Paramount Is Delaying The Premiere Of Heathers In Light Of Recent Gun Violence

On Wednesday, Paramount Network released a statement announcing that they will be delaying the premiere of the new TV show Heathers, originally slated for 7th March, due to the school shooting in Parkland, Florida. The show deals with a number of controversial topics, including gun violence.

"Paramount Network’s original series Heathers is a satirical comedy that takes creative risks in dealing with many of society’s most challenging subjects ranging from personal identity to race and socio-economic status to gun violence," the statement reads. "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."

This sounds like a smart move, especially considering its largely negative reception following the release of the pilot episode online.

"The new Heathers are supposed to be cool because they are 'different.' They are awful because they are radically politically correct and use that political correctness as a way to exact power over meeker students," wrote Refinery29's Kaitlin Reilly. "They are 'social justice warriors' in the harshest use of the term."

Especially considering how teenagers are taking such inspiring action in the wake of the deadly shooting, now is not the best time to air a show that ultimately demonises them. This sentiment has been reflected in Twitter's reaction to news of its delay:

"I swear to potatoes I don’t want to be sarcastic, but… this was foreseeable a two weeks ago and part of the problem with the new Heathers is how *little* it resonates," wrote The Hollywood Reporter television critic Daniel Fienberg.

"The Heathers reboot should b delayed right into the toilet forever," another user put it more bluntly.

It's hard to say if this delay will help ease some of these criticisms, but for now, it's definitely the right move.