Lindsey Weedston
A U.S. Christian group is petitioning Netflix to cancel Good Omens, a miniseries based on a 1990 novel by Terry Pratchett and Neil Gaiman that depicts an angel and a demon teaming up to stop the end of the world. The group, called “Return to Order,” is concerned that the show represents “another step to make satanism appear normal, light and acceptable.”
There are a couple of problems with this. First and foremost, Good Omens was made by Amazon Studios and is only available on Amazon Prime Video, not Netflix. Secondly, Good Omens is a miniseries that is already finished because it’s based on a single book and there are no plans to do anything else with it, so it can’t be canceled.
A Christian group has launched a petition to get @netflix to remove @GoodOmensPrime. Thing is, it's on #AmazonPrime https://t.co/EjWQ9RI52a @neilhimself @michaelsheen @David_Tennant ???? ????
— Dan Avery (@ItsDanAvery) June 20, 2019
The petition currently appears to either be broken or deleted, though the page URL still refers to asking Netflix to cancel the “blasphemous” show.
Even if Good Omens could be canceled and they had petitioned the right company, the complaints outlined in the letter are all the best parts of the show. “Among their gripes are the fact that ‘an angel and demon are good friends,’ ‘God is voiced by a woman,’ and ‘The Antichrist…is portrayed as a normal kid that has special powers,’” reports IndieWire. Sounds like a great review to me.
Neil Gaiman himself responded to news of the petition by retweeting an image of someone’s notes on the petition and saying that he loves the entire thing.
1.
I love that they are going to write to Netflix to try and get #GoodOmens cancelled. Says it all really. https://t.co/8WNxCY1YmV
— Neil Gaiman (@neilhimself) June 19, 2019
Then the official Twitter account for Netflix UK & Ireland announced they “promise not to make any more.”
ok we promise not to make any more https://t.co/TRPux36kcX
— Netflix UK & Ireland (@NetflixUK) June 20, 2019
Obviously, Neil Gaiman and Netflix’s responses win, but there are plenty of other great ones to cackle at like the Devil worshipper you are.
2.
Netflix receiving those petitions to cancel Good Omens: pic.twitter.com/gOynrU5Nei
— marine is in a very bad mood (@TearsOf10th) June 20, 2019
3.
One day I hope to have 20,000 people sign a petition to have my work removed from a place it already isn't. Until then, I will live vicariously through @neilhimself https://t.co/78aw3mGZLW
— Randy Milholland (@choochoobear) June 20, 2019
4.
Dear Netflix, please can a have a role in next seasons Good Omens? Regards, Gina Bellman (oops) https://t.co/iqFreUgDKz
— Gina Bellman (@Ginabellman) June 20, 2019
5.
Glorious. 20,000 people sign a petition calling for Good Omens to be removed from Netflix. Miraculously God has already done it. Don’t tell them She put it on Amazon instead. https://t.co/96PPzDLDxR
— Cheryl Morgan ????♀️ (@CherylMorgan) June 19, 2019
6.
people: [automatically assume #GoodOmens is a Netflix show]
— (incorrect) Good Omens (@wrongomens) June 20, 2019
Amazon Prime Video: pic.twitter.com/bwBBEz1YYI
7.
CAN YOU GET NETFLIX TO CANCEL GOOD OMENS pic.twitter.com/r5QG8wfAhR
— Mark Harris (@MarkHarrisNYC) June 20, 2019
8.
Ahhh, down with this sort of thing.
— Graham O'Mara (@funkyaardvark) June 19, 2019
Support the antichrist, tell Netflix, not @GoodOmensPrime or @primevideouk pic.twitter.com/F8Kp8B5kcu
9.
I just petitioned Pepsi to get rid of Vanilla Diet Coke because that, too, is an abomination. #GoodOmenshttps://t.co/f3KFZS3cAo
— Stands (@Stands) June 20, 2019
10.
Netflix looking at the #GoodOmens petition like: pic.twitter.com/E373ZJoShe
— Millie Reeves (@PuddleMoon) June 20, 2019
11.
Thoughts and prayers.
— Richard Littler (@richard_littler) June 20, 2019
Well, prayers anyway.https://t.co/ikSWfBKmNv
12.
If nothing else this is a slightly damning indictment of Amazon's brand recognition. https://t.co/9rJ6JfeeRT
— Huw Fullerton (@HuwieMcChewie) June 20, 2019
13.
US Christian group condemns Amazon Prime's "Good Omens", but petitions wrong company; submits petition to Netflix.
— Elayne Boosler (@ElayneBoosler) June 20, 2019
Wait until they find out they've been praying to Spartacus all these years...https://t.co/lyQF630yQj
14.
Christian group wants Amazon to cancel Netflix's incredibly good-natured "Good Omens" for normalising Satan, while not noticing Netflix's "Sabrina", which is basically Satanist "Happy Days" if the demon Lilith were the Fonz. Ah, 2019... never change.
— James Milton (@jg_milton) June 20, 2019
15. Even Amazon Prime Video U.K. has responded to the controversy, doing so in a, shall we say, devilish manner.
Tell us why #GoodOmens should be cancelled and we promise to send the best reasons to Netflix! ???????? https://t.co/ys5mbUQhMq
— Prime Video UK (@primevideouk) June 19, 2019
Go ahead and “cancel” it just to make sure you don’t get tempted to make an inevitably disappointing sequel, Amazon.
