Even CBS Agrees Its 'Activist' Show Is A Bad Idea

CBS announced less than a week ago that it would debut a new competition series that pits activists against each other. CBS said the show, called The Activist, would feature rich celebrities -- Usher, Priyanka Chopra Jonas, and Julianne Hough -- as the program's judges. Best of all, the network advised the hosts to judge the activists based on their social media responses.

Who would watch this show? Apparently, no one.

CBS said on Thursday, six days after the show's announcement, that it will now change course following the severe mocking it received. Instead of a competition show, The Activist will now debut as a documentary.

"The Activist was designed to show a wide audience the passion, long hours, and ingenuity that activists put into changing the world, hopefully inspiring others to do the same," says. "However, it has become apparent the format of the show as announced distracts from the vital work these incredible activists do in their communities every day. The push for global change is not a competition and requires a global effort."

CBS said the doc will air as a primetime special:

"We are changing the format to remove the competitive element and reimagining the concept into a primetime documentary special (air date to be announced)," read the statement. "It will showcase the tireless work of six activists and the impact they have advocating for causes they deeply believe in. Each activist will be awarded a cash grant for the organization of their choice, as was planned for the original show."

I guess that is a step up, a minor step. However, CBS's definition of the word "activists" remains a concern, as I said last week:

If you had to watch one, which would you choose: The Activist or the NBA regular season? Yes, you have to choose.