How to Have Theory in an Epidemic: Cultural Chronicles of AIDS

by Paula A. Treichler; Duke University Press, 1999

In comparison, Roe v Wade , the made-for-TV movie about the Supreme Court's decision to legalize abortion, went through seventeen rewrites before it was broadcast on 15 May 1989 ( Elm 1989). Like the abortion-related "Cagney and Lacey" episode originally broadcast in competition with An Early Frost, Roe v Wade drew much fiercer objections from conservative groups than any AIDS programs to date. At least one network affiliate pulled the "Cagney and Lacey" episode in response to objections by anti-choice organizations, calling it too one sided; pro-life boycott threats, likewise, caused numerous sponsors to withdraw their support from Roe v. Wade. Rick Du Brow ( 1991) comments, "One person's boundary on good taste is another person's censorship. But the question of where to draw the line has never been more difficult than it is at present." He quotes producer Steven Bochco: "The networks are all in a panic. When you cut through the bull, it's all money."

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