Why A&E Canceled This Controversial Documentary Just Weeks Before Its Premiere
· Vice
On December 16, 2016, A&E announced it was launching a new documentary series about the Ku Klux Klan titled Generation KKK. The show, which was set to premiere on January 10 of the following year, revolved around four Klan-affiliated families, each with a member seeking to leave the infamous hate group.
Among the reported subjects of Generation KKK were an Imperial Wizard who was grooming his young daughter to take his position in the Klan and an Iraq War vet raising his son to adopt the group’s views. This was in addition to the series covering various anti-hate groups and their attempts to lead members away from the KKK.
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“This series gives viewers an unprecedented look at what it is like to be born into hate,” Rob Sharenow, A&E EVP and general manager, said at the time. “Our producers gained access to Klan families, allowing for full immersion into this secret world and its impact on the next generation.” Sharenow went on to say, “Generation KKK brings viewers inside the places where hatred and prejudice are born and bred, and carried forward or not.”
The Controversial KKK TV Series That Never Made It to Air
The announcement was met with immediate backlash, and within a week, A&E decided to change Generation KKK’s title. To make it clear that this wasn’t a reality show made for entertainment purposes, the network revealed that they were now calling the project Escaping the KKK: A Documentary Series Exposing Hate in America. They also said they were adding segments featuring civil-rights leaders to provide context for viewers. Those portions were to be interspersed with the rest of the footage the showrunners had already captured.
However, on December 24, the network pulled the plug on Escaping the KKK after making an unfortunate discovery. “A&E learned last night from third-party producers who made the documentary that cash payments—which we currently understand to be nominal—were made in the field to some participants in order to facilitate access,” reads a statement posted on their official website. “While we stand behind the intent of the series and the seriousness of the content, these payments are a direct violation of A&E’s policies and practices for a documentary,” it continued.
“We have now decided not to move forward with airing this project.”
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