| The Kennedys | |
|---|---|
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| Genre | Historical drama |
| Written by | Stephen Kronish Joel Surnow |
| Directed by | Jon Cassar |
| Starring | |
| Composer | Sean Callery |
| Country of origin |
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| Original language | English |
| No. of episodes | 8 |
| Production | |
| Executive producers |
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| Production locations | Hamilton,Toronto, inOntario[1] |
| Cinematography | David Moxness |
| Running time | 45 minutes (single episode) 353 minutes (full running time) |
| Production companies | |
| Original release | |
| Network | |
| Release | April 3 (2011-04-03) – April 10, 2011 (2011-04-10) |
| Related | |
| The Kennedys: After Camelot | |
The Kennedys is a 2011 televisionminiseries chronicling the lives of the politicalKennedy family, including key triumphs andtragedies it has experienced. It starsGreg Kinnear,Barry Pepper,Katie Holmes, andTom Wilkinson, and is directed byJon Cassar. The series premiered in theUnited States in April 2011 on theReelz Channel, onHistory Television inCanada and on theHistory Channel in theUnited Kingdom.
The Kennedys was the subject of negative responses from historians based on early scripts, including charges of historical inaccuracy and presenting an unflattering depiction of the titular family.[3] On February 16, 2010, the website stopkennedysmears.com was registered by filmmakerRobert Greenwald as part of the critical response toThe Kennedys.[4][5] On February 24, 2010,Dave Itzkoff ofThe New York Times reported that historianDavid Talbot, whose recent book had been used as source material for the miniseries, had joined those preemptively criticizingThe Kennedys.[6]Ted Sorensen (1928–2010), former presidential aide and speech writer for 35th PresidentJohn F. Kennedy (1917–1963, served 1961–1963), described the script as a "character assassination".[7] At the time of all of this criticism, the miniseries had not yet even been cast.[8]
In an interview published inThe Los Angeles Times on June 17, 2010,Joel Surnow addressed the complaints, saying, "they looked at early drafts of script that don't even resemble the final draft. It was way too early for them to comment on it."[9] However, as the British newspaperThe Daily Telegraph put it: "With Greg Kinnear as Mr. Kennedy, Katie Holmes as his First Lady and a budget of $30 million dollars, expectations had been high. Now, it is widely considered a disaster on the eve of its airing on the ReelzChannel beginning on Sunday. The History Channel decided to drop the series from its schedule in January 2011, stating that it was "not a fit" for the network. There then followed a humiliating and very public quest to find another channel that would air it."[10]
Casting the main roles was announced on April 29, 2010, by director Cassar via his Twitter account.[11] The miniseries was filmed inToronto, Ontario, Canada between June and September 2010, and was produced by Canadian independent studioMuse Entertainment Enterprises and Joel Surnow's production company.[9][12]The Kennedys is the first original scripted series made forHistory Television.[12] The budget forThe Kennedys was $25 million though reports later described it as a $30 million production.[12][13] The miniseries was primarily written by Stephen Kronish, who previously worked with Surnow and Cassar on24.
