ABC has announced that it is shifting the airdate of When We Rise, its eight-hour drama mini-series about the rise of LGBT movement, to accommodate a recently scheduled congressional address by Donald Trump.
The series was supposed to air over four consecutive nights but When We Rise will now take a break on Tuesday February 28 to air the first address by President Trump to Congress. The series will resume broadcasting a day later.
Not a huge issue you might think, given the historical significance of President Trump’s first speech to Congress.
Except to the creator of When We Rise, which based on the trailer had generated suspicion that the series is focused on challenging Middle American values. To him, it’s a huge deal.
Oscar-winning gay screenwriter Dustin Lance Black tweeted out his response to ABC’s scheduling change which was somewhat passive-aggressive and confrontational.
In response to a protest tweet at ABC’s actions, Black tweeted: “Not thrilled either. I’ll urge @ABCNetwork to do all they can to make sure #WhenWeRise does not get #Trumped. Your raised voices will help.”
He then posted another confrontational tweet to reinforce the message his show “does not get Trumped” whatever that means:
I will urge @ABCNetwork to do all they can to insure #WhenWeRise does NOT get #Trumped. Your raised voices will helphttps://t.co/i6YAAiYZwK
— Dustin Lance Black (@DLanceBlack) January 26, 2017
Black further commented on social media: “If @ABC works hard to keep viewers over the break & moving it 1 day allows Congress, SCOTUS & the Executive Branch to tune in, then so be it.”
When We Rise stars Guy Pearce, Mary-Louise Parker, David Hyde Pierce and Rachel Griffiths. Black, who is engaged to British Olympic swimmer Tom Daley, evidently feels hard done by following the scheduling change and he may well be afraid of President Trump’s future actions in regards to the LGBTQ community.
But could he be spoiling for a fight for publicity purposes (the trailer suggested the glorification burning police cars and various figures of authority demonstrating extreme intolerance)?
Taking on the network that is airing his show would seem the wrong way to go about it.