Thursday, March 28, 2024

Cancelled TV show fresh look at reality

"The Book of Daniel" was my favorite television show of all time.

Note the keyword: was.

The program involved an Episcopalian priest dealing with family dilemmas, church politics and his own pill-popping addiction. Teamed with Garret Dillahunt as Quinn's conscience's manifestation of Jesus, the father of three handled the controversies of the mob, had an openly gay son and managed the issues of his church members. "Daniel" was presented in a comedic yet practical light.

The American Family Association, or AFA, a group renowned for its opposition of homosexual marriage, abortion and gambling, launched a national boycott of the program after the its third week on NBC.

According to http://worldnetdaily.com, hundreds of thousands individuals pressured the network, its affiliates and advertisers to pull the plug on "Daniel." Only six episodes were shot. Although NBC Entertainment President Kevin Reilly claimed the network's reluctance to order more episodes had more to do with the series' sluggish ratings, it appears the pressure from Christian organizations propelled the majority of negative feedback. The 10 p.m. slot on Friday nights, as well as NBC's lack of affiliate support to air the program, might also be attributed to the low ratings.

Does anyone else see something wrong with this picture?

I rarely become immediately engrossed in a TV show, but this particularly engaging and down-to-earth depiction of a Christian family sparked my interest into a wildfire. Opponents of the show claim the content is irreverent and blasphemous, although I argue the contrary.

"Daniel" portrayed a Christian community and family in a raw and realistic manner, asserting that, yes, even "good Christians" face vice and sin, especially within their own membership. Included in these "taboo" elements were homosexuality, adultery, premarital sex, drug trafficking and substance addictions. All the while, Quinn's character, Daniel Webster, continuously preached good faith toward men, unconditional acceptance and loving the children of God.

Despite the paradoxical buttress of mortal sin and toleration, the program had the contradictions complement each other by exploring solutions to the moral conflicts and fusing love and appreciation as the themes in each episode.

Dillahunt's character — Jesus — was far from "blasphemous." Although a large portion of the dialogue between him and Quinn was more comedic than religion-based, Jesus' intermittent appearances defined the introspective discord the protagonist faced. His character was not intended to be a mirror reflection of the Biblical version, nor was he meant to ridicule Christians.

The only item angering me more than the obliteration of a witty, intellectually stimulating broadcast is the reason behind it.

Last time I checked, right-wing Christians could not force censorship of whatever they deem a "blatant legitimization of immorality," in the words of the American Decency Association. The network was forced to withdraw the show due in part to lack of advertising support — completely understandable; however, how does one distinguish between ridiculously biased groups (i.e. the AFA) and reasonably offended individuals? The latter, to the AFA's discredit, appears sparse.

The very fact that a relatively moderate station even aired a controversial show in the area of religion seems to be a positive step toward a more open-minded society. I applaud the efforts of NBC to challenge the absurd traditional standards hindering the diversity of entertainment. This incident reiterates that, in a country renouncing religious intolerance, the fundamental Christians still maintain an impenetrable grip on "morality."

Hopefully, this will pave the way toward further creative approaches to television programming.

In the meantime, I'll miss my Friday night ritual, regardless of its short-lived existence. I'll be checking HBO regularly, just in case.

Catherine Fish is a State News production assistant. Reach her at fishcath@msu.edu.

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