Friends are furious with Reagan series

The protectors of the Reagan legacy are in full cry.

Critics who believe former President Ronald Reagan is portrayed unfairly in CBS’ “The Reagans,” a miniseries scheduled for broadcast Nov. 16 and 18, have challenged the network and its advertisers to either revise or abandon the project, which they consider a partisan hatchet job and a distortion of history.

Many are particularly troubled by the omission of Mr. Reagan’s role in the economic expansion of the 1980s, and say the portrayal of his personality borders on cruel caricature. Fictional conversations also imply he was apathetic toward the AIDS crisis.

“They that live in sin, shall die in sin,” the Reagan character proclaims in the production, and dismisses the issue.

The series — custom-tailored for a viewing public already overwhelmed by reality television and the deliberate stylings of a liberal-slanting media — has become a catalyst for those who revere the real Mr. Reagan, 92, and suffering from Alzheimer’s disease.

The Republic National Committee (RNC) joined the fray yesterday.

During a conference call with journalists, RNC Chairman Ed Gillespie recommended that a panel of historians review the production for accuracy.

If the network did not agree to a review, Mr. Gillespie called for CBS to establish whether the production is “entertainment or fact,” and suggested that the series carry an on-screen “crawl” every 10 minutes that advises viewers that the production contains fictional material.

“If your series contains omissions, exaggerations, distortions or scenes that are fiction masquerading as fact, the American people may come away with a misunderstanding of the Reagans and the Reagan administration,” Mr. Gillespie said in a letter to CBS.

He cited a CBS producer who asserted the production told “a good story in our honest sort of way.”

Mr. Gillespie countered, “I’m not sure ‘honest sort of way’ meets a proper standard for historical accuracy.” He did not call for a public boycott of the network. He was also reluctant to categorize the production as “Reagan bashing” because he has not viewed the miniseries himself.

Mr. Gillespie is not alone. CBS has circulated a copy of the script among some journalists; snippets of the dialogue also have been broadcast on talk radio. Complete preview tapes of the series, however, have yet to become available to the press.

“Though all of this is clearly of interest for Republicans, there is also a broader issue at stake here: distorting a historic legacy. I would feel this way if the miniseries was about the Kennedy or Carter administrations as well,” Mr. Gillespie said.

The RNC has set up a Web site for viewers and is suggesting that the public have their own “Reagan viewing” parties on the nights the series airs, featuring “counterprogramming” that is rooted in truth.

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