Cancelled Reagan Miniseries Was 'a Stinker,' Says Critic

CNSNEWS.com ^ | 11/05/03 | Marc Morano

[kattracks]

(CNSNews.com) - A conservative media critic Tuesday called CBS's cancellation of the miniseries about former President Ronald Reagan "an amazing development" designed to obscure the reality that the movie was "a stinker." Democrats and liberals also decried the network's cancellation, with one website declaring a "Right-Wing Jihad Makes CBS Quiver."

Michael Medved, author of the book Hollywood vs. America and a nationally syndicated radio talk show host, said CBS and its parent company Viacom were caught off guard by the overwhelming response by conservative critics, government officials, talk show hosts, special interest groups and other Reagan supporters.

"They were probably surprised by the intensity of the emotion," Medved told CNSNews.com, adding that Viacom's decision to shift the miniseries to CBS' sister pay-cable network, Showtime, represented "an amazing development." The miniseries had previously been scheduled to air on CBS Nov. 16 and 18.

In recent days, a number of Republicans and conservatives had blasted CBS for what they considered an unflattering portrayal of President Reagan, played by actor James Brolin.

The criticism was based on excerpts from the script of the miniseries that had found their way to the press. According to published reports, the former president was to be portrayed as having a callous disregard for AIDS victims and as a man who compared himself to the "anti-Christ." The script also failed to note the record economic expansion during Reagan's years and the demise of communism.

But the public pressure on CBS may not have been the only factor in the decision to cancel the miniseries and relegate it to Showtime, according to Medved. "I think the dirty little secret was the thing was a stinker," Medved said.

"Leaving aside its content or its political slant, my guess is CBS is deciding to save itself embarrassment all around," Medved added.

CBS President Les Moonves will be able to gain a double advantage by canceling the movie, according to Medved.

"Moonves will be able to escape embarrassment by not running a stinker series at the same time he can blame those nasty right wingers," Medved said.

In a statement released Tuesday, Viacom said it made the decision after seeing the final cut of the show.

"Although the miniseries features impressive production values and acting performances, and although the producers have sources to verify each scene in the script, we believe it does not present a balanced portrayal of the Reagans for CBS and its audience," the Viacom statement read.

'Right-wing jihad'

Liberals and other Reagan detractors spared no criticism of CBS for the decision to cancel.

The left wing website, BuzzFlash.com, alleged in headlines Tuesday that the network had capitulated to pressure. "Right-Wing Jihad Makes CBS Quiver," the website declared, adding that CBS "should change their name to Cowardly Broadcasting Service or the Censored Broadcasting Service."

BuzzFlash.com said CBS was caving in to "right wing censorship" and accused the Republican Party of turning American "television into [a] Soviet-Style Propaganda Tool."

Others raised the rhetoric even higher.

Noting that CBS had tried to salvage the project by cutting controversial scenes from the Reagan miniseries, Philadelphia Daily News TV critic Ellen Gray drew a comparison between Nazi dictator Adolph Hitler and Ronald Reagan.

"CBS' Hitler miniseries also underwent some changes after an early draft of the script leaked and drew fire. That all those changes were aimed at making Hitler look even worse than he appeared in the original just goes to show you Ronald Reagan has a lot more friends," Gray wrote Tuesday.

U.S. Senate Minority Leader Tom Daschle (D-S.D.) also criticized the decision to cancel the Reagan miniseries.

"It smells of intimidation to me. It sounds to me like they were intimidated," Daschle said Tuesday at a news conference. "And I'm disappointed. I think any time occasions arise when the essence of the judgment made by television producers is influenced by outside forces, we have to call into question whether that level of intimidation is appropriate," Daschle said.

"Whether or not this was the right decision is something left to others to make, but it does again raise the specter of just how powerful some of these special interest groups truly are today," Daschle added.

Many Democrats disputed the Reagan record and urged CBS to cover what they view as the former president's failures.

U.S. Rep. John Dingell (D-Mich.) wrote an open letter to Moonves last week urging the network to include "some of my recollections of the Reagan years" in "the interest of historical accuracy."

