King David begins with a dying David being asked to decide who will next rule Israel. Through aide-de-camp and narrator Joab, the show then flashes back to when the prophet Samuel, displeased with King Saul, anointed David. David is brought to Saul's court, where he becomes friends with Saul's son (Jonathan) and is attracted to Saul's daughter (Michal). After killing Goliath, David is given Michal in marriage as a prize, but she makes it quite clear that she does what she wants and is not chattel; in this case, she wants David. Saul becomes jealous of David's popularity with the people and accomplishments in battle. David flees from Saul before his father in law can kill him. While in exile, David gathers an army of supporters and has a son (Absalom). Both Saul and Jonathan are killed in a battle against the Philistines, and David becomes king.
As king, David brings the covenant ark to Jerusalem. Michal upbraids David for his un-kingly behavior, and he counters that she fell in love with him when he was a shepard, not a king. The rift between them is too great, and their marriage over. Michal feels that she must look after herself, and yet she will never love anyone again the way she has loved David.
David sees Bathsheba, the wife of his general Uriah, and begins an affair with her against Joab's warnings. When she becomes pregnant, David has her husband sent to the battle front, where Uriah will certainly be killed, so he can marry the widow. In defense of himself, David says that surely others have sinned more. The child dies soon after birth, and David is grief stricken. A second son is born, Solomon, who lives.
Absalom grows weary of being a prince and not a king, and plots a revolt against his father. David eventually orders Joab to crush the rebellion, but to spare Absalom. Joab finds Absalom caught in a tree by his hair, and murders him. David mourns the death of his favourite son.
Near death, David is visited by Bathsheba with Solomon. She asks David to make her son the next king. Michal and Joab tell David what a wonderful job he has done, and Michal seems to have forgiven him. David anoints Solomon, telling him that he must build the temple in Jerusalem for the ark, and dies.
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