TLC cancels "American Guns" reality series
Discovery has decided not to renew its reality series "American Guns" for a third season, Deadline reports.
A rep for the show said, "'American Guns' concluded earlier this year. Discovery Channel chose not to renew the series and has no plans to air repeats of the show."
According to TV Guide, the network said the decision had been made a while ago and did not link the show's cancellation to Friday's school shooting in Newtown, Conn., in which 26 people, including 20 children, were killed at Sandy Hook Elementary School.
But the series, which follows a family of gun makers, had drawn negative attention in the days since the tragedy, with many calling for its cancellation, TV Guide added.
- "Django Unchained, other premieres canceled after Newtown shooting
- Complete Coverage: Latest on the Newtown, Conn., shootings
Paige Wyatt, one of the stars of "American Guns," posted a screen shot on Twitter of a message she received Friday that said, "Sickening to zap into 'American Guns' right after the Newtown shooting. Are you aware that you are encouraging this culture?"
Wyatt tweeted that the commenter "obviously needs to be educated."
Elsewhere on television, other networks have made moves to avoid showing sensitive content in light of the Newtown shooting. TLC postponed the premiere date for its "Best Funeral Ever" special from Dec. 26 to Jan. 6, and Fox pulled last Sunday's new episodes of "Family Guy and American Dad," according to TheWrap.
Syfy also pulled that Friday's episode of "Haven," which included gun violence, and postponed it until Jan. 17, and ABC briefly removed the winter finale episode of "Scandal" from its website. The network restored the episode on Monday, but warned on its website: "Since the episode contains a violent scene involving children, we urge fans to use their own discretion before viewing."