New NBC series angers conservative watchdog group

[Beaverhausen]

This is the one with that cutie Aidan Quinn. Now I HAVE to watch it!

*************************************

AFA Slams NBC's Book of Daniel

John Consoli

DECEMBER 27, 2005 -

Donald Wildmon's American Family Association is calling on NBC affiliates to refuse to air the upcoming, short-arc, midseason series The Book of Daniel, saying the show "mocks Christianity."

The organization is also calling on TV viewers to send via its Web site, a letter composed by AFA, calling on NBC Universal Chairman Bob Wright to "inform all NBC affiliates, in writing that they are not required to air this program if they choose not to."

The AFA said contrary to the show being a "serious drama about Christian people and Christian faith," the main character, Daniel Webster, "is a drug-addicted Episcopal priest whose wife depends heavily on her midday martinis."

AFA continues that "the Webster family is rounded out by a 23-year-old homosexual Republican son, a 16-year-old daughter who is a drug dealer, and a 16-year-old adopted son who is having sex with the bishop's daughter. And at the office, his lesbian is sleeping with his sister-in-law."


more here
http://www.mediaweek.com/mw/news/recent_display.jsp?vnu_content_id=1001738170

[Blue_In_AK]

1. You could see that coming a mile away...

just from watching the previews.

[Initech]

2. Fuck the AFA. I'll go get my DVR ready...

[Midnight Rambler]

3. I think I'm going to watch this show every week when it premieres

Anything the AFA hates has to be good!

[Initech]

5. For further proof of that...

Just take a look at their list of shows they think are family friendly and the ones they hated. Arrested Development made their list of the worst shows for families. :rofl:

[ThomWV]

4. Dear God. How Could A Man Miss Such A Show?

It sounds simply riveting.

Mindlessly riveting.

Tripe.

[closeupready]

6. Any show that makes fun of xtian fundies

HAS to be good!

[NanceGreggs]

7. The Fundies must have really freaked ...

... when they caught a few episodes of Denis Leary's 'Rescue Me'. Recent episodes include not only Christ, but a very streetwise and pissed-off Mary Magdelan.

Said Mary M. to Leary (while smoking a cigarette, no less): "Don't talk to ME about patience. I've been waiting for an engagement ring since two weeks before the Last Supper!"

If 'Book of Daniel' is along the same lines, I'm GOING TO LOVE IT!

[FreedomAngel82]

29. If people can't

laugh at themselves they have their panties too tight up their ass. I'm a Christian and I can laugh at myself. I love to laugh even at my religious beliefs. It's not going to waver my faith any. These people must really have some serious doubts about their faith. I highly doubt God cares about a tv show.

[NanceGreggs]

31. Since it was God who gave us a sense of humour ...

... in the first place, I'm confident he gets the BIGGEST LAUGH of all when he tunes-in his Great Heavenly TV Set!!!!!!!!!!

[Vincardog]

8. I got the email and linked to their letter. I changed it to congratulate

them for running the series and said I would also note the advertisers so I could buy from them Use the idiot's tools against them.

[tecelote]

9. Censor this, Please!

[Fridays Child]

10. Sure, Donald Wildmon. I'll write to NBC, this instant! I'll tell them...

...thank you for airing the show and for refusing to bend to the will of a small group of vocal fundie wingnuts.

[Mr_Spock]

11. HAHAHAHA!!! Opposing views not wanted.

Freaks.

[in_cog_ni_to]

12. I knew we'd hear this crap when I saw a commercial

for the show....which was hilarious! Screw 'em. They need to get a sense of humor.

[joeunderdog]

13. Sure--go back to your Culture of Fear on "24"

That'll reinforce your Christian values.

[snippy]

14. Compare this to the outrage expressed by liberal groups about

shows that have depicted Christians in a favorable light.

[Lorien]

15. Yeah, "7th Heaven" just steams me!

:mad:

:sarcasm:

[GrumpyGreg]

17. Good one,snippy,good one.

[rickrok66]

21. This is my email to NBC

I sent the following email to Mr. Wright and CC'd the others:

TO: [e-mail]

CC: "[e-mail]" <[e-mail]>, "[e-mail]" <[e-mail]>, "[e-mail]" <[e-mail]>, "[e-mail]" <[e-mail]>, "[e-mail]" <[e-mail]>, "[e-mail]" <[e-mail]

Bob Wright, Chairman
NBC
30 Rockefeller Plaza
New York, NY 10112
Primary Phone: [phone]
Fax: [phone]
E-Mail: Bob Wright, NBC

Dear Chariman Wright,

It has come to my attention that the American Family Association is attempting to coerce your network into not airing the series, "The Book of Daniel". The AFA is concerned over the previews which allude to the show having gay characters and mocking clergymen.