Dingell's "recollections" of Reagan included "$640 Pentagon toilet seats; ketchup as a vegetable; union busting; firing striking air traffic controllers; Iran-Contra; selling arms to terrorist nations; trading arms for hostages" and "apartheid apologia; the savings and loan scandal; voodoo economics."

"I hope you find these facts useful in accurately depicting President Reagan's time in office," wrote Dingell in the conclusion of his Oct. 29 letter.

'Disgustingly poor taste'

A conservative media watchdog group hailed the decision to cancel the miniseries.

"CBS's decision to pull the The Reagans miniseries was a wise one," stated L. Brent Bozell III, president of the Media Research Center, the parent organization of CNSNews.com .

"The original decision to broadcast a factually distorted film about the former president when he is in the latter stages of Alzheimer's disease showed disgustingly poor taste," Bozell added.

The Ronald Reagan Legacy Project, a group dedicated to honoring the legacy of the former president, was pleased with the Viacom/CBS decision.

"CBS has done the right thing," said Grover Norquist, president of Americans for Tax Reform (ATR), the organization that runs the Ronald Reagan Legacy Project.

"Those of us familiar with the real Reagan record would rather it be dumped entirely, but selling the show to second-tier Showtime is a marked improvement," Norquist said.

Marc Christian, the homosexual partner of the late actor Rock Hudson, also defended Reagan and refuted the CBS script, which reportedly included the former president saying that homosexuals who had developed AIDS deserved to die.

"The notion that a Ronald Reagan was a homophobe strikes me as silly beyond belief," Christian wrote in a letter to CBS's Moonves. Hudson died from AIDS in 1985. The letter was released Tuesday by FrontPagemazine.com columnist Tammy Bruce.

"Not only did he have several gay men on his staff when he was governor of California, he called my lover, Rock Hudson, when he was on his deathbed just weeks before he died of AIDS and wished him well and voiced his and Nancy's concern and prayers," Christian wrote.

"...The Reagans had known Rock for years and knew he was gay (as did most of Hollywood)," Christian's letter continued. "The point is, Reagan could have ignored Rock's illness and didn't," he added.

See Earlier Stories:
CBS Cancels Movie on Ronald Reagan (Oct. 4, 2003)
Advertisers Urged to Preview Reagan Movie Before Sponsoring (Oct. 28, 2003)
Group Aims to Stop CBS 'Hatchet Job' About Reagans From Airing (Oct. 30, 2003)

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[tet68]

"It smells of intimidation to me. It sounds to me like they were intimidated," Daschle said Tuesday at a news conference.

"And I'm disappointed. I think any time occasions arise when the essence of the judgment made by television producers is influenced by outside forces, we have to call into question whether that level of intimidation is appropriate," Daschle said.

Poor tommy Dashole is deeply disappointed........
whereas if "the essence of the judgment made by television producers is influenced by" INSIDE forces, that would be OK.


"...that level of intimidation is appropriate," Daschle said.

Warning! Caution! Some statements in the above article may be incomplete as befits a "fictional biographical" sketch.

Thanky you.

[Huck]

It's just so great that leftists have lost their media stranglehold on America. The hysterics are just so much proof of it. It is a good thing. The so called "special interests" that "intimidated" CBS are called customers, Tommy. They are regular Americans who (by the way) own the airwaves, and who are consumers of television, and have every right to have their voice heard, you little twerpy elitist loser. Just wait until the GOP gets a filibuster proof majority! Then you will REALLY be disappointed!

[aardvark1]

Even CNSNews calls Medved a "conservative" critic?! I hope they identify Roger Ebert as a "liberal" critic and others by their political stipes as well.

[goldstategop]

Tommy Daschund is saddened, deeply saddened upon learning news of the cancellation.

[tcostell]

If they actually air it on showtime I'm going to drop the service.

[AAABEST]

BRAVO! *enthusiastic applause*

[SunnyUsa]

If they actually air it on showtime I'm going to drop the service.

Hopefully many others will do the same....I wish I hadn't ALREADY dropped their service so I could make the point too!

[Harmless Teddy Bear]

the Republican Party of turning American "television into [a] Soviet-Style Propaganda Tool."

No dear, that would be what SeeBS was doing.

