'The Kennedys' -- the eight part miniseries about the legendary family recently dropped by The History Channel -- does not make the political dynasty seem very presidential.
Created by noted conservative Joel Surnow, the creator of the terrorism-themed action series '24,' the mini-series was dropped by The History Channel, and subsequently rejected by cable outfits such as Starz and Showtime, under pressure from the actual Kennedy family.
The Daily Beast obtained the script of the first episode, uncovering some reasons why the family would want what they called a skewed version of events to be kept off television.
In one scene, during World War II, the Daily Beast found:
Wilkinson's Joe Sr. fondles his secretary in his office at the ambassador's residence in London in 1938. As he dictates a note to the president, Joe "fondles her breasts" and "nuzzles her neck." When sons Joe Jr. and Jack enter his office, Joe Sr. continues his fondling as his sons look on, "amused." The note he's dictating? It suggests that in order to keep the peace in Europe, certain concessions be made to Hitler.
Then, it's the future President's turn:
Brothers Jack and Bobby engage in banter about horniness after their father has begun to apply pressure on Jack to marry in 1951. "What do you do when you're horny?" asks Jack. "I mean, how can you stand the boredom?" When Bobby replies that he loves Ethel (who has just jumped into the pool during a party in McLean, at which she released live frogs), Jack says, "I love lobster, but not every night. If I don't have some strange ass every couple of days, I get migraines."
There's also accusations of buying elections, buying Jackie Kennedy's loyalty and many more lurid affairs.
The films, which star Greg Kinnear as President Kennedy, Barry Pepper as Robert Kennedy, Katie Holmes as Jackie Kennedy and Tom Wilkinson as Joe Kennedy, Sr., have been slammed by both family members and people close to the family. Ted Sorensen, a famous aide to the President, claimed that it had fabricated scenes, and liberal filmmaker Robert Greenwald collected signatures against the airing of the film.
For all the details, click over to The Daily Beast.