US TV programme criticised by political family as it rehashes well-worn allegations about John and Jackie Kennedy
Almost half a century after its most famous member's assassination, one might have thought the Kennedy clan was as accustomed to soap operatics and improbable rumours as it is to its own celebrity.
But on Sunday night the first of an eight-part mini-series, The Kennedys, finally aired, despite vehement criticism of the show by supporters and ? it has been reported ? the family itself.
The programme was, one critic claimed using an unfortunate choice of words, a "political character assassination".
Considering that the family has already suffered the indignities of being reimagined as a video game and given the Oliver Stone treatment, it was thrilling to consider what on Earth this series could possibly allege that would prompt such anger.
That JFK was a communist? That Jackie was a transsexual? The answer was, um, that he was a pill-popping womaniser and she could be a little cold at times. Next shock revelation: the Kennedys were Catholic.
For months this show ? in which Greg Kinnear does his best to mangle JFK's New England accent and someone, somewhere, is laughing that their jokey suggestion of casting the bloodless Katie Holmes as Jackie Kennedy came to fruition ? sounded like the TV version of Spider-Man the Musical.
Like that beleaguered project, this multimillion-dollar miniseries has become famous for bad word of mouth.
After vehement criticism from former Kennedy adviser Theodore C Sorensen ? now deceased ? and, it has been claimed, JFK's daughter Caroline Kennedy, the History channel dropped the show, saying it was "not fit for the History brand".
But considering that the History channel is partial to filling its schedule with shows about aliens and Armageddon, fidelity to historical accuracy has not been its priority for some time.
The Kennedys has been the subject of almost as many conspiracy theories as the family it portrayed. And the third man on the grassy knoll in this case has been Joel Surnow, who developed the show, and as well as being behind the series 24 is an outspoken conservative.
This, critics claimed, proved The Kennedys was merely a slur on one of the best-loved Democrat presidents.
Eventually, the little known Reelz channel picked up the show in the US, though it will still be seen in the UK on the History channel ? starting on Thursday 7 April.
It's difficult to see what Sorensen and the others were so upset by, other than the casting. Sure, the show is soapy, ridiculous and riddled with characters prone to experiencing conveniently expositional flashbacks at the mere clink of a tumbler glass or fastening of a pearl necklace.
Easily the person who comes out best is the always wonderful Tom Wilkinson, clearly relishing his role as patriarch Joe, exhibiting exclamation-marked pleasure when snapping out lines such as: "This mick is going to the White House!"
But it says absolutely nothing that is not already part of the Kennedy legend: here's Joe pushing his sons into the Oval Office, here's JFK making eyes at Marilyn Monroe.
Ultimately, it's hard not to suspect that the critics only drew more attention to a show that would have easily slipped out without anyone noticing. Or is that all part of the conspiracy? Cue Oliver Stone.
Source: http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2011/apr/04/the-kennedys-old-ground-jfk
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