ABC entertainment president Stephen McPherson told reporters Saturday that it was “ludicrous” to assert that the network pulled a reality series off its air last summer to appease conservative Christian groups.
The suggestion was raised by a front-page New York Times story Saturday about “Welcome to the Neighborhood,” in which seven families competed for a house on an Austin, Tex., cul-de-sac. ABC yanked the series before an episode aired. At the time, concerns were raised by anti-gay-defamation groups after a promo aired in which one of the homeowners on the cul-de-sac -- who would help decide which of the competing families won the house -- declares, “I would not tolerate living next door to homosexuals.”
But a producer told the Times that the series was actually pro-gay, and that this may have been the real reason the show was cancelled. Bill Kennedy, who created “Welcome to the Neighborhood” with his son Eric, said that a gay couple actually won over the anti-gay neighbor and were awarded the house. For this reason, said Kennedy, it became a problem to Disney, which owns ABC. The company was negotiating with Christian groups to drop their boycotts of Disney for its pro-gay policies and throw their support behind “The Chronicles of Narnia,” the Disney movie based on the C.S. Lewis children’s books.
Kennedy stressed that he could not prove that Disney wanted “Welcome to the Neighborhood” off the ABC schedule. But he argued that the coincidence raised questions “exactly why ABC cancelled the show.”
To which McPherson replied, “(The Kennedys’) theory on why the show didn’t go forward is not only ludicrious, it’s embarrassing to them.”
* McPherson said that he cancelled a new comedy, “Emily’s Reasons Why Not,” after only one week because creatively, “it just never got on track.” McPherson said ABC had begun promoting “Emily’s Reasons,” starring Heather Graham, “before we even saw a script.” Earlier this month the show debuted poorly in the ratings and was dropped along with another comedy, “Jake in Progress.”
* ABC’s news president, David Westin, declared himself “extremely proud” with the new faces anchoring the network’s “World News Tonight” and “Nightline.” He said that two “Peter Jennings Reports” will air this spring that the late news anchor was working on at the time of his death.
* On Sunday, the winter TV previews conclude with presentations by fourth-place NBC.
Quote: “Something happens and bad stuff follows.” -- Shonda Rhimes, creator of “Grey’s Anatomy,” when pressed for details on the “Code Black” episode that will air immediately following Super Bowl XL
Aaron, was there any indication from McPherson of a firm date for the final episode of Alias? That's gonna be tough to swallow - that *and* the West Wing saying goodbye in the same month.
Posted by: Paul | January 22, 2006 at 01:11 PM
Not yet. McPherson may have told an individual reporter but he wasn't asked it in the panel.
Posted by: Aaron | January 22, 2006 at 06:05 PM