| NBC Show 'The Book of Daniel' Features Dysfunctional Christian Family | |||
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| Netlore Archive: Email alert from the American Family Association decries a new NBC series featuring a dysfunctional Christian family headed by a drug-addicted Episcopal priest | |||
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Email example contributed by a Hotmail user, 29 December 2005:
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NBC considers new show featuring a completely dysfunctional family a positive portrayal of Christ and Christians Dear Susan, On January 6, NBC will begin a new series entitled The Book of Daniel. While the public has not seen the program, NBC is promoting "The Book of Daniel" as a serious drama about Christian people and the Christian faith. The main character is Daniel Webster, a drug-addicted Episcopal priest whose wife depends heavily on her mid-day martinis. Webster regularly sees and talks with a very unconventional white-robed, bearded Jesus. 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. At the office, his lesbian secretary is sleeping with his sister-in-law. |
Comments: Slated to debut January 6, 2006, the new NBC-TV series "The Book of Daniel" is described fairly accurately in the American Family Association email alert above (for comparison, see the network's synopsis of the show here).
However, while the AFA accuses "The Book of Daniel" of "mocking" Christianity, the show's creator, Jack Kenny, characterizes it as a family drama in which the main character just happens to be a priest. "This is no more about religion than 'Six Feet Under' was about mortuaries," he stated in a recent Associated Press interview. "Daniel faces the same relatable problems that every father has to deal with. And if the problems seem heightened because of what he does for a living, then that just raises the stakes. And that makes better drama."
Be that as it may, public complaints about the yet-to-be-seen program have already spurred at least two network affiliates to announce they will refuse to air it. To express your own views on "The Book of Daniel," pro or con, you can contact the network at nbcshows@nbc.com.
Sources and further reading:
New NBC Show Mocks Christianity
American Family Association action alertNBC.com: The Book of Daniel
Official series home pageThe Ordeals of 'Daniel'
Associated Press, 5 January 2006TV Stations Won't Air 'Book of Daniel'
Fox News, 5 January 2005Creator Defends 'Book of Daniel'
KWWL-TV News, 5 January 2006
Last updated: 01/05/06