Historians associated with the production were Steven M. Gillon, author of the bookThe Kennedy Assassination – 24 Hours After, andRobert Dallek.[14]
On December 16, 2010,Shaw Media announced that there would be a special screening of the miniseries to be held on March 3, 2011, in Toronto.[15] TheCanadian Broadcasting Corporation reported on January 13, 2011, thatShaw Media would be showingThe Kennedys in March 2011, but they were uncertain about whether it would remain onHistory Television or be moved to their broadcast networkGlobal, or one of their other cable channels such asShowcase.[13] The miniseries had been scheduled on History in two-hour segments at 9:00 pm beginning on March 6, 2011, and continuing for three subsequent Sundays.[15] John Doyle, television critic forThe Globe and Mail reported on January 26, 2011, thatThe Kennedys will be shown on History Television starting on March 9, 2011.[16] Six days later, it was reported that Stan Hubbard, CEO of ReelzChannel, claimed that part of his acquisition deal for US rights would be worldwide premiere rights, forcing an uncertain delay in the originally announced television premiere in March 2011 on History Television in Canada.[2] On February 1, 2011, Shaw Media announced its revised schedule for the miniseries, which was to be shown on History Television in four two-hour segments beginning on April 10, 2011.[17]
On January 7, 2011, the cable channelHistory announced that it would not showThe Kennedys in the United States, stating "this dramatic interpretation is not a fit for the History brand."[18]
Michael Prupas, president of Muse Entertainment and executive producer of the miniseries, issued a statement on January 10, in which he addressed the claims of inaccuracies: "The decision of the History Channel not to broadcast the show was made long after the executives of the Channel as well as the Channel's resident historian (who is a Kennedy expert) had read and approved all of the scripts and viewed and approved all of the final cuts of all of the episodes. Furthermore, our Errors and Omissions Insurer's attorneys reviewed all the scripts and edited episodes – and they have cleared all of the episodes for broadcast."[19]
Director Jon Cassar said at the January 2011Television Critics Association gathering in Los Angeles that he believed the reason the miniseries would not be shown by History and other US broadcasters was because powerful people within the United States connected to the Kennedy family took exception to it and used their political and other influence to prevent the showing.[20]
Joel Surnow, the series' executive producer, attributed the cancellation to pressure exerted by the Kennedys on the board of History's owners,A&E Television Networks andThe Walt Disney Company. Surnow stated: "It happened at the board level. I don't want to mention anyone by name. It's very simple to say that certain board members are friends with the Kennedys."[21] Other reports pinpointed Kennedy family membersMaria Shriver andCaroline Kennedy as the leaders of the campaign to stop the show, targeting Disney executiveAnne Sweeney.[21][22]
On January 12,Showtime passed on the US broadcasting rights forThe Kennedys.[23] Two days later it was reported thatDirecTV'sThe 101 Network was considering acquiring the miniseries.[24] Ten days later, on January 24, 2011, it was announced that The 101 Network also passed on airing the show.[25] On February 1, 2011,ReelzChannel acquired US broadcast rights toThe Kennedys and announced their intention to show the miniseries between April 3 and 10, 2011.[2] Other US cable channels reported to have declined acquisition of the miniseries areFX andStarz.[2]
Mediaweek reported thatHubbard Broadcasting, the owners of ReelzChannel, took a big risk in purchasing the rights to the miniseries by paying an estimated $7 million for the broadcast rights and spending an additional $10 million in advertising.[26]
