Paramount Network Delays ‘Heathers’ Reboot, Cites Parkland Shooting

Paramount Network has decided to delay the premiere of its TV reboot of the 1980s movie Heathers, which was set to premiere March 7.

According to a statement from Paramount Network, the “satirical comedy” dealt with “many subjects” including identity, race, and socioeconomic statusas well as gun violence.

“While we stand firmly behind the show, in light of the recent tragic events in Florida and out of respect for the victims, their families and loved ones, we feel the right thing to do is delay the premiere until later this year,” the network wrote.

Though Paramount claims it’s moving the premiere due to the recent shooting in Parkland, Fla., Paramount made the show’s premiere episode available online on February 21, a full week after the February 14 school shooting.

Since its premiere, the show had garnered a slew of negative coverage for its anti-social justice warrior, pro-Trump aesthetic. Several right-wing trolls had already begun praising the show on the internet, as INTO previous reported.

Given that the Heathers premiere was released online a full week after the shooting, some people online felt like the decision to pull the show, especially after the hefty criticism it garnered, was a little suspect.

Heathers reboot delayed indefinitely “in light of the recent tragic events in Florida and out of respect for the victims,” yet the premiere was released online after the shooting? Wouldn’t have anything to do with the show being praised by the alt-right for villainizing SJWs? Huh pic.twitter.com/KZo0B2QpJb

— Taylor Henderson (@cornbreadsays) February 28, 2018

Again, I don’t want to be sarcastic, but Paramount Network put the “Heathers” pilot online LAST WEEKEND. That was an active decision. Delaying it today out of “sensitivity” is… suspect.

— Daniel Fienberg (@TheFienPrint) February 28, 2018

As others pointed out, given the relative frequency of school shootings in the United States, there may be no appropriate time to air the reboot.

Paramount is delaying Heathers. I remember when two episodes of Buffy were delayed, back when school shootings were an anomaly. Paramount might be waiting a long time if they’re waiting to be out of range of a school massacre. pic.twitter.com/06qHKXMYnT

— Ira Madison III (@ira) February 28, 2018

Heathers is not the first show to rework its airing schedule in the wake of a shooting. In 1999, Buffy the Vampire Slayer moved its episodes “Earshot” and its Season 3 finale “Graduation Day Pt. 2” after the Colorado Columbine shooting. In October, American Horror Story: Cult decided to edit a mass shooting scene in the wake of the music festival shooting in Las Vegas.

The official Heathers Twitter account did not specify when the show would return, but asked viewers to “Stay Tuned.”