A new television show about a pill-popping priest who talks to Jesus has been pulled from the NBC schedule for igniting little faith from viewers after just three weeks on the air, network sources said Tuesday.
The Book of Daniel, starring Aidan Quinn as a conflicted Episcopal minister with a Vicodin habit, debuted to mediocre ratings January 6 and sank steadily in the Nielsens in its two subsequent broadcasts.
NBC has scheduled no further episodes beyond last Friday's telecast, and the drama, originally slated as an eight-part limited series, is not expected to return to the airwaves, network insiders said.
Besides proving to be a ratings dud, the show spooked some advertisers and sparked objections from the conservative American Family Association and several of NBC's smaller affiliate stations over its portrayal of Christian themes.
A total of nine affiliates, including stations in Nashville, Tennessee, Little Rock, Arkansas, and Terre Haute, Indiana, refused to air at least some episodes of the show.
NBC Entertainment President Kevin Reilly told a gathering of TV critics Sunday he was disappointed with Daniel's ratings and that "it's been tough sledding on the advertising front."
Controversy can cut both ways in the TV business, making some advertisers reluctant to sponsor a show while sometimes generating publicity that helps build an audience.
In the case of Daniel, Reilly acknowledged the show was "having a hard time finding its footing" and that it might be benched before running its full course.
Last spring, Reilly told Reuters NBC's development of the show was inspired in part by the success of religion-themed novels like the Left Behind series and Mel Gibson's movie The Passion of the Christ.
Daniel, however, was a far cry from Passion or the conventional Easter-season TV specials that portray Christ in a biblical context.
On the NBC show, Christ, played by newcomer Garret Dillahunt, appears as an imaginary confidant to the Reverend Daniel Webster, an Episcopal rector beset with a host of family intrigues and pressures.
His daughter sells marijuana, his teenage son sleeps with the daughter of a church elder, his brother-in-law embezzles church funds, and his sister-in-law has a penchant for sexual threesomes.
Airing in a Friday night time slot that has proven especially difficult for NBC, a unit of General Electric, the show averaged just 7.6 million viewers overall in its first three weeks. By comparison, NBC's most watched show this season, Law & Order: Special Victims Unit, draws about 14.6 million viewers.
The Book of Daniel was not the only recent prime-time offering to flop this month. ABC recently yanked its new sitcom, Emily's Reasons Why Not, starring Heather Graham, after a single broadcast.
Comments (19)
It is a terrible shame that NBC cancelled this show. I loved it. I am so bored with TV's current offering of bland themes, unrealism, and poor acting. All of this was supurb in Book of Daniel. I cannot see how this show was blasphemy. Daniel didn't have to constantly soul search or whatever. His faith was so second nature (as was the love of his family) that he accepted the challenges of his life knowing he was never alone! Anybody see the 2/3/06 episode (on the B of D nbc webpage)? It was the best thing I've seen on TV! A new episode should be out on the webpage 2/10/06. Check it out. I hope this comes out on DVD. I'd buy it in a second!
Any relgiously based objections aside, I had thought to approach this series with an open mind. This series, which touts several convolouted plot elements as it's appeal factor, has a rather difficult time determining it's true intent. Is it a comedy? A drama? Daresay a dramedy? If it was envisioned as the former, it fails to elicit much laughter. If it is humor, it is a rather dull and dry wit indeed. This series attempts to push the proverbial envelope for the sake of being extreme. Unfortunately (or fortunately depending on tastes or lack thereof) Pushing said envelope has become rather passe. Ironically the only laugh to be garnered from this material is on behalf of the actors who would lend themselves to this project with all sincerity.
We are Christians and still appreciated this show. The acting, plot twists, and writing was creative and delightful. People are saying a priest's family couldn't possibly have this many characters with these serious problems. Well, most of us remember that the "Preacher's Kids" were often the wildest in town.<br />
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This show touched on many current issues many families face: alzheimers, "coming out" of gay children, drug use, pill and alcohol abuse, family betrayal, wives wanting to develop their own careers.<br />
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The portrayal of Jesus was of a kind, patient and forgiving, yet not approving the pill popping. He is patient with us when we err. He represents the priest's talking to Jesus when he is troubled/guilty. We did not see anything disrespectful about the portrayal. We do not believe in a vindictive God or Jesus. I read that some of the Christian Right members that didn't approve of this show wanted a vindictive, lecturing Jesus.<br />
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Above all, we believe in tolerance and the power to change the channel when we are offended. We do that with some of the more explicit situations of people jumping into bed with each other on most of the sit-coms - and they are scheduled early in the evening when children might be watching! At least Daniel was on later in the evening!<br />
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I certainly hope this show is picked up by a cable channel.moreless
A Message to Religious groups: CHANGE THE CHANNEL!
