Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) has finally arrived as a mainstream contact sport, recognized worldwide. As such, it was only a matter of time before a TV series revolving around MMA would come to prime-time. DirecTV has announced they will be adding the new made-for-TV drama Navy St (now renamed Kingdom), to their fall lineup for the Audience Channel (details here). The initial contract calls for a short, 10-show run.
Mixing it Up on Navy St./Kingdom
The Plot
The show takes place in Southern California, centering on a MMA gym in Venice. The gym is owned by Alvey Henderson (Frank Grillo), a struggling addict and former fighter. When former UFC Champion Ryan (Matt Lauria) comes walking into the gym after a five-year stint in prison, Alvey sees an opportunity to turn his own luck around, and with ex-girlfriend Lisa Prince (Kiele Sanchez) back in the picture, Ryan is set to begin his climb back up the MMA ladder as a changed man. Of course, his path will have to travel through Nate Henderson (Nick Jonas), Alvey’s son and a top fighter in his own right. The show intends to provide a lot of drama against the backdrop of some brutal MMA action.
The Cast
Grillo comes off of successful big-screen supporting roles in Warrior, and as none other than “Brock Rumlow” in Captain America: The Winter Soldier. His other major credits include The Guiding Light and the TV series Prison Break. Lauria is best known for his role as “Luke” on the hit TV series Friday Night Lights. He more recently appeared as “Ryan” in a recurring role in Parenthood. Nick Jonas needs no introduction to younger music fans (but probably needs one here). He recently gave up his place in the highly popular teen band, The Jonas Brothers, with whom he recorded a pile of hit records with brothers Paul and Joe. He should be quite comfortable in front of the camera, owing a lot of his success to the Disney hit series, Jonas, although he has yet to prove himself in any serious roles. Other prominent roles will be filled by Kiele Sanchez from The Glades and Jonathan Tucker from Parenthood, who will play the role of Jay, Alvey’s oldest son.
The Scoop
It will be very interesting to see how a drama centered in such a violent arena will play out in prime-time. Executive Producer, Byron Balasco (Detroit 1-8-7), will face a real challenge trying to successfully integrate a conventional TV drama into an unconventional environment. If everything is done properly, Navy St might have the ability to attract a new group of fans to the MMA, mainly women under 35. With the hunk-like star appeal of Lauria and Jonas, women will certainly tune in to check out all the fuss. For Lauria, the role of an MMA fighter shouldn’t be such a stretch after appearing for several years as a football player. Jonas, on the other hand, will have to work hard to convince America that he is a MMA contender. The role presents this former Broadway stalwart with an opportunity to show us some skills in a physically demanding role.
MMA fans are sure to see a parade of current MMA stars who will be called upon to keep the action lively and realistic. It won’t be the first time a MMA fighter has crossed over from fighting to films. For example, MMA beauty Ronda Rousey starred in the recently released Expendables 3. Then there’s Georges St-Pierre, who has appeared in three films to date: playing himself in the MMA film Never Surrender, then the characters named “Stone” and “Shaman” in action movies Hell’s Chain and Death Warrior. Tito Ortiz, Cung Le, Keith Jardine, Gina Carano, Oleg “The Russian Bear” Taktarov, and Randy “The Natural” Couture have also made multiple film and television appearances, and if Kingdom producers are wise, they’ll recruit actual fighters for appearances.
The truth is, though, that the MMA has nothing to lose and everything to gain from Kingdom. If the show hits the mark, the MMA might increase its popularity, and if the show fails, MMA fans will just write it off as a bad idea. After all, no bad football movie ever diminished the sport.
By Elizabeth Eckhart
