Posted on 09/08/2006 3:26:30 PM PDT by kellynla
Susan Lyne knew it was a bad idea. That's why the ABC Entertainment president passed on what morphed into The Reagans, CBS's now infamous—and now scrubbed—miniseries. "Either you were going to get something very soft, and you weren't going to get an audience for it," she said. "Or you did something where you played up whatever elements you could and ended up having a bad reaction."
Lyne was surprised that CBS would produce a program critical of a popular former president afflicted with Alzheimer's disease. "A lot of people look at him as a god," she said during a meeting with investors last Thursday in Los Angeles. "To take him on at this moment seems a little silly."
For CBS, its decision to green-light the two-parter on the Reagan presidency this month was far more than "a little silly." It was a serious miscalculation that is now costing the network money and prestige. The controversy culminated just days after CBS celebrated its 75th anniversary with a televised pat on the back that touted its history of leadership.
Amid a maelstrom of criticism from Republicans, conservative commentators and Ronald Reagan's family, CBS last week canceled the Nov. 16 and 18 broadcasts and sold the show to Showtime, a pay-TV network that is, like CBS, owned by Viacom.
CBS President Leslie Moonves, who accepted responsibility for the cancellation, said it was based solely on the merits—actually, the lack of merit—of the miniseries, in which, conservatives complained, Reagan was wrongly portrayed as a doddering gay-basher whose wife, Nancy, pulled all the strings.
(Excerpt) Read more at broadcastingcable.com ...
Any info on what Barbara has to say about "The Path to 9/11"?
actually i believe this show wasn't cancelled: it was just moved to Showtime.
Great find, kelly!
I find it ridiculous that anything that paints the democrats in a bad light is off limits and subject to repercussions, and any thing that paints the republicans in a bad light is ok due to our 1st Amendment.
I don't look as Reagan as a god. I just don't look at him as as idiot, which the miniseries made him out to be, pink cheeks and all.
this shows the Dems for the hypocrites they are - espousing tolerance and free speech and practicing the opposite. but as someone else said, they are making their bed now and they will have to lie in it. it's our job to point out the hypocrisy during the election season.
That a touch strong.....although I think we should come up with some space on Mt. Rushmore....
The Reagans movie was pulled because two minutes of viewing would have proved that the movie was nothing but a caracature.
This situation is entirely different.
I keep a small statue of him in the basement. I worship it daily and offer it human blood every full moon.
Remember....
It raises awareness....it gets people talking. In the end, that is the most important thing...that is always a good thing.
The double standard: leftists getting away with whatever they want to.
That movie wasn't cancelled, Showtime picked it up and aired it.
Liberals use the Constitution to destroy the Constitution.
It was, they showed it in all of it's glory!
At the time of this article I don't believe Showtime had picked it up. But I could be wrong.
I just thought the article and the individuals who criticized CBS show the hypocrisy of the 'Rats.
Well, you don't want to "question their patriotism," do you? DO YOU!?
and any thing that paints the republicans in a bad light is ok due to our 1st Amendment.
Look. There you go, questioning their patriotism again. You're so mean!
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