NBC has cancelled its plans to develop the Mail Order Family TV show pilot. The Peacock Network just put the show into development, last week.
The comedy project came from Superstore writer Jackie Clarke and is loosely inspired by her family. It was to follow a widowed father who ordered a “mail-order” bride from the Philippines to help raise his two young daughters.
Advocacy group Gabriela USA created a petition on Change.org, to protest the sitcom. It cites the exploitation, violence, and human trafficking involved in the “mail order bride” industry.
Deadline reports:
“We purchased the pitch with the understanding that it would tell the creator’s real-life experience of being raised by a strong Filipina stepmother after the loss of her own mother,” NBC said in a statement. “The writer and producers have taken the sensitivity to the initial concept to heart and have chosen not to move forward with the project at this time.”
What do you think? Did NBC do the right thing by cancelling Mail Order Family? Is there a sensitive way to present such a concept in a half-hour sitcom?
I wasn’t aware that someone’s actual upbringing is considered offensive when written as fiction! So should we ban scripted shows with Polygamists or Cattle Ranchers too since lots of people take issue with those perfectly legal lifestyles as well? Don’t watch it if you don’t like it. Sheesh!
Err… you do know that polygamy, at least in the USA, is illegal, yeah? Also the purchAasing of another human being may be considered borderline illegal in some of those liberal states.
Who at NBC thought that this wouldn’t cause offense? Seriously who?
I’ve got this idea for a comedy about under age sex workers that I’m sure they’ll love.
Everyone is too sensitive, and your crying only hurts freedom of speech. Leave it alone and just don’t watch it if you don’t want to. All tv sucks anyways, it rots the brain. Go outside or turn on the radio
I don’t believe I was crying, laughing yes. As for freedom of speech, hey say what you want, burn a flag, I really don’t care.
The point is that some things don’t make for good comedies and anybody with the slightest self awareness at NBC would have thought that the human trafficing angle may take something away from the laugh riot I’m sure this would otherwise have been.