by John M. Curtis
(310) 204-8700

Copyright November 5, 2003
All Rights Reserved.

ulling the plug on the controversial miniseries “The Reagans,” CBS President Leslie Moonves finally got it right, canceling the two-part made-for-TV drama. Faced with an avalanche of criticism, Moonves threw in the towel, realizing that he was fighting a losing battle, especially with a bipartisan national audience holding Reagan in high esteem. Though CBS twice tried to put lipstick on a pig, the savvy Moonves knew the program was irredeemable and not fit for a national consumption. “It's upsetting and surprising that they [CBS] would run away from it rather than fix it,” said an unnamed source associated with Viacom, CBS' parent company, missing the central objection to the project, namely, that “The Reagans” was distasteful and classless. “We believe it does not present a balanced portrayal of the Reagans for CBS and its audience,” said Moonves, admitting the network hadn't done its homework.

      Since the New York Times first printed the story Oct. 21, conservatives rallied to keep the program off the air. Portraying Reagan as absentminded and his wife Nancy as controlling, the screenplay gave a jaundiced look at a beloved president, rated among most popular chief executives in U.S. history. After reviewing recently edited clips, Moonves realized that CBS couldn't endorse an offensive portrayal of the 92-year-old former president, suffering from end stages of Alzheimer's disease. “This isn't the movie I thought I was getting,” said Moonves, reacting to concerns that he somehow caved in to conservative pressure. Right wing radio and cable talk show hosts made the CBS miniseries a cause celebre, ranting about the show's disgraceful content. “He felt it crossed the line between entertainment and advocacy,” said an anonymous source, giving some insight into Moonves' thinking.

      Scheduled to air on CBS Nov. 16 and 18, Moonves performed some fancy footwork, passing the hot potato to Showtime, Viacom's wholly owned pay-per-view subsidiary, yet giving no specific dates. “A free broadcast network, available to all over the public airwaves, has different standards than media the public must pay to view,” said CBS in a written communiqué, failing to acknowledge the extent of the flaws. No amount of reworking can correct an underlying effort to smear Reagan and his wife, Nancy. “They that live in sin shall die in sin,” said Reagan in the miniseries, falsely accusing the jovial ex-president of gay-bashing, showing insensitivity during the growing AIDS crisis. Critics were also annoyed that Democratic singer-actress-activist Barbara Streisand's husband James Brolin was cast as Reagan, despite his stunning physical similarity and mannerisms.

      CBS seemed dumbfounded by the uproar, characterizing the miniseries as fictional movie, not a historic archive. Yet when it comes to beloved ex-presidents, screenwriters must stick to the facts, paying close attention to well-documented accounts. Had writers for Sony Pictures Television painted Reagan in a favorable light, few objections would have been voiced. With CBS offering the first up-close-and-personal look into Reagan's life, conservatives weren't about to sit idly by while their hero got trashed. When CBS ignored pleas from Reagan's children, Michael Reagan and Patti Davis, conservative groups, including the Republican National Committee, jumped in, asking the network to pull the program. “A smear is a smear, and a lie is a lie,” said Michael Paranzino, a Maryland lawyer and Reagan supporter, already fighting Moonves' move to air a retouched version on Showtime.

      Like John F. Kennedy, Ronald Reagan has become a national hero, symbolizing what's best in the American spirit. Whether you like liked his politics or not, most Americans appreciated Reagan's effusive optimism and buoyant wit. Americans also cherished the dignity and respect he showed for the Oval Office. Showing a steady hand during a time great domestic and foreign upheaval also earned Reagan the admiration of both his fans and detractors. “Perhaps we should simply rename ourselves the Ronald Reagan United States of America,” quipped Washington Post columnist E.J. Dionne Jr. in 2001, overdosed with the endless public-monuments in Reagan's name. No president since JFK has enjoyed such a copious outpouring of love and appreciation. Reagan's legacy isn't guaranteed by conservative groups but by the public's need to honor his memory.

      In their lust for ratings, CBS forgot that there's no place for bad taste. Thanks to outside pressure, CBS president Leslie Moonves finally got it right that “The Reagans” offended too many people, including many liberals unwilling to tarnish the memory of a beloved president. Before Viacom makes the same mistake, they should seriously consider scrapping the flawed project for its pay-for-view division, Showtime. If “The Reagans” don't work on network TV, it shouldn't fair much better with a more limited audience. Calling the program “an unauthorized and unvarnished look at the Reagan presidency,” CBS didn't properly vet its writers and producers who revealed an unmistakable agenda. Before producing the first creative project on an American icon, networks should consider public reactions. It wasn't rocket science to figure out that “The Reagans” didn't measure up.

About the Author

John M. Curtis writes politically neutral commentary analyzing spin in national and global news. He's editor of OnlineColumnist.com and author of Dodging The Bullet and Operation Charisma.

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