American network CBS has announced that it is changing the format of The Activist competition series to a one-time documentary after the show was met with widespread backlash. Actor Priyanka Chopra Jonas, American singer-songwriter Usher, and Dancing with the Stars star Julianne Hough were cast as judges in the reality show, which was announced last week and set for premiere on October 22.Produced by CBS and Global Citizen, the series pitted activists against each other before a panel of celebrity judges. Their success would have been judged on the basis of their social media campaigns.After the show was unveiled, there was an instant backlash on social media with many people labelling the series as insensitive and tone-deaf. Some called the show’s concept a “dystopian” celebration of “Insta-activism”.In a statement on Wednesday, CBS and producing partners Global Citizen and Live Nation said that they are retooling The Activist as a one-time documentary special instead of a five-episode competition series.