In the United Kingdom,History UK was scheduled to screen the miniseries beginning on April 7, 2011. Tom Davidson, managing director of AETN-UK stated on the History website: "Securing the UK premiere ofThe Kennedys is a major coup for the History channel. Bringing to life the story of America's most iconic family, the drama is a bold and epic account of the Kennedy dynasty and we are delighted that viewers in the UK will get to see it on History first."[27] Writing inThe Daily Telegraph, TV directorSebastian Doggart commented:
This is an amazing example of double standards. How can AETN call the series "not a fit" for the US History Channel, but describe this "bold and epic account" as "a major coup" for the UK's History channel? AETN has suggested that the reason is that the US History Channel is especially concerned about its historically truthful brand. So what is the channel broadcasting this Sunday night, in the same time-slot asThe Kennedys over on Reelz? The answer:Ax Men, a reality show about loggers; andSwamp People, another reality show about alligator hunters.[22]
Also in the UK, theBBC presented the series, beginning Friday, June 17, 2011, in both standard definition andHD.[citation needed]
The series began broadcasting inSerbia onB92 beginning on May 6, 2011;[28] in Republic of Ireland onRTÉ One beginning on May 21, 2011; and in Australia onABC1, beginning on May 22, 2011.[29]
In Italy the series aired on History Channel starting on June 7, 2011, in France onFrance 3 in Summer 2011,Finland onYLE TV1 beginning on September 16, 2011, I n Ireland onRTÉ Two that same fall. In SpainCosmopolitan Television started broadcasting the series on Jan 29, 2012.[30]
In China, the series aired onLeTV.comArchived March 17, 2012, at theWayback Machine in SD (Free VOD) and HD (Subscription VOD) beginning March 16, 2012,Slovakia onJednotka beginning April 28, 2012, Germany onArte on July 26, 2012. and inIndiaon History TV 18 that June. InRomania the miniseries aired onTVR1 in December 2013 andSweden aired it onSVT in November 2013, 50 years after the assassination of President Kennedy.[citation needed]
| No. | Title | Directed by | Written by | Original release date | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | "Joe's Revenge" | Jon Cassar | Stephen Kronish | April 3, 2011 (2011-04-03) | |
Joseph P. Kennedy Sr. asUnited States Ambassador to the United Kingdom in 1938, tries to keep his country out ofWorld War II, having openly supported theMunich Agreement despite PresidentFranklin D. Roosevelt's clear opposition. Roosevelt pressures the ambassador into resigning in 1940. After America's entry into World War II, Joe Jr. and Jack are commissioned as naval officers, despite their father's previous opposition to the war. Jack serves in the war commandingMotor Torpedo Boat PT-109 in the Pacific and is awarded theNavy and Marine Corps Medal after PT-109 is cut in half and sunk by a Japanese destroyer. Joe Jr. becomes aNaval Aviator and serves in the European theater; he dies inOperation Aphrodite, attempting to beat Jack's war hero status. Joe Sr. wants Jack eventually to become president. | |||||
| 2 | "The First Campaign" | Jon Cassar | Stephen Kronish | April 3, 2011 (2011-04-03) | |
Greatly aided by his father, Jack successfully runs for theUnited States House of Representatives in 1946 and for theUnited States Senate in 1952. In 1953, Jack marriesJacqueline Bouvier even after Jackie's mother warns her that Jack will have multiple affairs, just like Joe Sr. and Jackie's father. Jack wins the1960 presidential election. The personal relationships among the various members of the Kennedy clan are explored, including the strain betweenRobert F. Kennedy and his father Joe. Disgusted by Jack's repeated infidelity, Jackie threatens to divorce him, but Joe promises that if she stays married until at least 1960, thus protecting her husband's political career, she will receive $1,000,000 from a trust fund. | |||||
| 3 | "Bay of Pigs" | Jon Cassar | Stephen Kronish &Joel Surnow | April 5, 2011 (2011-04-05) | |
