The Kennedy' - an eight-part, $30 million TV mini-series headlining Katie Holmes as Jacqueline Kennedy and Greg Kinnear as the late John F. Kennedy - will debut April 3 on ReelzChannel, according to The Hollywood Reporter (THR).
The series had earlier been turned down by the History Channel, reportedly under pressure from the Kennedy family.
Explaining the rejection, History Channel's parent network, A&E Television, had told THR, "After viewing the final product in its totality, we have concluded this dramatic interpretation is not a fit for the History brand."
Other networks - Showtime, Starz and FX – similarly passed on the series.
ReelzChannel is viewed in 60 million homes as part of services offered by DirecTV, Dish Network, AT&T, Time Warner Cable, Comcast and Charter Communications. It's a 4-year-old independent cable channel owned by Minnesota-based Hubbard Communications.
ReelzChannel CEO Stan Hubbard confirmed the acquisition to THR saying, "We think it will drive ratings and put a spotlight on this network that has never been on it before."
"One of the benefits of being an independent network is that you can be an independent voice and you don't have to worry about corporate pressure or political pressure," Hubbard added. "This is a project that deserves to be seen."
