The Book of Daniel has been cancelled. What did it last... two episodes?
Heh.
That bit of news however, is not the direct subject of the title of this column. Pulling the plug on that particular piece of garbage was more an effect of economics (advertisers bailing, affiliates not airing the show) than of any glint of sanity from the powers that be in La La Land.
Here's the Reuters tidbit that inspired me, which referenced a statement by NBC Entertainment President Kevin Reilly made last Spring:
"...Reilly told Reuters NBC's development of the show was inspired in part by the success of religion-themed novels like the "Left Behind" series and Mel Gibson's movie "The Passion of the Christ."
Go ahead, re-read that quote... I'll wait.
If ever there was a textbook example of the Hollywood Rectal/Cranial Inversion Syndrome (HRCIS), that, my friends, is it.
It's like saying that the food challenges on Fear Factor were inspired by the cuisine on Emeril's cooking show, and that's about the mildest comparison I could think of.
These people are seriously insane.
I mean, really... do I even have to add anything to that statement?
Source: Reuters
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Article comments
1 - Silas Kain
To some it was a piece of garbage. To others, including myself, it was a brilliant show. NBC = National Boy Cowards.
2 - Screen Rant
Apparently it was not considered brilliant by most folks or they would have tuned in. If anything, the controversy served to bring atttention to the show, and someone once said "There is no such thing as bad publicity".
At the very least it was absurd, and calling on the movies above as being the "inspiration" for this show is nuts.
Vic
3 - Silas Kain
An Ode to The Book of Daniel as sung to the music of O Danny Boy:
4 - Baronius
Rant, I remember the same reasoning used for the movie "Saved!". Unbelievable.
5 - Screen Rant
Baronius, bizarre and incomprehensible logic, ain't it?
"My butt is free for Family Fo'cus to wipe."
Silas, yeah nice. Thanks for affirming that I wouldn't want to be like you. If anyone is misguided it's folks like you, who if your views were taken to the extreme it would be legal and acceptable to have sex in the middle of the street like dogs (or heck, how about with dogs, right? Don't want to be intooooooolerant). Anything different is impinging on your freeeeeeeedom 'cuz anything resembling self-respect of self-control is bad.
Vic
6 - gonzo marx
oh Vic...i give ya points fer the nice Article, but you lose it when you try and smack Silas around with such a poor excuse for a smear...
Screen Rant sez...
*If anyone is misguided it's folks like you, who if your views were taken to the extreme it would be legal and acceptable to have sex in the middle of the street like dogs (or heck, how about with dogs, right? Don't want to be intooooooolerant).*
now, here you do the EXACT same thing you are bitching about in the Article abotu the screwy excuse for Logic that compares the show mentioned with the "Left Behind" stuff...
the Irony here is almost painful
read some of Silas' stuff and you will quickly learn that lack of self control is NOT one of his foibles
now, was it just a knee jerk reaction on your part? or an attempt at dittohead humor?
don't know, don't care really
you can do much better
Excelsior!
7 - Screen Rant
Knee jerk, and yes, I was generalizing.
Vic
8 - Silas Kain
...who if your views were taken to the extreme it would be legal and acceptable to have sex in the middle of the street like dogs (or heck, how about with dogs, right? Don't want to be intooooooolerant)...
Oh come on now. Who's the extremist? I have too much respect for man's best friend to subject a canine to sexual relations. And my butt continues to be available to Family Focus for kissing or wiping.
9 - Screen Rant
Yeah, yeah, I shouldn't let you boneheads get under my skin, but I do. ;-)
BTW, it's really obvious which posters are under 30 and don't have kids.
Vic
10 - gonzo marx
full disclosure for Vic:
i'm over 40, no kids but i do want to toss this out there for you and Family Focus etc to consider
why not be fucking PARENTS...
there are some controls on the TV set...one changes the fucking channel, and the other turns the damn thing off!
EVERY cable company has parental controls, and all TV's made since the mid 90's have the "V" chip for parental control
so why the fuck should we give in to the peurile demand that our media is dumbed down so an 8 year old won't see a nipple or hear a bad word?
the hell with that, take Responsibility, be a Parent...stop asking the FCC to be the uber-nanny
nuff said?
Excelsior!
11 - Silas Kain
AMEN, gonzo! Parental responsibility is sorely lacking. For folk who bitch about Hillary's "It Takes a Vilage", the bottom line is that Family Focus and their compatriots take advantage of the Village more often than we idiots!
12 - Nancy
The networks, like the Big 3 US automakers, are dead in the water for the same reasons: they're dinosaurs unable to change with the times, and both groups insist on trying to dictate to the consumer instead of listening; hence the consumers walk away in droves, voting w/their wallets, and these two industries are left wondering what went wrong. They still don't get it, which is the astounding thing to me.
13 - Screen Rant
I hate to burst your bubble, but I happen to be one of those parents that DOES monitor and control what my child watches on TV.
That was not the issue here.
And it sounds to me that in this particular instance viewers DID vote by not showing up to watch the show.
If you think that GLAAD wouldn't be up in arms if a show came on the air portraying a dual gay parent family that was as screwed up as this one then I think you're sorely mistaken.
Look at them trying to sue "American Idol" over Simon Cowell's comments to (apparently) gay contestants.
Vic
14 - Nancy
A big problem with television is that, as the saying goes, one can never underestimate the intelligence or tastes of the American public.
15 - Silas Kain
Political correctness be damned. I've no problem with what Cowell said to some of those contestants. If some gays or members of the ACLU had a problem, they should just get over themselves. A little less correctness and a lot more dialog is what's sorely needed.
16 - T A Dodger
If anyone is misguided it's folks like you, who if your views were taken to the extreme it would be legal and acceptable to have sex in the middle of the street like dogs.
Is that really serious? You actually think that "X behavior should be tolerated" means "ALL behavior should be tolerated??" Or you think Silas is in favor of bestiality? This is a joke, right?
BTW, it's really obvious which posters are under 30 and don't have kids.
Are you suggesting that people who don't have kids just aren't as sensitive to your concerns about content on television, or are you honestly suggesting that there's something about reproduction that makes people smarter?
17 - Screen Rant
LOL! Hmmm, hadn't thought about the fact that having kids might make you smarter. :-) Actually what I meant is that it changes your perspective on things. A lot. As does packing on another 10-15 years.
In regards to the other bit, I already stated above that it was a knee-jerk comment, although I don't think it's far from the truth in regards to some on the extreme fringes of the Left. Having said that, I wouldn't want the extreme Right to have it's way either.
Vic
18 - Baronius
It's not just the failure to read the Christian market, although as a Christian I'll always be sensitive to that. It's the ineptitude. They almost certainly wanted a hit show that would appeal to Christians, and they went with a sex-and-drugs angle.
An example from the left. A few years back, when the networks decided to be gay-friendly, they created "Will and Grace", with Jack, the queen of offensive gay stereotypes. And these guys make millions of dollars.
You ask what are the cutting-edge shows on TV, and the answer is "Curb Your Enthusiasm" and "The Sopranos". Cutting edge is defined as what you could see in the movie theaters 30 years ago, from Woody Allen or Martin Scorcese. TV boggles my mind. This is what a hockey fan must feel like, watching a league of morons destroying his sport.