John F. Kennedy Jr. is born, and Bobby, very reluctantly, is appointedAttorney General after Joe prevails on Bobby to accept the post. In his position, Bobby clashes withFBI ChiefJ. Edgar Hoover. Jack faces the first test of his presidency with the failedBay of Pigs Invasion, leading Joe to impress upon Bobby the importance of his role as his brother's adviser.Rose Kennedy commiserates with and advises Jackie on the burdens of marriage to a powerful man. Hoover confronts the Kennedy brothers with photographs of Jack's sexual affair withJudith Campbell Exner, a woman with known ties toChicago Mafia leadersSam Giancana andJohn Roselli. | |||||
| 4 | "Bobby's War" | Jon Cassar | Stephen Kronish & Joel Surnow | April 6, 2011 (2011-04-06) | |
In Chicago, prior to the 1960 presidential election, Joe seeks an alliance withMafia gangsterSam Giancana to secureIllinois' electoral votes for Jack. Giancana believesFrank Sinatra, who claims that there is a deal in which the Mafia will be left alone. In theWhite House, the President faces increasing trouble from hisAddison's disease, turning to Dr.Max Jacobson foramphetamine shots. Jackie struggles to balance her family with her role asFirst Lady; she turns to Jacobson as well. Bobby gears up for his war on theMafia. Jack integrates theUnited States Secret Service Presidential Protective Division with the appointment ofAbraham Bolden. Sinatra tries to intercede with Joe on Giancana's behalf; Joe rebuffs him but cautions Bobby. The administration monitors theSoviet Union's buildup on the border ofEast Berlin leading to the1961 construction of the Berlin wall. After Hoover plays Bobby awiretap of Giancana andJohnny Roselli implicating Joe in election fraud, the brothers cut Joe out of Jack's presidency. Joe, however, insists that he never made a deal with the Mafia. | |||||
| 5 | "Life Sentences" | Jon Cassar | Stephen Kronish & Joel Surnow | April 7, 2011 (2011-04-07) | |
Escalating racial tensions in the summer of 1961 see Jack turn to Vice-PresidentLyndon B. Johnson for help in handling the Southern Congressional delegation. Segregation presents further challenges to the Kennedy presidency whenJames Meredith tries to enroll in the whites-onlyUniversity of Mississippi. GovernorRoss R. Barnett and theKu Klux Klan inflame the mob, leading Jack to order out theU.S. Marshals, then theNational Guard, culminating in theOle Miss riot of 1962. Jackie grows more dependent on amphetamines, leading Jack to confront her and Jackie to confess her fears to him. Joe suffers a massive debilitating stroke leaving him unable to talk. Caring for him leads Rose to recall her daughterRosemary and her emotional problems, which led to Joe's decision to have Rosemarylobotomized without telling his wife beforehand in 1941. Following the surgery that was meant to calm her anxiety, she does not recognize her parents and becomes mentally incapacitated. | |||||
| 6 | "Cuban Missiles" | Jon Cassar | Stephen Kronish & Joel Surnow | April 8, 2011 (2011-04-08) | |
The Kennedy brothers face the gravest problem, a threat to all humanity with the discovery of Soviet missile bases under construction inCuba. TheCuban Missile Crisis tests Jack to his limits. After fears of anuclear war, despite many generals wanting a bombing of Cuba, Jack agrees withNikita Khrushchev that he will dismantle bases inTurkey and leave Cuba alone if the Soviets dismantle their Cuban bases. Jack faces more problems, the possible loss of his marriage after Jackie is publicly humiliated by his affair withMary Meyer, but they reconcile at the end of the episode. | |||||
| 7 | "Lancer and Lace" | Jon Cassar | Stephen Kronish | April 10, 2011 (2011-04-10) | |
Jack and Jackie lose their newborn son, Patrick. Jack goes toTexas to defuse rumors of a split in theDemocratic Party. Despite fears for his safety, meaning that there are unprecedented precautions, he is wildly acclaimed.Marilyn Monroe is obsessed with Jack in the days leading up to her suicide but is warned against blackmailing him. Joe is persuaded by Rose to stand up with his massive pain so that he can greet his children when they arrive but collapses back on his seat after he hears and sees on TV that Jack has just been assassinated byLee Harvey Oswald, an ex-Marine who was waiting at theTexas School Book Depository where he was working as an employee. | |||||
