ABC has decided to drop its six-part reality TV series Welcome To The Neighborhood ahead of its July 10 premiere after complaints from advocacy groups.

"Regardless of how things turn out at the end of the last show, it's dangerous to let intolerance and bigotry go unchallenged for weeks at a time," a spokesperson for Gay and Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation told Associated Press (via The Futon Critic. A spokesperson for the National Fair Housing Alliance was also critical. "I think ABC's intent was to try and depict bigotry and tolerance and that people can transform—but they did that at the expense of people of color, humiliating them to show that white people can change." The Family Research Council meanwhile was concerned the residents who decided the winner would look judgmental.

Following the decision, an ABC statement acknowledged there were problems with the show. "Our intention with Welcome to the Neighborhood was to show the transformative process that takes place when people are forced to confront preconceived notions of what makes a good neighbor, and we believe the series delivers exactly that. However, the fact that true change only happens over time made the episodic nature of this series challenging, and given the sensitivity of the subject matter in early episodes, we have decided not to air the series at this time."

The show was to depict numerous families trying to win a luxury house. However they all had to be vetted by local families, and would be eliminated week by week until one family remained. Families competing included a pagan family that worships many gods, a homosexual couple with an adopted son and a Hispanic family. But in featuring such a wide range of people, the show was in the unusual position of being able to cause concern in many right groups all at the same time.

The show was to take over the Desperate Housewives timeslot for its six-week run (story), but according to The Futon Critic Desperate Housewives will now retain its customary 9pm slot.

The original Futon Critic article can be found here.

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