History Channel Kennedy mini series cancelled. 'Not a Fit’

[Magda Hassan]

Controversial Miniseries 'Not a Fit'

1:55 PM 1/7/2011 by Matthew Belloni






John K/Todd G/Splash News/Newscom

Ambitious miniseries was set to air this spring; stars Greg Kinnear and Katie Holmes, and producer Joel Surnow were told today of cancellation.

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 projectHistory and Lifetime president and general manager Nancy Dubuc's first scripted miniseries at the network and its most expensive program everhas 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."

History and parent A&E said at the time that the script had been revised and that the final version had been vetted by experts. Indeed, the script used in production had passed muster with History historians for accuracy.

Despite the controversy, History was able to recruit a big-ticket cast to the project, announcing in April that Greg Kinnear (John F. Kennedy), Katie Holmes (Jackie Kennedy), Barry Pepper (Robert F. Kennedy) and Tom Wilkinson (Joe Kennedy) would co-star. The actors and CAA, which reps both Kinnear and Holmes, were told this afternoon of the cancellation. Surnow also was told today.

No advertisers had registered complaints or concerns with the miniseries, confirms an A&E spokesperson, but the content was not considered historically accurate enough for the network's rigorous standards. So an air date, which had not been announced but was planned for spring, was scrapped.

"We recognize historical fiction is an important medium for storytelling and commend all the hard work and passion that has gone into the making of the series, but ultimately deem this as the right programming decision for our network," a rep tells THR in the statement.

The miniseries is still scheduled to air in Canada on March 6, and will still be broadcast internationally.

But the U.S. cancellation no doubt is a disappointment in an otherwise blockbuster era for AETN president and CEO Abbe Raven and Dubuc, both of whom championed the project. AETN, owned by a consortium comprised of Hearst, Disney-ABC Television Group and NBC Universal, enjoyed its most-watched year ever in 2010, with its six Nielsen-rated networks posting combined year-over-year viewership growth in each quarter. In addition, History is now a Top 5 cable network in all demos, fueled by hit original series such as Pawn Stars and Ice Road Truckers.

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.
http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/hi...last-69529

[Bernice Moore]

pinwheels:THE EDIT BUTTON IS GONE IN THE POST ABOVE.....THANKS ..

http://www.netflix.ca/Default?mqso=80027...direct=off

[Jim DiEugenio]

THis is great.

Thanks to Greenwald.

It must have been really bad. Can't wait to see just how bad it really is.

[Jan Klimkowski]

This was 8 x commercial hour drama documentary with proper actors, scripted, shot and edited?

Wow - in financial terms, the History Channel has taken a huge, potentially crippling, financial hit.

Like Jim and all, I can't wait to see the final cuts leaked into cyberspace so we can judge precisely why the History Channel pulled the films.

[Dawn Meredith]

THis is great.

Thanks to Greenwald.

It must have been really bad. Can't wait to see just how bad it really is.

Indeed great news. One down and one to go. HBO's trash must go as well.

Dawn:thumbsup:

[Albert Doyle]

See, don't trash Jesse too much. You could be seeing an immediate dividend here from Ventura's breaching the cable TV propaganda palisade with his show. It could be the smear job based on JFK's infidelities stood out too much for what it was and the network faced blowback for hosting propaganda dirt.


The educated view on the documentary:


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yE3xGicpT...r_embedded



.

[Phil Dragoo]

On lancer I said the pulling statement had to be parsed.

Specifically it was said not to be a fit for the brand.

Hence I expect to see it on another cable channel.

And we have this:

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.

I am certain many will be ready to contact prospective hosts or sponsors to quash airing it elsewhere.

[Magda Hassan]

Pressure from the Kennedy family played a big role in History's decision to yank the mini from its schedule, as first reported by THR.