| 8 | "My Brother's Keeper" | Jon Cassar | Stephen Kronish | April 10, 2011 (2011-04-10) | |
Jack Ruby killsLee Harvey Oswald. Bobby, feeling guilty as he thinks the killing was in revenge for his anti-Mafia activities, tries to comfort his father. Bobby still runs for senator inNew York and wins. In 1968, Bobby decides to run for president but, at first, his campaign goes badly and he loses theOregon primary. Bobby remembers how Jack won a narrow 1952 race for US senator, despite initial fears. Bobby then wins theCalifornia primary but is shot and mortally wounded that night at theAmbassador Hotel bySirhan Sirhan. Rose mourns Joe's death in 1969, and Jackie marriesAristotle Onassis. | |||||
John Doyle ofThe Globe and Mail wrote, "it is awful – truly, mind-bogglingly tedious television." "The series (made in Canada with Muse Entertainment as the production company) looks cheap and sticks to the TV dramatics level of an afternoon soap opera." Doyle makes note of the predominantly Canadian cast and hopes they get a career boost but that the miniseries was "boosted by a fake controversy" and believes that "the American History Channel dropped it because it's bad TV."[31]
The miniseries met with a mixed reception from US critics. Based on 24 reviews from mainstream critics, it received an average score of 50/100 atMetacritic, indicating "mixed or average reviews".[32]
Mark A. Perigard of theBoston Herald noted that there is no mention of Joseph and Rose Kennedy's other children, including the future SenatorTed Kennedy andKathleen Cavendish, Marchioness of Hartington, and that it feels as though you are watching "through the prism of theFringe universe". Perigard found it to be "an absorbing, addictive drama, with some authentic performances" but not history.[33]Alessandra Stanley ofThe New York Times wrote a joint review ofThe Kennedys and ofThe Borgias, which premiered the same day. In addressing the circumstances of the premiere she wrote, "There is something wonderfully Kennedyesque about a backroom campaign to discredit a series that claims the Kennedy White House had more than its share of backroom shenanigans." Stanley found the miniseries to be well made though at times cheesy, but that its strongest point is Tom Wilkinson as Joseph Kennedy, whom she describes, in tandem withRodrigo Borgia, as "A ruthless, tyrannical striver (who) grasps for power, promoting his sons to establish his rule and cement his legacy".[34]
Hank Stuever ofThe Washington Post found the miniseries "all ends up being as harmless as a game of Kennedy paper dolls" and the assassinations to be portrayed quite gently considering how violent Joel Surnow's show24 is. Stuever describes the screenplay as clumsy and find the miniseries "sketches its characters with the precision of a fat Sharpie marker" and cautions those who recall the time that they may be troubled watching the story "through Surnow and company's mean-spirited gaze". In moving on to reviewCamelot, which premiered three days beforeThe Kennedys, Stuever wrote, "If you check your calendar, we're nearing the 50th anniversary of JFK's death, which makes him, his family and Cabinet members as fair game asKing Arthur,Guinevere,Merlin and the gang, who've had their stories updated, revised and pillaged for centuries now."[35]
| Episode(s) | Title(s) | Date | Total viewers (original) | Total viewers (original + encores) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 & 2 | Joe's Revenge / The First Campaign | April 3, 2011 | 1,300,000[36] | 1,900,000[37] |
| 3 | Bay of Pigs | April 5, 2011 | 841,000[38] | 1,773,000 |
| 4 | Bobby's War | April 6, 2011 | 806,250[39] | 1,716,915 |
| 5 | Life Sentences | April 7, 2011 | 737,237[40] | 1,600,000 |
| 6 | Cuban Missiles | April 8, 2011 | TBA | TBA |
| 7 & 8 | Lancer and Lace / My Brother's Keeper | April 10, 2011 | 1,400,000[41] | 1,900,000 |
In the UK, the series was shown on the History Channel in April 2011 and on BBC Two and BBC HD in June 2011. Public response were generally positive.
