Maybe They Can Watch Touched By An Angel Reruns Instead

When NBC television created its new Friday drama, The Book of Daniel, it was hoping to tap into the new mainstreaming of religion as entertainment that has done such great business for Disney (The Chronicles of Narnia) and Mel Gibson (The Passion of the Christ). Instead, NBC affiliates in markets heavy with evangelical Christians are refusing to air the show after receiving protest calls from religious right activists who do not appreciate the title character’s portrayal as a pill-popping Episcopal minister who believes that Jesus speaks directly to him. To date, four stations have pulled the show, with the largest affected market being Little Rock, Arkansas.