in '' Band of Brothers'', and FBI Agent Charlie Francis ...

as Dominick Ramos (season 3) *

Talia Shire Talia Rose Shire (née Coppola; born April 25, 1946) is an American actress who played roles as Connie Corleone in ''The Godfather'' films and Adrian Balboa in the ''Rocky'' series. For her work in ''The Godfather Part II'' and ''Rocky'', Shire ...

as Annette Kulina, Alvey's mother (season 3) *

Patrick Fischler Patrick S. Fischler (born December 29, 1969) is an American character actor known for his roles as Jimmy Barrett on the drama series ''Mad Men'', Dharma Initiative worker Phil on the drama series '' Lost'' and Detective Kenny No-Gun on the poli ...

as Dan (season 3) * Zach Gilford as Tim (season 3)

Guest stars

Cub Swanson Kevin Luke "Cub" Swanson (born November 2, 1983) is an American professional mixed martial artist. He currently competes in the Bantamweight division in the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC). A professional since 2004, Swanson holds the most ...

as Nate's opponent (season 1) *

Alicia Witt Alicia Roanne Witt (born August 21, 1975) is an American actress, singer and pianist. She first came to fame as a child actress after being discovered by David Lynch, who cast her in '' Dune'' (1984) and '' Twin Peaks'' (1990). Witt had a critic ...

as Melanie (season 1) *

Kenny Florian Kenneth Alan Florian (born May 26, 1976) is an American retired mixed martial artist and commentator who formerly competed in the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC). He formerly served as an analyst for UFC on Fox from 2011–2018, and he als ...

as himself (seasons 1–3) *

Joseph Benavidez Joseph Rolando Benavidez (born July 31, 1984) is an American former professional mixed martial artist. He competed in the Flyweight division for the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC). Background Benavidez was born on July 31, 1984, in Sa ...

as Jay's opponent (season 2) * Greg Jackson as himself (season 2) *

Diego Sanchez Diego Sanchez (born December 31, 1981) is an American professional mixed martial artist. He competes in the Welterweight division. A professional competitor since 2002, Sanchez is most known for his time in the Ultimate Fighting Championship ( ...

as Nate's opponent (season 3) * Matt Hughes as himself (season 3)

Episodes

Reception

''Kingdom'' received positive reviews throughout its run. On

Rotten Tomatoes Rotten Tomatoes is an American review-aggregation website for film and television. The company was launched in August 1998 by three undergraduate students at the University of California, Berkeley: Senh Duong, Patrick Y. Lee, and Stephen Wan ...

, the first season has an approval rating of 81% with an average score of 6.88/10 based on 16 reviews. The critical consensus is, "It may be a little dated in its portrayal of women, but ''Kingdom'' offers a new, well-acted take on the boxing genre." The first season has a

Metacritic Metacritic is a website that aggregates reviews of films, TV shows, music albums, video games and formerly, books. For each product, the scores from each review are averaged (a weighted average). Metacritic was created by Jason Dietz, Marc ...

score of 72 out of 100 based on 12 reviews, indicating "generally favorable reviews". On Rotten Tomatoes, the second season has an approval rating of 83% with an average score of 6.75/10 based on 6 reviews, and the third season has an approval rating of 100% with an average score of 7.88/10 based on 5 reviews.

International broadcasts

The series premiered in Australia on April 7, 2015, on FX and was watched by 16,000 viewers. It premiered in Canada on Bravo on October 13, 2014. It aired in Sweden on TV12, in

South America South America is a continent entirely in the Western Hemisphere and mostly in the Southern Hemisphere, with a relatively small portion in the Northern Hemisphere at the northern tip of the continent. It can also be described as the sou ...

on OnDirecTV, a channel of

, and in New Zealand on Sky Movies Action. The series aired in the United Kingdom exclusively to

Virgin Media Virgin Media is a British telecommunications company which provides telephone, television and internet services in the United Kingdom. Its headquarters are at Green Park in Reading, England. It is owned by Virgin Media O2, a 50:50 joint ventu ...

customers via the

video on demand Video on demand (VOD) is a media distribution system that allows users to access videos without a traditional video playback device and the constraints of a typical static broadcasting schedule. In the 20th century, broadcasting in the form of ...

(VoD) service on their

Virgin TV Virgin TV is a digital pay cable television service in the United Kingdom, owned by Liberty Global (50%) and Telefónica (50%) after the merger its UK businesses to form Virgin Media O2. Its origins date from NTL and Telewest, formerly two ...

XL package, the first six episodes were made available to stream on April 1, 2016, with further episodes being made available on a weekly basis. The series was available on

Netflix Netflix, Inc. is an American subscription video on-demand over-the-top streaming service and production company based in Los Gatos, California. Founded in 1997 by Reed Hastings and Marc Randolph in Scotts Valley, California, it offers a ...

from July 2020 until April 2021.

References

External links

* * {{Audience Network 2014 American television series debuts 2017 American television series endings 2010s American drama television series 2010s American LGBT-related drama television series Audience (TV network) original programming English-language television shows Mixed martial arts television shows Television shows filmed in Los Angeles