History Channel Pulls 'The Kennedys'; Says Controversial Miniseries 'Not a Fit’

[Newsjock]

Source: Hollywood Reporter

In a surprise move, A&E Television Networks has canceled plans to broadcast The Kennedys, the ambitious and much-anticipated miniseries about the American political family that was set to air this spring on the History channel.

“Upon completion of the production of The Kennedys, History has decided not to air the 8-part miniseries on the network,” a rep for the network tells The Hollywood Reporter in a statement. “While the film is produced and acted with the highest quality, after viewing the final product in its totality, we have concluded this dramatic interpretation is not a fit for the History brand.”

The multi-million dollar project—History and Lifetime president and general manager Nancy Dubuc's first scripted miniseries at the network and its most expensive program ever—has been embroiled in controversy since it was announced in December 2009.

Developed by Joel Surnow, the conservative co-creator of 24, along with production companies Asylum Entertainment and Muse Entertainment and writer Stephen Kronish, the project drew fire from the political left and some Kennedy historians. Even before cameras rolled, a front-page New York Times story last February included a sharp attack from former John F. Kennedy adviser Theodore Sorenson, who called an early version of the script “vindictive” and “malicious.”

Read more: http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/history-channel-pulls-kennedys-last-69529

[Octafish]

1. GOP Toady Surnow was with Rush Limbaugh on his Domincan Republic Viagra run.

http://www.thesmokinggun.com/documents/crime/rush-limbaughs-dominican-stag-party

[alp227]

2. good. now get rid of all those extraterrestrial/conspiracy shows

and gain some more credibility too

[Ian David]

26. Not ALL of them. I like the ones that have women with big boobies. n/t

[WinkyDink]

35. Anomalies interest me.

[rucky]

3. Nostradamus predicted this would happen. n/t

[NC_Nurse]

4. Ha! So true. History channel sucks these days...

[no_hypocrisy]

7. Friday afternoon they were broadcasting a show based on Satan's influence on history.

Guess they can't show Hitler 24/7.

[Alamuti Lotus]

15. Angels: Good or Evil?

:eyes:

[no_hypocrisy]

27. Yep.

Seemed more suited for the Christian Broadcasting Network.

[sadbear]

5. Maybe the History Channel will start taking its name seriously

It's called "History", not "Shit republicans Make Up"

[WinkyDink]

36. Um, that often is what we actually TEACH as "history." Sorry you don't like to hear other

interpretations of statues, carvings, legends, megaliths, artifacts, ........

[DCKit]

6. Needs more Hitler? nt

[Speck Tater]

8. They need more time slots for UFOs and the Bermuda Triangle. nt

[boppers]

9. Don't forget the Templars and shroud of Turin!

You can't have a History Channel without wild conspiracy theories that have no basis in fact.

[TygrBright]

10. Woops. They probably forgot to delete all references to Joe, Sr.'s career...

...of racketeering, bribery, extortion, and Nazi-fellating.

tsk-tsk.

amusedly,
Bright

[pengillian101]

11. Yes-a-roonie.

"Woops. They probably forgot to delete all references to Joe, Sr.'s career...
Posted by TygrBright


...of racketeering, bribery, extortion, and Nazi-fellating.

tsk-tsk.

amusedly,
Bright"

[nytemare]

12. I wouldn't mind seeing a truthful, balanced, miniseries.

This would have to include the Joe Sr's and JFK's womanizing, and what you mentioned. But, it also would have to include JFK's service, despite illness. He had to pull strings to get on a PT boat, when he easily could have been discharged. His PT 109 experience made him. I truly think if it were not for him, the Cuban Missile Crisis would have had a much more somber ending. But, then, on the flip side, you must look at the Bay of Pigs fiasco.

Overall, I think a well done series would be truly fascinating.

[Enthusiast]

17. Well you can just forget that.

If you think there will ever again be an objective miniseries about ANY left of center political figure. Either these figures will be unfairly tarnished or there will be no production. These channels like The Discovery Channel and The History Channel are owned by Reichsters.