[randita]

I'll ask again, "Did any of those now crying "censorship", "conservative jihad", "special interest" pressure, etc. voice the same sentiments when the boycott was mounted to stop Dr. Laura's show?"

[autoresponder]

[Cincinatus' Wife]

Shelving of 'Reagans' touches off hot debate ***"In pulling the film, CBS did incredible harm, much more harm than they could ever have done in making the film," said Neal Gabler, author of Life the Movie: How Entertainment Conquered Reality. "What they've told us now is that a small group of people have censorship power over the broadcast networks."

What complicates the issue for some is the very nature of docudrama - a debased genre that includes wholesale invention and what Thompson called "pure dish." Networks have become so brazen in ignoring any journalistic or historical concerns of accuracy that some analysts see it as significant that CBS finally admitted there was a line and that The Reagans crossed it.

"I do find it offensive that important points of our national history are totally rewritten in such docudramas to serve entertainment values intended to appeal to the lowest common denominator," said Phil Seib, media historian and Lucius W. Nieman professor of journalism at Marquette University.

"So, you have to legitimately ask yourself whether this could be interpreted as a victory for history and taste. If it is, though, it would be a rare one when it comes to network television and our national past. And it does raise serious concerns that such pressure was mounted and the film was pulled without anyone outside of CBS seeing it."

The controversy started last month when CBS sent a cassette with selected "highlights" from the miniseries to critics. Portions of the script were also selectively leaked. The highlights showed Nancy Reagan portrayed as a modern-day Lady Macbeth, manipulating her husband and scheming backstage to run the White House. Reagan was portrayed as mean-spirited and often befuddled.

The portion of the script that has drawn the most fire involved a portrayal of Reagan as being utterly insensitive to those suffering from AIDS. When Nancy tries to enlist his aid in fighting the emerging epidemic, the script has Reagan replying, "They that live in sin, shall die in sin."

In the highlight reel, Reagan is also shown approving the sale of arms to Iran in 1984 during a moment of dementia when he fails to even recognize the national security aide to whom he is speaking. Brent Baker, vice president of the Media Research Center, yesterday cited that depiction as the kind of questionable history that so troubled his organization. ***

[nicmarlo]

"It smells of intimidation to me. It sounds to me like they were intimidated," Daschle said Tuesday at a news conference. "And I'm disappointed. I think any time occasions arise when the essence of the judgment made by television producers is influenced by outside forces, we have to call into question whether that level of intimidation is appropriate," Daschle said.

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(Please Freepmail me if you want on/off Daschle ping.)

[Behind Liberal Lines]

kaff kaff...Rush Limbaugh...kaff kaff

[nicmarlo]

Morning, BLL! : )

[oyez]

bfl

[ItsOurTimeNow]

I think any time occasions arise when the essence of the judgment made by television producers is influenced by outside forces, we have to call into question whether that level of intimidation is appropriate,"

In other words, Little Tommy is telling us that The People shouldn't have a say? That us lowly subjects aren't allowed to voice our opinions? The the little folks shouldn't protest when we don't like something?

Tommy, you're a communist f**khead. Shut it!

[Miss Marple]

I think Senator Daschle needs a taste of intimidation himself.

Apparently the words "free market" and "public arena" are not in his vocabulary.

[ChadGore]

Someone should make a movie in which a mentaly deficient husband is badgered and ordered around by a dominating, but non the less equally mentally deficient wife, and call it "The Striesands"

[Savage Beast]

"Leaving aside its content or its political slant, my guess is CBS is deciding to save itself embarrassment"

Are you kidding? If the people at CBS were capable of embarrassment, they'd wear bags over their heads for the rest of their lives!

"'We believe it does not present a balanced portrayal of the Reagans for CBS and its audience,' the Viacom statement read."

Strange that they didn't notice this until after the public outcry...!

ABSURD OBSERVATION OF THE WEEK:

"The original decision to broadcast a factually distorted film about the former president when he is in the latter stages of Alzheimer's disease showed disgustingly poor taste"

BRENT!!! You are talking about THE DEMOCRATS!!!

(F'cryin' out loud!!! Whaddaya expect??? Honesty???)