The show hasn't even aired yet.

Please don't give in to a handful of judgmental intolerant bible thumpers.

Let the viewers judge the show like every other show - the ratings.

Many shows such as M.A.S.H., Ellen, and Will and Grace were criticized for their take on contoversial topics but survived as critical and popular successes.

Finally, I buy from sponsors who have enough guts to advertise during controversial television programs.

NAME
CITY, STATE, ZIPCODE

[annabanana]

25. yeah.. "Touched by an Angel"

really riled us up.. It was all over the news...

[Sydnie]

32. Highway to Heaven!

Landon made a fortune from and for that show!

[silverweb]

16. Looking forward to it!

It's on my calendar along with a note to send a complementary e-mail to the network afterwards. Anything that pisses off the fundy censors is okay by me.

:evilgrin:

[NNadir]

18. I used to be Episcopalian growing up. It was a pretty liberal church.

I left years ago, because in point of fact, I am an atheist.

Occassionally for some family reason I have to go back to the church. They're OK. They're pretty normal: I could easily believe in a clerical family with a homosexual Republican son, a drug dealer, drug addictions, etc. That's a typical experience these days. Shit there are a good deal of fundies who are very much involved in the same crap, except they try (not all that successfully) to sweep it under the table.

Shit, look at the Bush family. They got nothing on this fictional Priest.

Liberalism and churches don't go together all that well I think. I don't think the Episcopal Church can survive that long.

[GrumpyGreg]

19. I'm sure NBC will thank the AFA for all the free advertising for the show.

I had no interest in the show until I heard it was controversial and now I'm definitely going to watch it.

[mom cat]

20. I haven't watched TV in a long time. This , however, sounds good.

[DemGirl7]

22. It's always the same crap with these people

they have a problem with everything that doesn't show the picture perfect fantasyland that they are currently living in. You can't talk about problems of anysort that shows what the real world looks like.

[AnnieBW]

23. It Looks Good

Hey... I'm a Wiccan, and I was interested in it even before Rev. Wildman said anything about it. It looks like Seventh Heaven crossed with Picket Fences. I've already set it into the Tivo. The only problem is that it's up against new Stargate: Atlantis and Battlestar Galactica episodes. Good thing that Skiffy shows stuff twice!

[symbolman]

24. What's the AFA worried about?

THEY ARE NOT CHRISTIANS. They are CRETINS, just a few letters short..

They want a REAL Christian reality show? How about one where they HATE everyone, want to rape the planet, put women under domination, kill sodomites by stoning, save fetuses but KILL their sons in obscene and useless wars.. burn down villages and kill black or brown people who PROBABLY haven't had the media exposure to the magic word "Jesus" and so need to DIE.

Wait, THAT SHOW IS ALREADY ON NBC affiliates..

[caligirl]

26. Happy to see them ticked off. Good.

[B Calm]

27. Damn, I have to watch this

[FreedomAngel82]

28. Oh good grief

Don't like it? Turn the channel! I'm tired of all these groups wanting to take away someone else's rights! My aunt is a Christian and more conservative than I am and she is excited about the show. It looks really cute. How do they know what in the world the show is doing if they haven't even seen it yet?! My God!

[NI4NI]

30. Let art imitate real life

The writers should let art imitate life by casting another character who plays a son who robs a bank while attending Lehigh University because he is addicted to gambling.

[AntiCoup2K4]

33. And what probably worries the Wildmorons more than anything about the show

.....is that apparently Jesus puts in personal appearances all of the time on the show, and chances are, he won't be preaching the Gospel according to Jerry Falwell.. That scares these freaks even more than the priest having gay family members.

[tlsmith1963]

34. What Are They Worried About?

This show depicts church people as they really are, anyway.:evilgrin: I have always found that they pretend like they are so *perfect*, & yet they are the ones cheating on their spouses, drinking, & doing drugs. I guess they want to keep their perfect image, even though so many know it's a lie.

Tammy

[Sydnie]

35. Can't Wait!

The Book of Daniel

NBC

Jan 06

9:00pm eastern