Despite all the
publicity leading up to Friday's premiere of The Book of Daniel on NBC, it still didn't do so hot in the
ratings. The two-hour premiere, which aired from 9-11 pm on Friday, averaged about 9 million viewers. That's fewer than
Close to Home, Numb3rs, In Justice, and 20/20, which all aired against
Daniel on CBS and ABC. In Justice and 20/20 barely beat Daniel, each with a little more than
9 million viewers.I watched The Book of Daniel out of pure curiosity. I like Aidan Quinn and I wanted to give the guy a chance. Plus, I wanted to see whether all the ruckus was justified. It wasn't.This show is definitely not more racey than Desperate Housewives or The O.C. (not by a mile). It actually had very little to do with the church, other than Daniel's imagined conversations with Jesus, which happened to be the funniest part of the show. When Jesus told Daniel he was tailgating? That was laugh-out-loud comedy. It was the rest of the show that ticked me off. Each of the characters, including Daniel the Episcopalian priest, is a stereotype. One person's an alcoholic, another is gay, another is a racist, another is cheating on his wife, another is addicted to painkillers... blah blah blah. My frustration with this show was the total lack of depth in the characters. Sure, the premiere episode is supposed to be all exposition, but it felt like the writers couldn't come up with any creative issues for these people to face. The show hit me as a watered-down, network-friendly version of Six Feet Under, which was an intricate series that took its time to unfold. NBC (or any of the other networks, quite frankly) doesn't have the patience. However, it did tickle me a bit that the Catholics were connected to the mafia.
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
1-09-2006 @ 10:52AM
Meesh said...
I watched it, and really liked it. I like how each vignette ended with the animated pane of stained glass, so you knew how many more segments were still to come.
I liked the cast very much, and I found myself chuckling a few times.
I think the prejudice/hype leading up to the show was waaaaay overblown.
Unfortunately the Friday night time slot is the death knell for most shows, especially new ones.
Since I'm a glutton for punishment, I will continue to watch it until it gets prematurely cancelled by the close minded folks out there.
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1-09-2006 @ 11:05AM
Jimmy said...
Well, the show certainly won't bring about the End of Days, but overall it was mediocre at best. I agree that the banter between Daniel and Jesus are quite funny. I think that's the real reason the folks as the AFA don't like it. Jesus just cannot have a sense of humor, or God for that matter.
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1-09-2006 @ 11:37AM
ryanknapper said...
I think that it occupies a sweet-spot where most people won't want to watch it. Its certainly irreverent enough that I expect many Christians won't like it and many non-Christians won't want to watch it because it isn't irreverent enough.
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1-09-2006 @ 11:43AM
JT said...
The "gay son" situation was caricatural: not subtle for one bit. Given their amount in the pilot alone, I wonder how many gay jokes flew in this household since the guy came out of the closet. Too much to be credible in my opinion.
The rest is pretty much a typical pilot, wanting to do too much while accomplishing too little.
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1-09-2006 @ 12:28PM
Canton said...
Actually, given the apparent level of mediocrity of this show (judging by the pilot), it just might survive.
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1-09-2006 @ 2:43PM
Barry Stinson said...
I watched this show because Aiden Quinn stars, and was unaware of all the controversy surrounding the premise. I loved the show, and several times caught myself laughing out loud. A sense of humor merely requires the ability to laugh at oneself, and many opportunities are presented here. Hilarious at times, with the occasional surprise, and always thought-provoking - Entertainment above and beyond so much of the garbage on offer these days. Kudos to NBC...and I am sure mine will not be the only 'voice of reason' that pleads for more...more...more...
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1-09-2006 @ 2:44PM
Suzanne said...
I looked forward to this, as I like Aiden Quinn, and thought the life of a priest as a real "human" might be fodder for both drama and humor. However, I thought the writing was abysmal. I actually could not finish the second hour, as I was bored out of my mind. Although a clever, irreverent line was thrown in occasionally, I guess I expected writing on the sharp, acerbic calibre of the greatly-missed (in our household) JOAN OF ARCADIA. I found the characters, with the exception of Quinn, to be completely one-dimensional. I'm not a terribly conservative person, but even *I* was put off when their daughter was caught selling Mary Jane, and got not too much more than a "oh you clever, naughty girl" slap on the wrist. Is that the reality of today's families? Gosh, I wouldn't expect that in most families, let along one headed by a priest.
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1-09-2006 @ 3:26PM
Mark said...
I watched it. It was completely moronic no matter if you are also offended by its anti everything stance or not. Basking in all that tasteless hedonism in the first episode gives them nowhere to go in subsequent episodes. I'm confident that it will die the ignomanious death it deserves.
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1-09-2006 @ 4:09PM
JIm said...
I enjoyed it.
I was touched by his relationship with Jesus.
He had the same sort of relationship anyone can have, and that some believers have.
We can all talk to Jesus, and if we’re quiet, we’ll hear him when he talks back.
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1-09-2006 @ 4:09PM
Jim said...
I enjoyed it.
I was touched by his relationship with Jesus.
He had the same sort of relationship anyone can have, and that some believers have.
We can all talk to Jesus, and if we’re quiet, we’ll hear him when he talks back.
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1-09-2006 @ 9:40PM
sandy pierce said...
Oh My God what is the world coming to, or shall i say what is it going to.
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1-14-2006 @ 7:01PM
Rob Slayton said...
Rip Roaring fun, my favorite line "Dad, do I have to come out to you at every meal?" HA HA HA HA HA. Side splitting. Where do these guys come up with such masterful writing? So funny, I am still laughing. oh my hahahaha... come out at every meal, hahahaha its funny because his dad is a priest, and he is gay, oh my hahahaha
Are we so dumbed down as a society that this is the kind of crap that passes as entertainment? People actually liked this? Wow, I am depressed.
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