Powered by i.TV
February 10, 2012
 
CONNECT    

Was Daniel a dud?

by Anna Johns, posted Jan 9th 2006 10:34AM
Despite all the publicity leading up to Friday's premiere of The Book of Daniel on NBC, it still didn't do so hot in the ratings. The two-hour premiere, which aired from 9-11 pm on Friday, averaged about 9 million viewers. That's fewer than Close to Home, Numb3rs, In Justice, and 20/20, which all aired against Daniel on CBS and ABC. In Justice and 20/20 barely beat Daniel, each with a little more than 9 million viewers.

I watched The Book of Daniel out of pure curiosity. I like Aidan Quinn and I wanted to give the guy a chance. Plus, I wanted to see whether all the ruckus was justified. It wasn't.This show is definitely not more racey than Desperate Housewives or The O.C. (not by a mile). It actually had very little to do with the church, other than Daniel's imagined conversations with Jesus, which happened to be the funniest part of the show. When Jesus told Daniel he was tailgating? That was laugh-out-loud comedy. It was the rest of the show that ticked me off. Each of the characters, including Daniel the Episcopalian priest, is a stereotype. One person's an alcoholic, another is gay, another is a racist, another is cheating on his wife, another is addicted to painkillers... blah blah blah. My frustration with this show was the total lack of depth in the characters. Sure, the premiere episode is supposed to be all exposition, but it felt like the writers couldn't come up with any creative issues for these people to face. The show hit me as a watered-down, network-friendly version of Six Feet Under, which was an intricate series that took its time to unfold. NBC (or any of the other networks, quite frankly) doesn't have the patience. However, it did tickle me a bit that the Catholics were connected to the mafia.

Add a Comment

*0 / 3000 Character Maximum

12 Comments

Filter by:
Rob Slayton

Rip Roaring fun, my favorite line "Dad, do I have to come out to you at every meal?" HA HA HA HA HA. Side splitting. Where do these guys come up with such masterful writing? So funny, I am still laughing. oh my hahahaha... come out at every meal, hahahaha its funny because his dad is a priest, and he is gay, oh my hahahaha



Are we so dumbed down as a society that this is the kind of crap that passes as entertainment? People actually liked this? Wow, I am depressed.

January 14 2006 at 7:01 PM Report abuse rate up rate down Reply
sandy pierce

Oh My God what is the world coming to, or shall i say what is it going to.

January 09 2006 at 9:40 PM Report abuse rate up rate down Reply
JIm

I enjoyed it.

I was touched by his relationship with Jesus.

He had the same sort of relationship anyone can have, and that some believers have.

We can all talk to Jesus, and if were quiet, well hear him when he talks back.

January 09 2006 at 4:09 PM Report abuse rate up rate down Reply
JIm

I enjoyed it.

I was touched by his relationship with Jesus.

He had the same sort of relationship anyone can have, and that some believers have.

We can all talk to Jesus, and if were quiet, well hear him when he talks back.

January 09 2006 at 4:09 PM Report abuse rate up rate down Reply
Mark

I watched it. It was completely moronic no matter if you are also offended by its anti everything stance or not. Basking in all that tasteless hedonism in the first episode gives them nowhere to go in subsequent episodes. I'm confident that it will die the ignomanious death it deserves.

January 09 2006 at 3:26 PM Report abuse rate up rate down Reply
Suzanne

I looked forward to this, as I like Aiden Quinn, and thought the life of a priest as a real "human" might be fodder for both drama and humor. However, I thought the writing was abysmal. I actually could not finish the second hour, as I was bored out of my mind. Although a clever, irreverent line was thrown in occasionally, I guess I expected writing on the sharp, acerbic calibre of the greatly-missed (in our household) JOAN OF ARCADIA. I found the characters, with the exception of Quinn, to be completely one-dimensional. I'm not a terribly conservative person, but even *I* was put off when their daughter was caught selling Mary Jane, and got not too much more than a "oh you clever, naughty girl" slap on the wrist. Is that the reality of today's families? Gosh, I wouldn't expect that in most families, let along one headed by a priest.

January 09 2006 at 2:44 PM Report abuse rate up rate down Reply
Barry Stinson

I watched this show because Aiden Quinn stars, and was unaware of all the controversy surrounding the premise. I loved the show, and several times caught myself laughing out loud. A sense of humor merely requires the ability to laugh at oneself, and many opportunities are presented here. Hilarious at times, with the occasional surprise, and always thought-provoking - Entertainment above and beyond so much of the garbage on offer these days. Kudos to NBC...and I am sure mine will not be the only 'voice of reason' that pleads for more...more...more...

January 09 2006 at 2:43 PM Report abuse rate up rate down Reply
Canton

Actually, given the apparent level of mediocrity of this show (judging by the pilot), it just might survive.

January 09 2006 at 12:28 PM Report abuse rate up rate down Reply
JT

The "gay son" situation was caricatural: not subtle for one bit. Given their amount in the pilot alone, I wonder how many gay jokes flew in this household since the guy came out of the closet. Too much to be credible in my opinion.

The rest is pretty much a typical pilot, wanting to do too much while accomplishing too little.

January 09 2006 at 11:43 AM Report abuse rate up rate down Reply
ryanknapper

I think that it occupies a sweet-spot where most people won't want to watch it. Its certainly irreverent enough that I expect many Christians won't like it and many non-Christians won't want to watch it because it isn't irreverent enough.

January 09 2006 at 11:37 AM Report abuse rate up rate down Reply

Follow Us

From Our Partners