Cancelled Way Too Soon

After only four showings, what was one of my favorite new series of the 2006-2006 television season has been cancelled. The Book of Daniel is no more.

I found this mid-season program to be incredibly interesting and innovative. A minister addicted to vicodin deals with the daily trials and tribulations of his family, which includes a gay son, a drug dealing daughter, an adopted son from China who was sexually involved with the daughter of one of his parishioners, his highly emotional and heavy drinking wife, and a mother suffering from Alzheimer’s disease. In the first four episodes the minister dealt with topics from his daughter being arrested, to his church’s school fund being stolen, to his dealing’s with the mob. And to top it off, the minister often received advice from Jesus himself.

The writing on this program was exceptional and the actors did a wonderful job. I found each episode to be both fun and though provoking.

Unfortunately The Book of Daniel was plagued with controversy right from the start. Six NBC stations around the country refused to carry the program because they deemed it to be inappropriate for airing. This was very unfortunate because it really did deprive these areas from a wonderful show.

The death of the program can be attributed to this boycott and to the horrible time slot it was given: 10pm on Fridays.

It is a program that I know I will miss, and can only hope that something this innovative will be given more of a chance in the future.