History has pulled the plug on “The Kennedys.”
The star-studded, highly anticipated miniseries — which stars Greg Kinnear as John F. Kennedy and Katie Holmes as Jackie Kennedy — was expected to air this spring, but has been yanked before seeing the light of day.
Insiders say Kennedy family members, including JFK’s daughter, Caroline Kennedy, “put pressure” on Disney, Hearst and NBC — who own History’s parent, A&E — not to air the miniseries, especially since it’s the 50th anniversary of JFK’s inauguration.
“Upon completion of the production of ‘The Kennedys,’ History has decided not to air the 8-part miniseries on the network,” History said in a statement yesterday.
“While the film is produced and acted with the highest quality, after viewing the final product in its totality, we have concluded this dramatic interpretation is not a fit for the History brand.”
It’s a surprise move for the network, considering the multi-million-dollar project would have been its first scripted miniseries.
But “The Kennedys” has been dogged by controversy from the outset.
Kennedy historians and JFK advisor Theodore Sorenson were among those who attacked it before filming began, based on the fact that the “warts-and-all” project was being developed by Joel Surnow (“24“), one of Hollywood’s few conservatives.
Sorenson called a draft of the script “vindictive” and “malicious.” All along, History has maintained that Kennedy historians vetted the final version of the script.
“The Kennedys” is still scheduled to air in Canada on March 6 and internationally, according to The Hollywood Reporter.
Here in the US, “The Kennedys” might get a second chance; producers are said to be hoping to find it a home on a pay cable channel.
The 2003 CBS miniseries, “The Reagans,” was shelved when advertisers threatened a boycott because it showed Ronald Reagan being insensitive to AIDS victims.
“The Reagans” eventually aired on CBS cable sister Showtime.