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History Channel Cancels 'The Kennedys' Miniseries -- Before It Even Airs
by Maggie Furlong, posted Jan 7th 2011 11:00PM
The much-anticipated 'Kennedys' miniseries was set to air this spring. That is, until History Channel abruptly canceled it today."Upon completion of the production of 'The Kennedys,' History has decided not to air the 8-part miniseries," a rep for the network told The Hollywood Reporter in a statement. "After viewing the final product in its totality, we have concluded that although the film is produced and acted with the highest quality auspices, the dramatic license the series takes is not suitable for the History brand."
That "dramatic license" didn't deter big-name talent from the multi-million dollar production: Greg Kinnear as John F. Kennedy; Katie Holmes as Jackie Kennedy; Barry Pepper as Robert F. Kennedy; and Tom Wilkinson as Joe Kennedy. The actors and producer Joel Surnow ('24') were told this afternoon of the cancellation.
The cancellation is not due to any advertiser complaints or concerns, an A&E spokesperson confirmed. It's solely attributed to the content not being considered historically accurate enough by the network.
More details were in the statement: "We recognize historical fiction is an important medium for storytelling and commend all the hard work and passion that has gone into the making of the series, but ultimately deem this as the right programming decision for our network."
The miniseries is still scheduled to air in Canada on March 6, and will be broadcast internationally. THR has learned that producers might try to bring the miniseries to a pay cable channel for U.S. audiences.
So what do you think: Were you excited to see 'The Kennedys'? Do you think another network will buy and air it now? Sound off in the comments.
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