| Episode | Date shown | Viewers |
|---|---|---|
| Episode 1 | June 17, 2011 | 2.64m (overnight)[42] |
| Episode 2 | June 17, 2011 | 2.36m (overnight)[42] |
| Episode 3 | June 24, 2011 | 1.35m (overnight)[43] |
| Episode 4 | July 1, 2011 | 1.32m (overnight)[44] |
| Episode 5 | July 1, 2011 | 1.25m (overnight)[44] |
| Episode 6 | July 8, 2011 | 1.41m (overnight)[45] |
| Episode 7 | July 8, 2011 | 1.41m (overnight)[45] |
| Episode 8 | July 15, 2011 | .98m (overnight)[46] |
| Association | Category | Nominee | Result |
|---|---|---|---|
| 63rd Primetime Emmy Awards | Outstanding Miniseries or Movie[47] | Stephen Kronish, Jamie Paul Rock, David McKillop, Dirk Hoogstra, Joel Surnow, Brian Gibson, Jonathan Koch, Christine Shipton, Michael Prupas, Jon Cassar, Tara Ellis, and Steven Michaels | Nominated |
| Outstanding Lead Actor in a Miniseries or Movie | Greg Kinnear | Nominated | |
| Barry Pepper | Won | ||
| Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Miniseries or Movie | Tom Wilkinson | Nominated | |
| 63rd Primetime Creative Arts Emmy Awards | Outstanding Hairstyling for a Miniseries or Movie | Judi Cooper-Sealy and Jenny Arbour | Won |
| Outstanding Make-up for a Miniseries or Movie (Non-Prosthetic) | Jordan Samuel,Colin Penman, Linda Dowds, andAmanda Terry | Won | |
| Outstanding Sound Mixing for a Miniseries or Movie | Larold Rebhun, Frank Morrone, Henry Embry, and Stephen Traub for "Lancer and Lace" | Won | |
| Outstanding Art Direction for a Miniseries or Movie | Mun Ying Kwun, Rocco Matteo, and Enrico Campana | Nominated | |
| Outstanding Cinematography for a Miniseries or Movie | David Moxness for "Life Sentences" | Nominated | |
| Outstanding Main Title Theme Music | Sean Callery | Nominated | |
| 26th Gemini Awards | Best Dramatic Miniseries | Nominated | |
| Best Achievement in Make-up | Jordan Samuel, Colin Penman, Linda Dowds, and Amanda Terry | Nominated | |
| Best Costume Design | Nominated | ||
| Best Direction in a Dramatic Program or Miniseries | Jon Cassar | Nominated | |
| Best Original Music Score for a Dramatic Program, Miniseries, or TV Movie | Sean Callery | Nominated | |
| Best Performance by an Actress in a Supporting Role in a Dramatic Program or Miniseries[48] | Diana Hardcastle | Won | |
| Best Performance by an Actor in a Featured Leading Role in a Dramatic Program or Miniseries[48] | Barry Pepper | Won | |
| Best Photography in a Dramatic Program or Series[48] | Won | ||
| Best Production Design in a Fiction Program or Series | Mun Ying Kwun, Rocco Matteo, and Enrico Campana | Nominated | |
| Best Sound in a Dramatic Program | Larold Rebhun, Frank Morrone, Henry Embry, and Stephen Traub | Nominated | |
| 18th Screen Actors Guild Awards | Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Television Movie or Miniseries | Greg Kinnear | Nominated |
| 23rd Producers Guild of America Awards | Television Producer of the Year Award in Long-Form | Stephen Kronish, Jamie Paul Rock, David McKillop, Dirk Hoogstra, Joel Surnow, Brian Gibson, Jonathan Koch, Christine Shipton, Michael Prupas, Jon Cassar, Tara Ellis, and Steven Michaels | Nominated |
| 64th Directors Guild of America Awards | Outstanding Directing – Television Film[49] | Jon Cassar | Won |
| History Makers Awards | Best Historical Drama Production[50] | Won |
The Kennedys was released on DVD in the UK on July 18, 2011,[51] and in the US and Canada on September 20, 2011.[52][53]
As of October 2011,The Kennedys was available as an app, digital download oniTunes and onNetflix's streaming media service.As of August 2025, it is available to stream on Tubi and Amazon Prime.
Holmes reprised her role inThe Kennedys: After Camelot, a four-part sequel released on April 2, 2017. She was also executive producer of the miniseries and directed an episode, withJon Cassar returning to direct the remaining three episodes.[54]
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link) CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link){{cite web}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link) CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link){{cite web}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link) CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link){{cite web}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link) CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link){{cite web}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link) CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)November 20, 1925 – June 6, 1968 | ||
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