NBC reportedly insists that low ratings sank its controversial new show "The Book of Daniel" – but Christian activists claim viewer complaints and a virtual advertiser boycott were behind the cancellation.
The prime-time soap opera featuring Aidan Quinn as a morally conflicted priest who speaks with Jesus drew an audience of 6.9 million on its first night, but by the fourth and last airing the number had dropped to 5.8 million.
The network apparently had misgivings about the show from the outset, and scheduled "Daniel" for Fridays, a typically low-rated night.
But more to the point, the show attracted so few advertisers that the network was forced to air promos instead – and a number of NBC affiliates refused to air the show.
"NBC didn't want to eat their economic losses," said Donald E. Wildmon, chairman of the American Family Association (AFA), which had urged people to protest the show by contacting NBC and their local affiliates.
"Had NBC not had to eat millions of dollars each time it aired, NBC would have kept ‘Daniel' alive. But when the sponsors dropped the program, NBC decided it didn't want to continue the fight."
According to Wildmon, NBC's decision "shows the average American that he doesn't have to simply sit back and take the trash being offered on TV, but he can get involved and fight back with his pocketbook.
"We want to thank the 678,394 individuals who sent e-mails to NBC and the thousands who called and e-mailed their local affiliates."
James Dobson's Focus on Family also protested the show, saying it depicted Jesus as a "wimpy, white-robed visitor who cares little about evil, addictions and perversity."
The plot of "The Book of Daniel" generated far more controversy than advertising dollars.
Quinn played Daniel Webster, a drug-addicted Episcopal priest whose wife depended heavily on her mid-day martinis – and who regularly saw and talked with a very unconventional Jesus.
The Webster family was rounded out by a 23-year-old homosexual son, a 16-year-old drug-dealing daughter and a 16-year-old promiscuous adopted son.
For good measure, there was also a wife who was having an affair with her husband's lesbian secretary.
"Though most Christians would see this as a mockery, NBC contends ‘The Book of Daniel' is a serious portrayal of an average American family," reports Towers, the news service of the Southern Baptist Theological Seminary, in an article titled "NBC's ‘Book of Daniel' mocks Christian families."
The gay community is apparently dismayed by the cancellation of the show, which featured "two of primetime's few openly gay characters and was scripted by gay writer Jack Kenny," reports the Web site 365gay.com.
Kenny said on his blog: "I just wanted to say ‘thank you' to all of you who supported the show. There were many wonderful, talented people who contributed to its success – and I do mean success.
"I remain proud of our product, proud of my association with Sony, NBC Universal and NBC, who all took a chance on a project that spoke to them, and proud to have made an impact on so many of your lives."
According to media reports, Kenny has described himself as being in "Catholic recovery," is interested in Buddhist teachings about reincarnation and has said he doesn't "necessarily know that all the myth surrounding him (Jesus) is true."
Randy Sharp, director of special projects for AFA, complained to the Boston Globe: "They take our Savior Jesus Christ and reflect Him as an everyday Joy. How disrespectful."
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