Pressure from the Kennedy family played a key role in the History channel's decision to pull the plug on its controversial miniseries The Kennedys.
our editor recommends

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




As The Hollywood Reporter first reported, the eight-part miniseries, starring Greg Kinnear and Katie Holmes and masterminded by conservative 24 co-creator Joel Surnow, was abruptly yanked from the History schedule Jan. 7 before a planned airdate in the spring. In a statement to THR, a rep for History parent A&E Television Networks said that "after viewing the final product in its totality, we have concluded this dramatic interpretation is not a fit for the History brand."
None of History's advertisers or sponsors complained about the miniseries. But behind the scenes, members of the Kennedy family strongly lobbied AETN to kill the project since it was announced in December 2009, according to a source close to the situation. In recent weeks, those efforts intensified.
AETN is owned by a consortium including the Walt Disney Co., NBC Universal and Hearst. The source said that Disney/ABC Television Group topper Anne Sweeney, who serves on the AETN board and is said to hold tremendous sway over its decisions, was personally lobbied by Caroline Kennedy, the daughter of John F. Kennedy and Jackie Kennedy. Caroline Kennedy has a book deal with Disney's Hyperion publishing division, which announced in April 2010 that it will publish a collection of previously unreleased interviews with the late Jackie Kennedy timed to the 50th anniversary of the first year of JFK's presidency this fall.
Caroline has agreed to edit the untitled book, write an introduction and to help promote it, including making an appearance on Disney/ABC's Good Morning America, among other outlets.As part of the promotion for the book, Caroline is expected to reveal some of the 6.5 hours of previously unheard audiotapes of the former First Lady that form the basis of the book.
But that level of cooperation might have been unlikely if History had gone ahead with the Kennedys project, which was championed by AETN president and CEO Abbe Raven and History and Lifetime president and general manager Nancy Dubuc.
Kennedy scion Maria Shriver also has close ties to NBC Universal, where she worked for years as an employee in its news division. She is said to have voiced her displeasure with the project to outgoing NBCU execs Jeff Zucker and Jeff Gaspin. Gaspin serves on the AETN board, as does Scott Sassa for Hearst.
Shriver also is a friend of Sweeney, who serves on the board of the Special Olympics, founded by Shriver's mother, Eunice Kennedy Shriver. Sweeney and Shriver both attend the same church in the Los Angeles area, and a source said Shriver criticized the Kennedysproject to Sweeney after a leaked early script was attacked in the New York Timesas "vindictive" and "malicious" by a former JFK aide (though the final shooting script is said to have been vetted for accuracy by History's in-house historians).
A rep for Sweeney referred THR to the AETN statement. AETN declined to comment further.
The Kennedys is still scheduled to be broadcast in Canada on March 6 and will air in foreign countries as well. AETN has allowed producers Asylum Entertainment and Muse Entertainment to shop the miniseries to another U.S. network. Producers have targeted Showtime, which in 2003 broadcast the controversial presidential project The Reagansafter CBS refused to air it.
Showtime topper David Nevins, who worked on 24 when he ran Imagine Television and is close with Surnow, is said to be watching the miniseries this weekend.
http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/ca...lped-69764

[Charles Drago]

So the LBJ-did-it installment of TMWKK is pulled because of pressure from Valenti, et al, and no one has a problem.

But "the Kennedy family" allegedly pressures the U.S. cancellation of the latest JFK character assassination, and we're supposed to be outraged?

Two points:

1. I am a Free Speech absolutist. I have no problem whatsoever with the domestic airing of the HIstory Channel fiction. I would, however, have a very serious problem with suppression of critical commentary delivered via an equally powerful media vehicle.

From the full disclosure file: I did sign an anti-History Channel petition which attacked the planned mini-series. In doing so, I hoped to add my voice to those calling for an equal time counter-attack.

2. How powerful an impact, if any, did academic and general public outcry against the series have on the decision to cancel? Giving "credit" to the Kennedys alone strikes me as an act of disempowerment.

[Jan Klimkowski]

Charles - I agree and would add that the cost of pulling a completed (written, filmed and edited) eight part drama series from broadcast is huge.

There are very few arguments that are likely to persuade a major television company not to broadcast in these circumstances.

My own insider experience of television suggests that the most likely of those reasons is legal jeopardy.

If it is clear that scenes in the drama series are demonstrably untrue, then the History Channel which, after all, prides itself on its factual veracity, may have determined that broadcasting the series could have left it open to crippling legal action and permanent reputational damage.