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Little David now plays a piano instead of a harp. And Goliath has morphed into a menacing tank. But it’s still the story of Kings David and Saul, now placed in a futuristic setting on a planet something like Earth.

All this can be found in "Kings," the new Sunday night NBC series, At one time the network had major plans for the production, But most of them have been set aside, converting the series into a mid-season replacement.

Arts and Entertainment Editor Bob Sokolsky finds little reason to question that decision.

He praises veteran actor Ian McShane for his portrayal of Saul and calls Chris Egan a decent David but finds little else that is notable.

A key flaw, he notes, is the suspicion that some members of the "Kings" writing staff have seen too many "Star Wars" and "Star Trek" productions and have been overly influenced by them. On the other hand, Sokolsky points to some potential in the series, suggesting it could develop more fully if greater care could be employed in future episodes.