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BBC shows Kennedy series that riled US

Adam Sherwin
Thursday 24 March 2011 01:00 GMT
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Controversial mini-series The Kennedys, cancelled in the US after complaints over historical accuracy, is to be screened on BBC2.

The £19m, eight-part series, chronicling the turbulent family life of the US political dynasty, stars Greg Kinnear as John F Kennedy and Katie Holmes as his wife, Jacqueline.

It was dropped by the History Channel in the US, following protests from members of the family over its unflattering depiction of JFK's sexual exploits. Ted Sorensen, a former speech writer for JFK, called the series a "character assassination".

A&E, the parent company for the History Channel, said: "This dramatic interpretation is not a fit for the History brand."

The series will be screened in a peak-time slot on BBC2 in May.

The BBC has vowed to cut the money it spends on American imports and has already lost Mad Men to BSkyB.

Mark Thompson, the BBC's director general, said this week that the Corporation would be focusing on cost-effective European dramas, like the recent cult Danish hit, The Killing.

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