Good Omens petition: Protesters demand Netflix cancel Amazon Prime show
Written by News on 21/06/2019
More than 20,000 protesters who have taken offence at the new Amazon Prime series Good Omens have signed a petition demanding it be cancelled – but they addressed it to Netflix.
The series – based on the 1990 fantasy novel by Terry Pratchett and Neil Gaiman – features Scottish actor David Tennant as a demon and Welsh star Michael Sheen as an angel, who must team up to prevent an apocalypse.
Christian campaign group Return To Order has accused the show of presenting devils and satanists as “normal and even good”, and said the premise of the story was “devoid of meaning and truth”.
Its letter also lists a number of ways in which Good Omens – which has been well received by critics – disrespects God, with particular issue taken with the angel and demon being “good friends” and the four riders of the apocalypse being portrayed as a group of bikers.
The group also does not approve of God being voiced by a woman, Oscar-winning Fargo actress Frances McDormand, or the Antichrist being presented as “a normal kid that has special powers”.
Netflix was quick to poke fun at the petition, tweeting: “Ok we promise not to make any more” – prompting Amazon to respond: “We’ll cancel Stranger Things if you cancel Good Omens”.
Stranger Things is one of the most popular original programmes on Netflix and returns for a third season in July.
Gaiman – who adapted the original novel for the screen – also mocked the petition, tweeting: “I love that they are going to write to Netflix to try and get #GoodOmens cancelled. Says it all really.”
He later added: “This is so beautiful… Promise me you won’t tell them?”
Return To Order has since acknowledged the embarrassing blunder, but said it remained dedicated to its campaign to see the show cancelled.
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It said in a statement added to the petition: “Due to an oversight by Return to Order staff, this petition originally listed Netflix as responsible for the offensive series Good Omens. Amazon Video released the series on May 31.
“We regret the mistake, and the protests will be delivered to Amazon when the campaign is complete.”
(c) Sky News 2019: Good Omens petition: Protesters demand Netflix cancel Amazon Prime show
