ABC has returned the mid season finale of “Scandal” to its website after briefly removing it in the wake of the school shooting in Newtown, Conn.
The episode, which aired last Thursday – a day before the Newtown tragedy – featured the brutal slayings of a family of four — mother, father and two young children (and their dog) as a way to send a message to a character framed for shooting the President of the United States.
“Out of respect for those affected by the tragic events in Newtown, Conn., the ‘Scandal’ winter finale ‘Blown Away’ has been temporarily taken down online,” ABC wrote in a post on its site Monday afternoon that also thanked fans for their patience and understanding. “We know fans are excited to see the episode, and we will update this post the moment we know when it will be available in the ABC.com Full Episode Player and the ABC Player Apps.”
Showrunner Shonda Rhimes, a mother of two, also tweeted the link Monday explaining why the episode wasn’t available online.
By late Monday, the episode was restored on ABC.com.
“Scandal” joined a growing list of TV and film adjustments in the wake of Friday’s deadly shooting rampage at Sandy Hook Elementary School that left 28 people dead, including gunman Adam Lanza, 20, and his mother. Twenty first-grade students were among the victims in Lanza’s attack before police say he turned the gun on himself.
Earlier on Monday, TLC delayed the premiere of “Best Funeral Ever,” a special about unique funerals; Sunday’s “Homeland” season finale featured an additional disclaimer warning viewers about “disturbing” content; Fox pulled several originals from its Sunday night animated block; and Sci-Fi on Friday opted not to air a new episode of “Haven” it centered on violence at a high school. Elsewhere, “Saturday Night Live” opened its Christmas episode with a children’s choir singing “Silent Night.”
In addition, movie studio Paramount delayed Tom Cruise’s “Jack Reacher” premiere in Pittsburgh and canceled a Lincoln Center fundraiser screening, while Fox canceled a Parental Guidance post screening party.
Also, The Weinstein Company announced Monday that it was cancelling its red carpet premiere for “Django Unchained.”
(Photos: EURweb)
