The Kennedys

            I was disappointed to learn that the A&E Television Network has decided not to show The Kennedys on its History Channel. A&E executives said that the eight-part miniseries planned to air this spring was "unfit for the History brand." I found this very strange for several reasons.

            First, A&E executives have never had a problem with historical fiction as an important medium for storytelling. Otherwise, how could they justify spending millions on The Kennedys, which the producers never claimed was anything but a dramatic interpretation of historical events?

            Second, they admitted that the film was produced and acted with the highest quality, and they commended all the hard work and passion that had gone into the making of the series. So quality apparently wasn't the problem.

            Third, they decided in the end that the content was not historically accurate enough for the network's rigorous standards. Yet, this was after the script was approved by the same executives and after the final version had been vetted by experts and had passed muster with the History Channel's own historians. In addition, no advertisers had registered complaints or concerns with the series.

            What happened?

            Liberal protests. That's what happened.

            From what I can gather, it all started when The New York Times did a front-page story last February that included a sharp attack on the series by Ted Sorenson. The former Kennedy adviser called an early version of the script "vindictive" and "malicious." But even after the script was revised to address Sorenson's objections, the project continued to draw fire from the political left. It didn't want any stark portrayal of Camelot to tarnish the image of their beloved icons.

            In the end A&E caved.

            I've seen the trailer. It looks terrific with Greg Kinnear as JFK, Katie Holmes as Jackie, and Tom Wilkinson as Joe Kennedy.

            I want to see this show. But A&E now says I can't because the Left doesn't want me to.

            Question: Why should A&E defer to the Left in deciding what I should and should not see?

            I hope there's another network out there with the intestinal fortitude to stand up to the Left and to air this series.

            The public should demand it.