[TygrBright]

34. I agree... a clear-eyed, objective exploration of this fascinating family...

...with all of its contradictions, conflicts, moments of heroism, moments of evil, moments of folly, and moments of greatness, would be more than worth seeing.

I suspect it would end up centering on Rose. One of the truly great women of modern history who has never been adequately regarded by historical and biographical scrutiny free from hagiography.

wistfully,
Bright

[saras]

13. So what?

It's a channel. It's television. It's long past the time you got over the idea that it will, or ought to, be anything else but propaganda.

Yeah, I know, y'all only watch 'good TV'. And my friend's family in Buchenwald only ate the 'good potatoes', so they were fine.

[MJJP21]

14. Unfortunateley

Most people watch the History because they erroneously believe they are watching quality television with serious unbiased documentation. It is no different than those who watch FOX NEWS and believe it is fair and balanced. The garbage that is the History Channel really needs to be exposed.

[Enthusiast]

19. Thank you.......nt

[Enthusiast]

20. You forgot the

:sarcasm:

[freedomnorth]

23. There is no humor in people watching propaganda. n/t.

[pottersvilleusa]

31. Nicely said freedomnorth

This was yet another smear on President Kennedy to diminish his value to the people he was taken from.

These smears (like "The Dark Side of Camelot" have the subtext that JFK was a sleaze so it doesn't matter who killed him.

In fact he was a great and revolutionary leader who was eliminated because he decided to be the people's president instead of the benefactor to big biz and the banks.

[DeadEyeDyck]

16. Isn't History Channel owned by Disney?

Goofy, Pluto and the like

[melm00se]

18. Coming up on the History Channel

12:00 PM: Ancient Aliens: The Mission (belongs on the Syfy network)
2:00 PM Ancient Aliens: The Return (belongs on the Syfy network)
4:00 PM: Ancient Aliens: Chariots, Gods & Beyond (belongs on the Syfy network)
6:00 PM Ancient Aliens: The Evidence (belongs on the Syfy network)
8:00 PM: Brad Meltzer's Decoded: Confederate Gold
9:00 PM: Brad Meltzer's Decoded: The Lincoln Assassination
10:00 PM: Ancient Aliens: The Visitors (belongs on the Syfy network)

[IScreamSundays]

22. and.....

your freakin point is..????

What? You find no interest in those theories??

I happen to subscribe to those theories. There is enough evidence for them and it surely beats the scribbles of King James.

[snot]

21. Hist. Channel is / probably always was a perfect e.g. of psyops.

[BumRushDaShow]

24. The REAL "History Channel" = CSPAN 3 n/t

[Ian David]

25. How innacurate does something have to be, to be too wrong for The History Channel?

The same people who are currently airing an entire series on "Ancient Aliens?"

[tabasco]

28. LOL! It must be way over the top to be rejected by that crap channel.

They should be sued for false advertising for calling it the history channel.

[pottersvilleusa]

29. This is unexpected good news

One less propaganda piece for the bad guys.

[Lasher]

30. The producers got what they wanted.

Funny thing, how The History Channel didn't 'pull the plug' until after the miniseries had been completed. It's going to air in other countries on schedule, and it will be shown in the US on another channel. Here are the last two paragraphs of the article linked in the OP:

The Kennedys cancellation somewhat mirrors the fate of The Reagans, a miniseries that was to air on CBS in 2003 but was scrapped when advertisers threatened to boycott after conservatives raised concerns about depictions of former president Ronald Reagan being insensitive to AIDS victims. The Reagans later aired on Showtime.

THR has learned that producers of The Kennedys might make a similar move to bring the miniseries to a pay cable channel. UPDATE: A rep for Showtime says nobody at the network has yet seen The Kennedys. In addition, producers Asylum and Muse have issued a statement: "Although we regret this does not fit into the History Channel's plans, we are confident that television viewers in the United States will join viewers from around the world in having an opportunity to watch this series in the near future."

[pottersvilleusa]

32. Good catch Lasher

Propaganda on the down low.

[GeorgeGist]

33. Well and Good. However ...