History Channel Pulls Plug on 'The Kennedys'

Epic 8-part miniseries yanked after complaints of inaccuracies
By Polly Davis Doig,  Newser Staff
Posted Jan 8, 2011 7:15 AM CST

The Kennedys cost big bucks and stars big names like Tom Wilkinson and Greg Kinnear, but it's not going to see the light of day on the History Channel. The network yanked the epic, controversial eight-part miniseries—its most expensive program ever—yesterday after deeming the completed work "not a fit for the History brand." The Kennedys had drawn left-wing fire, which accused its conservative producer of historical inaccuracies, reports the Hollywood Reporter.

"I'll never understand why the History channel let it get as far as it did—they're intelligent people over there—but we're pleased that they came to this decision," said liberal filmmaker Robert Greenwald, who started a petition drive to derail the project. Kennedy fans had complained about dramatizations, including one alleged scene in which John Kennedy confides to brother Robert about his need to be promiscuous. The series will likely still be aired abroad. Watch the trailer above.
(More The Kennedys stories.)

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