Critics blew it on 'Amish'
The Amish kids come off looking pretty good, however.
Proving once again that, gee, maybe people ought to wait until they see a show before they criticize it.
"Amish In the City" is an entertaining, involving new series that doesn't in any way mock the five young Amish people or their religion. Indeed, it's the "city kids" who — at least in the first two hours (Wednesday, 7 p.m., Ch. 24) of this reality show — come off as, well, jerks.
The show is sort of an Amish "Real World." Six worldly young Americans from different backgrounds (a vegan, a gay man, a black, etc.) show up not quite knowing what to expect. Then five young Amish people on rumspringa — a time when they live in the world before deciding to commit to their church and its ultrasimple lifestyle — show up in traditional garb.
And the city kids act like, well, jerks.
Executive producer Jon Kroll said the premise of the show was intentionally withheld from the city kids so they couldn't do research on rumspringa and the Amish.
"We were a little surprised, I think, at the initial reaction. But pretty soon things calmed down, and they got into a mode of living together."
"Amish In the City" was controversial from the moment it was announced here six months ago. Various people — including some members of Congress — cried foul, claiming it would exploit the religion and the young Amish people who would participate.
UPN both dampened and then fanned the flames of controversy, quickly determining it wouldn't issue any further statements about the show and leaving the impression the idea had been dropped — then producing "Amish" in secret and announcing it would join the schedule three weeks before the premiere date.
"There's no question that, judging from past history, the idea of announcing this with a six-month lead time wouldn't have done the show any good and would have created a great controversy that we felt was unnecessary," said Viacom co-president and COO Leslie Moonves, who oversees UPN.
Can you really blame Moonves? He also runs CBS, which has been through similar pre-production protests on things like its movie about Jesus and its miniseries about Hitler, which, as it turns out, were praised by critics and most of those who protested it.
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