Free Republic

Did anyone else see the Letterman Show tonight, Friday 8/15: when actor Ben Kingsley walked out to great applause, he walked up to Dave Letterman and said "God Bless American Enthusiasm!" and then repeated himself, "God Bless American enthusiasm!" Except CBS simply filtered out the word "God." Both times. Watching closely, I know I saw Kingsley's lips form the word "God" both times, his lips were clearly moving before I heard "...Bless American enthusiasm!" I thought I was imagining things, but it happened a second time!

<p>NEW YORK (AP) -- CBS pulled a Michael Jackson music special planned for next week, saying it would be "inappropriate" to air given the new charges that the star molested a child.</p> <p>Authorities in Santa Barbara, Calif. issued an arrest warrant for the pop star on molestation charges. Jackson has denied the charges.</p>

The US version of BBC sitcom Coupling has been banned by two local stations because of its sexual content. The stations - WNDU in South Bend, Indiana and KSL in Salt Lake City, Utah - are affiliated to national network NBC, which made the show. NBC has remade the cult hit British comedy, about six friends, with the first episode to be shown on Thursday. WNDU said the sexual jokes "push the envelope well beyond the boundaries of our community's standards". The station's managers said they were "disappointed and uncomfortable" with the content. NBC has admitted the show is "provocative"...

Last fall, I told you about how the television show ER took advantage of a guest appearance by film actor Don Cheadle to propagandize in favor of embryonic stem cell research. That wasn’t the only time that ER viewers have been treated to a liberal sermon on controversial social issues. Both abortion and gay rights have received similar attention. Pointing this out often brings denials that any such sermonizing is taking place and accusations that cultural conservatives are inferring a worldview that isn’t there. Well, a recent story about how ER handled the most important religious question of all makes...

NEW YORK (The Hollywood Reporter) --- When Steven Bochco first pitched the concept for "NYPD Blue ( news - Y! TV)," ABC nearly passed on the controversial cop show. Its liberal use of profanity and partial nudity was so problematic it required an extra year of development before the network unveiled the series in 1993. What a difference a decade makes. While Bochco was busy preparing the series' 10th season, network brass approached him about giving him even more latitude regarding sex and language. "I've actually had conversations with ABC about going a little further than we've been going; I...