Who Really Killed the JFK Mini-Series?
The last of the Kennedy patriarchs - Sen. Ted Kennedy - may be dead, but the family's legendary power to get their way appears to extend beyond the grave.
The last of the Kennedy patriarchs -- Senator Ted Kennedy -- may be dead, but the Kennedys' legendary power to get the family's way appears to extend beyond the grave.
The History Channel last month killed its $30 million miniseries on the life of JFK, reportedly after still-living Kennedy family members voiced objections. Now, according to the Hollywood Reporter, the series -- starring Katie Holmes and Greg Kinnear -- has been sold to the ReelzChannel, where it will premiere on April 3rd.
What's remarkable about this story is that a big-budget miniseries headlined by many big name stars has been sold to a little known cable channel. Industry sources speculated to FrumForum that the network could not have spent more than $2 million to purchase the show and that ReelzChannel is known in the industry as a channel that pays very little for its programming. Why did every other major network seemingly pass on this?
It is not unprecedented for a political miniseries to cause a controversy. In 2003, CBS had planned to broadcast a miniseries about Ronald Reagan but after criticism from conservatives and members of the Reagan family, the show was punted over to the Showtime channel (At the time, Showtime and CBS were both owned by Viacom.)
If the History Channel was not going to be able to broadcast their Kennedy miniseries, why then did no comparatively well-known cable channel pick up the series when they decided to sell it? ReelzChannel is, to put it bluntly, no AMC. A glance at the lineup of ReelzChannel reveals a list of shows that are not exactly groundbreaking: re-runs of Ally McBeal, Cheers, and 3rd Rock from the Sun, as well as a plethora of shows about movies such as Maltin on Movies, where Leonard Maltin talks about - you guessed it - movies!
A miniseries about the Kennedys will likely be good for ReelzChannel's ratings - but it would have been good for any other network as well with a much more recognizable lineup, whether it would have been AMC, HBO, or any of the other channels well known for their high quality shows. A miniseries such as this with presumably high production values would have been a feather in the cap for any channel. It seems that they have all chosen to willingly pass on a miniseries that would have been a hit.
By all indications, ReelzChannel has gotten a steal of a deal. If complaints and concerns from the Kennedy family are enough to dissuade other networks from purchasing an eight hour miniseries, it says quite a lot about the clout of the Kennedy clan – or at least where they choose to exercise it.
Follow Noah on Twitter: @noahkgreen
Tweet