LOS ANGELES (Zap2it.com) - The
executive producer of a CBS miniseries about Adolf Hitler's rise to
power has been fired after giving an interview in which he compared the
current mood of Americans to that of the Germans who helped Hitler rise
to power.
According to The Hollywood Reporter, Gernon was fired Sunday
(April 6) from Alliance Atlantis, the production company making "Hitler:
The Rise of Evil" for CBS. He had worked there 11 years and was
head of the firm's long-form programming division.
Neither Gernon nor Alliance Atlantis is commenting on the matter.
"Hitler" has caused controversy ever since CBS
announced its intentions last summer. In an interview with TV Guide
about the four-hour film, scheduled for May, Gernon compares many
Americans' acceptance of a war in Iraq to the fearful climate in
post-World War I Germany, of which Hitler took advantage to become its
ruler.
"It basically boils down to an entire nation gripped by fear,
who ultimately chose to give up their civil rights and plunged the whole
nation into war," Gernon said in the interview. "I can't think
of a better time to examine this history than now."
Gernon's remarks reportedly didn't go over well at CBS, which has
tried very hard to frame "Hitler" as a historical piece
that in no way sensationalizes or offers excuses for Hitler's actions.
Alliance Atlantis has become one of the leading producers of TV
movies in recent years. The company has made "The Matthew
Shepard Story," "Joan of Arc," and "Me and My
Shadows: Life with Judy Garland." Gernon was an executive
producer of all three. He also directed "Hell on Heels: The
Battle of Mary Kay," which aired on CBS earlier this season.
