I'm not disappointed this has been cancelled. The show was filmed here in Austin.

The Link

And the real reason why the show was cancelled...

Before ABC announced its decision, the Family Research Council said it was worried evangelicals would be made to appear judgmental and foolish. Really, how could that be?

Just when you think reality TV couldn't sink much lower....sure, it never aired but I bet it'll surface somehow, somewhere.

What do they mean "appear"?

Yeah, either on The WB, A & E or VH1

It might be sent over to ABC Family Channel.

No - Really - who wudda thunk? The real question is whose brainchild this was to start with.

R

Probably an evangelical nut who didn't like the outcome of the show.

Here's a better question - why the hell would any of these "candidates" want to live in this neighborhood?

LXN

It's in a newer part of southwest Austin called Circle C Ranch. A very conservative, white, elitiste part of town. It's very un-Austin-like. I agree, I would definitely not want to live there.

Posted by ITJock (Member # 1353) on January 20, 2006, 10:46 PM:

As it turned out, the Wrights did win - beating families cast, at least partly, for being African-American, Hispanic, Korean, tattooed or even Wiccan - but outside of a few hundred neighbors (who attended private screenings last summer) and a handful of journalists, almost no one has been able to see them do so.

Ten days before the first episode was to be shown, ABC executives canceled "Welcome to the Neighborhood," saying that they were concerned that viewers who might have been appalled at some early statements made in the show - including homophobic barbs - might not hang in for the sixth episode, when several of those same neighbors pronounced themselves newly open-minded about gays and other groups...

Whats up ABC? Getting in a little self censorship or just scared of the 'Religious' Right?


Posted by Joe in Philly (Member # 6) on January 21, 2006, 06:12 AM:

For what it's worth, it was a horrible premise for a show, and I'm glad it was canceled without airing, for whatever reason.

[ January 21, 2006, 07:12 AM: Message edited by: m1 ]

And now for a totally different opinion...

First of all let me start by saying that I think that the title of this thread is very misleading and misrepresents the nature of the show. This was not a "bigoted reality show" but rather a "reality show about/with bigots". There is a HUGE difference.

After reading the NYT article about the show, linked above by m1, I can't understand all of this negative discussion. The only people who are made to look bad are the bigots and even they are redeemed in the end. When you hear the head bigot telling how the show pushed him to open up to and start a relationship with his 25 year old gay son, when you hear how these men changed hearts and minds in the neighborhood and when you hear how the thing that most upset Focus on the Family and the Southern Baptist Convention was the fact that these Christians had a change of heart and "literally embraced their gay neighbors", what's not to like. When I hear the one man who was most against the gay couple explain how the show changed in more than even the producers will ever know, I want the WORLD to see this message. I think there has been a lot of prejudgement over this series. I find nothing more inspiring and uplifting than to see bigoted people wake up, change their hearts and minds and speak openly of their epiphany.

I for one will make it very clear that I want to see this show. I don't want other people deciding if I can see "The Book of Daniel" and I don't want anyone, fellow queers, evangelicals or anyone else keeping me from seeing this show. If I don't like it I CAN CHANGE THE DAMN CHANNEL.

The best way to stop bigotry is to expose it and confront it with the truth. That's what this show attempted, and apparently succeeded in doing. Fred Phelps has done more to advance the cause of gay rights and awareness that all of the silly and embarrassing "pride" parades and circuit parties all combined.

By trying to keep this show from airing you are in bed with Focus on the Family and other anti-gay groups who fear its positive message.

[ January 21, 2006, 05:49 PM: Message edited by: UMRebel/Bucfan ]

I think they should have put the show on the air. After reading the NYT article, people can change their opinions if they open themselves up to change.

But hey ... let's just be ignorant and not see the show at all.

The NYT article is rather silent about the show in regards to different races and religion. If anything, the outcome just says, well if we HAVE to have someone not like us living in the neighborhood, white christian homos are okay. But we still don't want any blacks, asians, or non-christians in our neighborhood.

Still seems yucky to me.

Well, considering the fact that when it comes to contemporary bigotry it seems that gays are universally the low man on the totem pole, it seems reasonable that if they were able to open their hearts and minds to queers, no matter what their race or religion, they would probably reconsider their other biases as well. Hopefully there were discussions to that effect but, of course, we'll never know because we won't be allowed to see it.

[ January 23, 2006, 10:14 AM: Message edited by: UMRebel/Bucfan ]

I'm all for seeing it.

The result of the show indicates otherwise.

Not necessarily. Since we won't be allowed to see it we'll never know what personality issues and other idiosyncrasies factored into the decisions that were made concerning who would stay and who would go.

I never did like the idea of that show. When I first saw the commercials, I was wary already. I hate these kind of shows because they always seem to bring out the worst in people. But then again, it's what America wants so who am I to argue.