Your all wrong about this show & about the reason it was yanked. The mood in America is split 50/50 between the Liberals and the Conservatives (look at the recent elections for an example). <br />
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Yes, the show was well written. No, it didn't portray Jesus in a blasphemous way (Jesus is all about love & forgiveness-right?) Yes, the show was controversial. No, the show was not so controversial that NBC yanked it (remember NYPD Blue & Dadid Carussos butt on it's first few episodes were boycotted by dozens of stations). <br />
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The reason I believe that the show was dropped was that it was in a crappy time slot when it's target audience was out with friends having fun and the only folks left at home were either watching a DVD with the kids or Matlock reruns.<br />
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For the majority of America - the writers brought to many sub-plots and to much character development into the first few episodes. I expect many people didn't know whether this was a drama or a comedy? And in the get-it-now, instant gratification generation, this show (as good is I think it was) didn't cut it.<br />
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Anyone wonder if Kevin Smith could have done better with this show? I think he could have...moreless
Low Ratings bull hockey sticks. I'm Wiccan and let's see Charmed has been on the air forever it's not an accurate picture but who cares.... it's funny Book of Daniel was witty, funny and amusing. I hope they put it on DVD for all the free people of these United States to CHOOSE to watch it or not. Maybe HBO, will have the nerve to pick it up. Hmmmm.
Wow, I wish I would have known about this site last night. It would have saved me so much time searching for my favorite show.<br />
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I cannot beleive that NBC has given in to the self-righteous, pious attitudes of others...and here I thought I had the right to choose what shows I wanted to watch. Not so as evidently I cannot think for myself. That, in a nutshell, is the entire problem here.<br />
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We like to think we have evolved into decent, kind and caring human beings, sharing all our rights with others. However, AFA feels it must choose for everyone...so NBC gives in to them and the advertisers. The bottom line is it is all about money in the end. The heaven's forbid if some us might like to choose for ourselves what we would like to watch on tv.<br />
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Finally, there was a show saying you can have faith and still have imperfections...just like Jesus. He was not perfect or he would not have been sent to us in 'human' form. He laughed, he cried and dare I say, I'm sure he had fun from time to time. Here was a show willing to show Christ as he might respond to the world today. Not fact mind you, but a 'hmmm, that might just be possible'! But again, I think for myself...shame on me?, I think not...SHAME ON NBC AND ALL THOSE WHO FEEL THEY MUST TELL OTHERS HOW TO THINK AND LIVE!!! Kudos to Jack Kenny for bringing this short lived series to life!!!moreless
Why is it okay to depict Christians in such an awful light but when it happens to any other religious group, everyone says is discrimination? If this was about a Muslim or Buddhist monk, everyone would be protesting it. But, because it's degrading Christianity, it's entertainment!? So much for freedom of religion. What happened to the shows that left you laughing and feeling good afterwards? After working 40+ hours a week, the last thing I want to see is "Reality". I don't see how we have all become so blind by these hideous reality shows!
I, for one, thoroughly enjoyed the show. I thought having Jesus portrayed as a friend with a sense of humor was great. And the opportunities abounded for bringing recognition of a lot of family and social issues such as racial bigotry, the grief caused by Alzheimers, the problems faced by gays, etc. If the ratings were low, I think it was partly because some right-wing churches forbade their parishioners to watch the show. Otherwise, at least some of those folks would have watched out of curiosity if nothing else. In the end, the result was the network caving in to pressure from the right-wing religious groups - many who never saw an episode but were furiously trying to get the show off the air from the start. Censorship has taken a promising, thought-provoking show from us, and I'm angry!moreless
NBC keeps trying to hit one out of the ball park and strikes out with great regularity. Its (NBC) effort reach the top blinds its ability to put on shows that will keep viewers interest.
good riddance
Too many stuff shirts determining outcome of a really good show with categorically a great cast. I'm completely disappointed and frustrated that "Daniel"'s being scrapped from NBC. Where else might someone find all episodes in future? PLEASE ADVISE. Also, advise future projects for both Aiden Quinn and S. Thompson -- two FINE actors. Thanks.<br />
Juana1207@insightbb.com.
"Oooo...they gave into the Religious groups...." my butt. If this was about a Cleric seeing Mohammad under the same circumstanes, you would be screaming for the PC police to boycott the network. Forget it...it was a show in bad taste and needed to be squashed.
Something I think a lot of people don't understand about the religious view - the priest and his family were never our problem (indeed, we all have our faults, and it is better to share them than to hide them) - the way Jesus was portrayed was our problem. Blasphemy is Blasphemy, even when masquerading as comedy, and changing the channel doesn't change the sin. You may call it narrow-minded, I call it morality.
THE NETWORK GAVE IN TO THE WINEY RELIGIOUS GROUPS. This show was a hell more relatsic then 7th heaven. Thats messed up.
I think that this show is brilliant!! Any attempts to get this show off the air is a violation of the right to free thought. If certain religious groups don't like the shows content, god has given them the ability to change their television channel. I personally find the whole premise of this show refreshing. It's good the see the reality that not all religious figures are perfect, and that not all people are perfect. We shouldn't be kept blinded, narrow-minded, and only watching shiny, happy television shows. That is not reality. Please don't cancel this show! Don't cave to the pressure of intolerant, narrow-minded people.
I'm also not surprised. It was only a matter of time. To bad, because I thought it was pretty good.
Goodness, I can't believe I didn't see this one coming. Religious pressure, low ratings, unattractive characters and personalities, touchy subject - how did I NOT see this one on the horizon. Too bad, I would have liked to see where it was going.
Why am I not suprised, in my opinion, the network buckled to Religious groups pressure.