The Public Broadcasting System has canceled plans to finance a sequel to "Tales of the City," its highest-rated dramatic miniseries in more than a decade.
PBS execs say they decided against backing "More Tales of the City" because they can't afford it.
But Armistead Maupin, who wrote the book on which the series was based, says PBS was enthusiastic until religious conservatives blasted the mini, set in '70s S.F., for its partial nudity and positive portrayal of gays.
"For them to deny that they're running scared at this point is preposterous," Maupin told the San Francisco Chronicle.
PBS spokeswoman Karen Doyle denied that, saying, "Provocative programming is nothing new to PBS. Doing a popular program doesn't mean we're going to do it again and again."
But it's true the show generated controversy. Tupelo, Miss.-based American Family Assn. urged its members to protest the government's funding of PBS, calling it the "Homosexual Pride Tax-Funded TV Network."
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