One TV Series I Will NOT Watch

Look, I appreciate artistic expression. I think there's something to be said for being willing to go out on a limb and try something daring. But sometimes, I wonder what Hollywood is thinking. Check out the latest "idea" percolating at Showtime...

Cable channel Showtime is quietly at work on a new series about the personal lives of an Islamic terrorist cell in the United States, The Post has learned.

The series — to be called "The Cell" — will be told from the view points of a group of Euro pean and American con verts to Islam who are plotting terror attacks here.

Showtime says it realizes it is walking into a potential minefield by portraying terrorists sympathetically without pulling punches about their violent aims.

HBO's "The Sopranos" and "The Wire" have found success doing that with mobsters and drug dealers.

"We're trying to look into the minds of these [terrorists] and the issues driving them, beyond a black-and-white portrayal," says Showtime entertainment president Robert Greenblatt, who will decide next month whether to commit to a series.

"The leaders of the cell look like nice, normal people you would encounter in everyday life and never know were quietly putting together a power base," he says. "Our only hesitation was sensitivity to the subject matter, which was very scary. Several plot points have already come to pass."

When I first read this, I almost blew my top. That's probably too visceral a reaction. I can see these writers wanting to portray more well-rounded characters than you generally see in terrorist movies. Then again, let's ask whether Hollywood would ever touch the following scripts:

1. A series that tells the stories of Nazi death camp guards and their warden, and how they juggle their personal lives with committing horrific mass murder.

2. A series that details the lives of a Klan leader and his Klavern as they plan lynchings and bombings while fighting civil rights leaders in the 1960's.

3. A series that tells the tale of Stalin and Beriya in the USSR as they and their lieutenants conducted Star Chamber trials in the 1930's, and how it impacted their home lives.

Guess what? Hollywood wouldn't touch these stories with a ten-meter cattle prod. And I wouldn't argue with that decision. They have the right to approach these sorts of projects -- but having the right does not mean it's intelligent to exercise it.

Three years ago, in the wake of 9/11, I wrote the following as part of a long e-mail diatribe, tearing apart the idea that we need to attach humanity to terrorists:

Hey, maybe evil doesn't exist in our cultural vocabulary anymore. In our culture, we can damn near humanize anyone; try watching The Sopranos if you don't believe me (and before we start, I love the show). Tony Soprano's a bad guy who cheats on his wife, kills people and makes his living breaking the law... but he cares for his kids... but he's only trying to make a living... but he was raised in this culture... but he's relatively a good guy... but he loves his wife... but he cares about his friends when he's not killing them... but he would beat anyone who tried to order a veggie calzone (with my full support, I might add)... but... but... AND WITH ALL THOSE BUTS, YOU FORGET THE FUNDAMENTAL FACT THAT HE'S A BAD GUY. Every person has redeeming values; Hitler made the German trains run on time and created the Volkswagon. That doesn't make him human. It doesn't make him a good person.

What I forgot to say is that there's a significant difference between the Mafia and the terrorists who are trying to kill us. Perhaps it's only a difference in magnitude, but I think there's more to it than that -- the mob generally doesn't blink an eye when it kills people, but indiscriminate mass murder in the name of religion is a perverse thing that's well outside the mob worldview. I'm not saying it's off-limits to examination by a serious dramatic series in any legal sense -- Showtime and the writers of this show have the right to produce this show. Having that right doesn't make it an intelligent thing to do. And while they have the right to free speech, I have the right to protest the idiocy of their choices (not that I order Showtime anyway).

In the end, it's not something I'll watch. People can consider that small-minded or unfair, but I don't really care. They may even assert that by understanding the motivations of terrorists better, we have a better chance of stopping them. I'll leave that to the experts.

I don't need someone humanizing terrorists for me. Killing them will do just fine.