It was a capacity crowd last Saturday at the DGA Theater as Outfest 2006 presented two never-aired in the U.S. episodes of the controversial and short-lived NBC drama "The Book of Daniel" which had religious groups up in arms evern before the series debuted in January. The controversial series was yanked by NBC after just four episodes as a result of pressure from conservative Christian groups. They said they found the story of a pill-popping Episcopal minister (Aiden Quinn) and head of a dysfunctional family offensive to the Christian faith. The preacher regularly had conversations with Jesus who appears in the flesh at various points duirng each episode. His wife (Susanna Thompson of "Once and Again" in an Emmy-worthy performance), drinks too much after one of her twin son does from Leukemia. Turns out his surviving twin (Christian Campbell) is gay and when tells his family at dinner, a female relative announces that she's a lesbian.

"We suddenly had an affiliate in Indianpolis saying they weren't going to show it because they thought it was anti-Christian," said series creator Jack Kenny. "They said no preacher would accept a gay son. I was told on talk radio that I can't be Christian and gay. (NBC's) response was to cut and run."

Campbell, who was among the cast members who were present for the Outfest screening, said, "I miss working on a show that I really believed in. I really miss feeling like a complete artist. I just will never, ever, ever regret a moment of it. I got to work with a caliber of actors that you don't get to every day."

Kenny is still clearly pained by the cancellation of this quality show which he believes was given the shaft by NBC. The eight completed episodes did air in the U.K. without incident and will be available (with extras) on DVD on Sept. 26 through Universal Home Entertainment.

"I haven't gotten any hate mail from Great Britain," Kenny said. "I wanted the (remaining) shows to get aired on cable but my sense is, the network just wanted it gone."