was that they ran promos before the series began that asked "what if the greatest country on earth didn't have a president- but a king?". (or something to that effect). the obvious parallel they wanted you to draw was that the 'greatest country on earth' was america & wouldn't it blow your mind to imagine if it was something other than what it is. & the instant problem that approach created was that if america had a king instead of a president it wouldn't be the greatest country on earth at all. it wouldn't even be america. so from the get-go the show's makers had a branding problem. & beyond that they had a religion problem: christians, who aren't known for being consumers of the most edgy products pop culture has to offer, might take offense that a biblical story was being re-worked for light entertainment. & everyone else might not care to be fed any biblical stories as any sort of entertainment at all.