NBC Closing Book on 'Daniel'

[Sean Mota]

By Christopher Lisotta
NBC is not expected to air the remaining two episodes of its new drama "The Book of Daniel," and the series will not return, an insider said.

The remaining episodes of "Daniel" are scheduled to air Friday and Feb. 3.

Source

 

[Sean Mota]

From Zap2it.com

Meager ratings and faltering advertiser support have led NBC to pull the plug on "The Book of Daniel" two weeks before its scheduled conclusion.

NBC quietly made the change Tuesday, placing a "Law & Order" rerun in "Daniel's" 10 p.m. Friday spot this week and a two-hour "Dateline" on Feb. 3, which would have been the limited-run show's finale date. The Winter Olympics begin the following week. The series, which stars Aidan Quinn as an Episcopal priest with a gay son and a prescription-pill problem who converses with a corporeal Jesus (Garret Dillahunt), was the target of boycotts by conservative activists even before it premiered earlier this month. Several NBC affiliates also refused to air the show.

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"Daniel" debuted to about 9 million viewers on Jan. 6 but dropped off significantly in each of the next two weeks. Last week's episode averaged only 5.8 million viewers. The declining ratings and controversial subject matter led to decreased advertising as well.
Speaking to reporters last week, NBC Entertainment chief Kevin Reilly acknowledged that the campaign against "The Book of Daniel" may have had "some correlation" to the show's lack of ad buys. "I think it was controversial material going in," he says. "Many of the advertisers indicated they were going to take a 'wait-and-see' approach before we even aired it." Following the Olympics, NBC will roll out a revamped Friday schedule with "Las Vegas" at 9 p.m. and the new Dick Wolf drama "Conviction" at 10.

 

[MRUSS]

You would think they would show the last two episodes. I hate watching part of something and not seeing the end. Do you think Universal or someone else will show air the last two episodes?

 

[M Sparks]

Geez, it better be ratings. I'm sick of the religious right trying to interfere with what I can watch...especially the Catholic League. I thought it was a decent show, but I really don't care if it goes away. It's the principle.

I also don't understand what the big deal was...It was a story about a loving family dealing with realistic moral issues. It's not like it was trying to be outragious or blasphemous. (I did love the line..."I'm not taking the lords name in vain...I literally want God to damn him.")

I think the problem is, they tried to jam too many issues into one episode, so it came off like a freak show. It was probably too much to have two different marijuana storylines and two different homosexual storylines in one show. But they did serve to contrast- Daniel was tolerant of a churchmember's marijuana use (because it's none of his business), but came down hard on his daughter for selling it. Likewise, he supported his gay son- even though he was uncomfortable- but not his crazy sister in law, whose lesbian "fling" led to bad consequences.

In any case, the Catholic League came down on the show calling it blasphemous, when really they were just mad it showed a priest with mob ties. They make me sick.

Throughout the opening episode, they kept showing a promo for Law & Order or CSI or something that showed a cop holding up a decapitated head and making a "joke" about it. Why is that OK, but depicting Jesus as a kind man who enjoys a good joke is "immoral"? Bleach...America is a sick society.