The Real Reason Showtime Turned Down THE KENNEDYS!

Last week The History Channel pulled the plug on The Kennedys 8-part miniseries. 

The production has an all-star cast that includes, Greg Kinnear (John F. Kennedy), Katie Holmes (Jackie Kennedy), Barry Pepper (Robert F. Kennedy) and Tom Wilkinson (Joe Kennedy). The great cast and the historical background of the source material made this announcement odd to me. After the cancellation, the miniseries was shopped around to other networks who also turned it down. 

Showtime was one of those networks that decided against airing it. Here is what David Nevins, president of entertainment, claims the reason was,

“It wasn’t Showtime. I looked seriously at it, and thought it was well acted, well made and very watchable. What it really came down to was that it didn’t feel Showtime. It didn’t feel like premium cable. I have great respect and love for [Kennedys creator] Joel Surnow. He’s got a great cast. It didn’t fundamentally feel us. My vow coming in was to focus on renewable resources, and series are renewable resources.

I was hired to be the steward of this brand and bring the brand to the next phase of its existence. I felt it was not Showtime.”

Many rumors have surfaced as to why there have been no networks stepping forward to air the series. Everything from The Kennedy family putting pressure on networks to the the fact that Joel Surnow (24) the shows creator is a strong conervative.  

The show may still be aired, word is that Surnow is currently in talks with DirecTV to air the series. Does this sound like a good show that you would like to watch?