According to this article from Reuters, the American Academy of Pediatrics is crying foul over the pilot episode of ABC’s Eli Stone. It centers on a case in which Eli, a lawyer, wins a large settlement for his client to the tune of five mil or so.
The case is a fictional one that finds the makers of a vaccine for children, which apparently contains trace amounts of thimoseral, (a mercury-based preservative) liable for a child’s autism. Various studies, including those conducted by the Centers for Disease Control, have failed to find a conclusive link between thimoseral and autism.
The AAP sent ABC a letter (strongly worded, no doubt) asking them to cancel the show’s premiere. Riiiight, like that was going to happen.
Have they not heard of a litle thing called the writer’s strike? Did they actually think they were going to stop ABC from airing one of the only fresh, scripted shows on televsion?
After the uproarious laughter died down in the ABC headquarters, they apparently conceded to place a disclaimer at the beginning of the show that the story is you know, made up, as well as something at the end about the CDC and their website.
I don’t know what scares me more, that the AAP thought they had enough power to ask ABC to cancel it, or that they thought people would actually pay attention to a fictional case and make their health decisions based on a series with a really unfortunate name. Because we all know that a man who envisions George Michael singing in his living room is the expert on childhood vaccinations. Don’t we?
ABC could only dream of having such power.
At least, let’s hope they could only dream of having such power.
