ReelzChannel is looking to continue telling the tale of the Kennedy family in a potential eight-part miniseries that would pick up where the 2011 mini The Kennedys left off. The original miniseries landed at ReelzChannel after History dropped it unexpectedly just before the air date, setting off rumors of the Kennedy clan’s involvement in an attempt to shut it down.
The sequel would be based on the book After Camelot by J. Randy Taraborrelli, who already had his previous book Jackie Ethel Joan: The Women of Camelot adapted to television at NBC. After Camelot chronicles the personal lives of the Kennedy family members following the assassinations of both John F. Kennedy and Robert Kennedy in the 1960s right up to the present day. It includes all of their public scandals and private tragedies. Deadline says ReelzChannel and Canadian company Muse Entertainment are looking for a writer for the adaptation.
The Kennedys starred Katie Holmes as Jackie and Greg Kinnear as John, and did quite well for ReelzChannel, giving it a new status among cable networks. While it suffered a bit in the reviews, and I personally didn’t find it all that riveting, it took home four Emmys and gave ReelzChannel strong ratings. It’s not a surprise that they would be seeking to continue that success with another foray into the Kennedy story, which has reached a level of near-mythology. Joel Surnow, who executive produced for The Kennedys is apparently not involved with the new project.
It has been nearly 50 years since the assassination of John F. Kennedy, but it doesn’t look like America has lost interest in him or his family. It should be interesting to see what other Kennedy projects come about as the 50th anniversary of the assassination comes around a year from now.
