The charm, charisma and conspiracy conceived as Camelot met power, politics and pillbox hats in the eight part mini series “The Kennedys” on ReelzChannel.
The characters’ resemblance to the ’60s unofficial royal family hit the mark. Katie Holmes’ vintage couture reminded viewers why Jacqueline Kennedy remains a fashion icon today. Greg Kinnear bared the likings of dashing Boston playboy John F. Kennedy. Barry Pepper, along with a prosthetic nose, met the visual requirements of little brother Bobby, and Tom Wilkinson, forever Gen. Lord Charles Cornwallis from “The Patriot,” fit the large shoes of domineering Joe Kennedy Sr.
History junkies like myself fell in the love with this television fable of America’s most beloved political family — with my television on mute.
Even with a star-studded cast suited in vintage apparel similarly seen on “Mad Men,” the writing lacked the eloquence of Don Draper and resembled a period-piece soap opera lacking reality, depth and insight into one of the most infamous families in American history.
But who’s to blame for the series cancellation by The History Channel, who produced “The Kennedys” for $25 million?
Possible culprits include executive producer Joel Surnow, History Channel’s in-house historian Steve Gillon or the public opposition of the accuracy of the series from Caroline Kennedy and Maria Shriver.
Without pointing cigarettes or spilling whiskey sours, the blame surrounding the series’ critical failure doesn’t belong to any individual but rather to hindsight.
Numerous accounts of America’s Camelot occupy shelves in bookstores and Blockbuster, making it difficult to depict the young characters truthfully without reflection on their adult roles in history.
“The Kennedys” showed an over-dramatic young Jack dropping at least three future philandering president hints in his teenage years, Jackie as an over-the-top debutante and Bobby with daddy issues trying to outdo his older siblings. The characters were over-dramatized with too many sappy violins strumming in the background.
The fact that few people watch or receive ReelzChannel was another problem for the series. When I asked history professors on campus their opinions on the series, they all heard about the show, but none had seen it. The series delivered for the channel, with 1.9 million total viewers, according to the Nielsen Company.
But the biggest success of the series is that audiences acknowledged ReelzChannel’s existence. Shameless promotion by the channel ensured a successful premiere April 3, but history and film critics’ relentless criticism on the series’ shortcomings showed how “The Kennedys” crossed the boundary between creative license and certified fact, falling far from the charm and civility of Camelot.
 
 
 
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Contact Jeanne Lyons at [email protected]