Does Hollywood Want to Avenge “The Kennedys?”

Nominated 10 times for the 63rd Primetime Emmy Awards, is “The Kennedys” going to win the purse and restore luster to the American series that was produced and then… abandoned?

To celebrate the 50th anniversary of John Kennedy’s election, the History Channel commissioned a TV series, “The Kennedys,” perpetuating the fabulous story of the assassinated president. Boom! In January, the History Channel suddenly refused to broadcast it, citing serious breaches of historical fact. And a few false pretenses: meetings in the Oval Office and other errors regarding the family, etc…

Very active lobbying was exerted by two “daughters” of the Kennedy clan: Caroline, the only daughter of John and Jackie Kennedy, and Maria Shriver, the president’s niece — and future ex-wife of former California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger — who would not have appreciated the scenes highlighting the Kennedy boys’ appetite for women. Since the History Channel had dropped it, “The Kennedys” became difficult to sell.

Producer Joel Surnow, of 24, had taken refuge with ReelzChannel, so the case was believed buried — even though its broadcast (two million the first night on a small cable channel) and sale abroad had worked out rather well. Even Jane Fonda said on her blog that she thought well of the series. France 3 and then Arte aired it in France.

American television professionals have just called to order the surviving Kennedys and told them that it is they — the professionals and the public — who decide what is a good TV series. Ten nominations for the 63rd Primetime Emmy Awards night on Sept. 18 is better than oral remediation. Katie Holmes, as Jackie, was not nominated. Was this to please Caroline?