After both CNN and NBC announced that they were both developing projects about Hillary Clinton — a documentary and a miniseries respectively — it caused a panic to say the least.
The networks received pressure from both Republicans and Democrats to not go through with the projects as well as general (and rather weird) hysteria from other sources.
Apparently it got to them. Both networks caved and within hours of one another canceled both projects. CNN was the first, with director Charles H. Ferguson backing away from the documentary due to the fact that no one would talk to him because of pressure from Clinton aides and supporters as well as the RNC. Ferguson elaborated on the difficultly he was having getting interview subjects.
When I approached people for interviews, I discovered that nobody, and I mean nobody, was interested in helping me make this film. Not Democrats, not
Republicans — and certainly nobody who works with the Clintons, wants access to the Clintons, or dreams of a position in a Hillary Clinton administration.
Not even journalists who want access, which can easily be taken away.
After this realization and the inability to gather participants (which Ferguson cited as the “real intent” of the RNC comments), he decided to scrap the project because he wouldn’t be making a film he would be proud of.
Hours later, NBC announced that they would be canceling the development of their miniseries about Clinton. Set to be written by Frozen River’s Courtney Hunt and starring Diane Lane as Clinton — the miniseries would recount her life from 1998 through the present. The network fell to the same pressure that was applied to CNN — RNC comments and a potential 2016 election boycott and negative comments from respected political reporters.
NBC’s statement gave no reasoning on the cancellation.
After reviewing and prioritizing our slate of movie/miniseries development, we’ve decided that we will no longer continue developing the Hillary Clinton
miniseries.
At least we still have Rodham to look forward to. But there is still no word on who will play the young Hillary Clinton. Who knows if this will even happen. Update: Rodham is moving forward.
