Posted on 01/11/2006 11:25:32 PM PST by CardCarryingMember.VastRightWC
(UPI) NBC's controversial new series, "The Book of Daniel," had just 23 commercials spanning 12.5 minutes during its two-hour premiere, it was reported Wednesday.
The number adds up to about half the usual commercial load for two hours in primetime, MediaWeek reported.
Conservative and religious groups mounted a vigorous attack against the series starring Aidan Quinn as a priest addicted to prescription drugs -- and struggling with an alcoholic wife, gay son and brother -- who embezzles funds from the church. Quinn's character is seen having conversations with a modern "Jesus" figure, who only he can see.
Five NBC affiliates refused to air the premiere, MediaWeek noted.
(Excerpt) Read more at insider.washingtontimes.com ...
"The Book of Daniel" placed third in its time slot, behind CBS and ABC, among viewers between the ages of 18 and 49, MediaWeek said.
awwwwww isn't that just too too bad? i read today a couple of companies had yanked their ads. *sniff* LOL
The show is flat-lining...
My biggest question is: Why did they do it? Don't major TV networks run new shows past test audiences first?
They approved it, it got made, it was a stinker.
So they stick it on friday nights midseason.
Nobody will watch it, so they use controversy / religious protests to draw attention to the show.
In all likelyhood, it will last 13 weeks and be gone forever. Probably not even that long.
The MSM is intent on taking down Christians. Evidently this is a loss leader for NBC. Even so, it's hard to picture them eating the losses for long.
If that is the case the next showing should show more advertisers who are bailing out. No one wants to get onboard a sinking ship.
Well, a drug addicted priest with a alcoholic wife, homosexual son and drug dealing daughter probably tested well amongst the anti-Christian crowd that is normally associated with Hollywood...or did you think they'd actually test it on a Christian audience?
THE WRITING IS ON THE WALL... FOR THE BOOK OF DANIEL!
;)
Advertising revenue for TV is much too precious, right now, to take a chance on losing it.
To top that off, January and February are the poorest months of the year for TV ad income. They are at their most vulnerable revenue position of the entire year right now so they had better act quickly to try and cut their losses.
Further proof that crap like this doesn't need to be censored, as it will fail all by itself.
Actually, viewed as a spoof of the Religious Left, the show is uproariously ridiculous. My housemate and I were howling such things as, "of COURSE they're Lesbians!", etc. I had only planned to watch TV for an hour just to know how bad it was, but was having so much fun, I watched both hours (not realizing at first it was two hours).
Not that I can commend the show. It is not, in fact, a spoof of the left coming from the right. It is a spoof of the left coming from someone who is so far to the left, that he believes he is spoofing the right. But what works about the show is that the spoof is not in making detestable characters, as most vile from the left typically does. Rather the show makes soft pleasant people, who are contemptible only for their lack of character, and places them in preposterous situations stemming from their weaknesses. The anger behind the show (which is aimed at Christianity, no doubt) is manifested by demonstrating the hypocrisy of the characters. Or, to put it more delicately, the inconsistency of the characters. The characters are in some ways very liberal, and in some ways Christian. (Perhaps not what people on this forum would consider GOOD Christian, but the man IS a priest.) And the drama in this dramedy comes from the tension between these aspects.
For instance: the priest has a gay son. The father is sooooo accepting of the son's lifestyle, or at least tries to be. And he is mocked (by the writer's juxtaosition of events, and by the character of his son) because he is, at heart, a little uneasy with being a Christian leader who has a gay son. Presumably, the writer, a gay activist, expects us to see the father's weakness as having an inherent tendency to be a little grossed out by his son's behavior.
The priest, however, also has a Republican son. (Not the religious right; this son is also a bit of a playboy.) This son has voiced several very conservative beliefs. They're not even slanderous misrepresentations of conservativism. The father is shocked and horrified by them, directing his other son to "get my will and an eraser." This is meant as humor, but also demonstrates the father's extreme passion; there is plenty of serious anger, frustration and outrage.
When contrasted with the unquestionning acceptance of his gay son's lifestyle, it creates a devestating satire of the folly of the Father's liberalism. Further irony is that the Republican son, by not projecting the message "if I had a problem with this it would mean I didn't love you," is able to project much greater ease around his gay brother, without having to persistently judge whther the homosexuality is acceptible or not. Further, while the father wracks his brain (and his congregation) about whether temptation is a gift from God (even while he fails to consider that homosexuality may be such a temptation), the Republican son is the one who can say (through his actions), "hey, we're all sinners; it doesn't mean you're not my brother."
Not even 13. NBC ordered only eight to begin with. It might quietly disappear before that via Super Bowl counterprogramming &c.
Actually I like to keep an open mind so I did watch it. I found much of it entertaining and very little of it objectionable. I think it's important that men and women of God are portrayed facing the same real problems that all people face in life.
You joined Freerepublic and decided to reveal your vacuous liberalism for THAT comment?
excuse me? Is having an open mind only for liberals? I don't hate or refuse to watch something because some party tells me to. If I felt it was over the top and sacriligous in some way, I would have made sure to say so.
Ok, in your world "all people" face the problem of being a drug addict, their wife being a stumble down drunk, their daughter being a drug pusher, their son being a homo, and their God being a burnt out hippie.
You think all people are addicted to prescription drugs, have an alcoholic wife, a homosexual child and a sibling who is a criminal?
Just kidding - of course you don't.
The point being, the show isn't really about problems that all people face.
Many people face these problems and I certainly did not mean to imply that all people face them. I am saying that many families do face one or more of these problems and many times it's their faith that pulls them through. I find it interesting that the guy who portrays Jesus is described as a burned out hippy. I've seen a lot of pictures of Jesus and never once was he wearing a three piece suit. He had long hair, a beard, wore a long robe and sandles.
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