Big news: Both CNN and NBC have dropped their plans for Hillary Clinton-centric projects, following Republicans' threats that they wouldn't allow either network to air the Republican National Convention if the Hillary Clinton projects moved forward.
Over at NBC, a miniseries titled Hillary was in development, and was set to star Diane Lane as the former First Lady in the midst of the Monica Lewinsky sex scandal. CNN was planning a documentary about Hillary in more recent times, but that has been dropped as well.
In a statement, NBC explained their decision pretty vaguely: "After reviewing and prioritizing our slate of movie/mini-series development, we've decided that we will no longer continue developing the Hillary Clinton miniseries." This pretty falls in line with USA Today's report that Republicans had vowed to "punish" both networks if the miniseries and documentary made it to air, by not allowing either network to broadcast the Republican National Convention come the 2016 presidential election.
It's not too clear if the push from Republicans was the deciding factor in the Clinton documentary being dropped, however, Earlier today on The Huffington Post, the Clinton documentary director, Charles Ferguson, revealed that the documentary was not moving forward because of pressure from the Clintons themselves, and wrote in an open letter, "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."
When asked for a comment about the projects being canceled, Clinton aide Nick Merrill told USA Today, simply: "Lights, camera, no reaction."
[via USA Today]
