CULTURE: Who Killed The Kennedys, Caroline or Maria?

The Kennedys themselves were behind the History Channel’s eleventh-hour yanking of The Kennedys, sources tell the Hollywood Reporter. No advertisers or sponsors complained about the controversial miniseries, which was called "vindictive" and "malicious" by a former JFK aide, but both Caroline Kennedy and Maria Shriver have close ties to A&E Television Networks (AETN) and lobbied for the project to be killed.

AETN is owned by, among other companies, the Walt Disney Co. and NBC Universal. Kennedy has a book deal with Disney’s publishing division—she'll be editing and promoting a collection of never-before released interviews with Jackie Kennedy—and would likely not have cooperated to that level had The Kennedys aired, notes the Reporter. Shriver, meanwhile, worked for NBC Universal for years, and reportedly complained to former execs Jeff Zucker and Jeff Gaspin. The miniseries will likely live on regardless of their efforts; producers are currently looking at Showtime as an alternate network.