A made-for-TV movie about the life of medicare founder Tommy Douglas has been pulled from the CBC’s schedule. The broadcaster made the move due to historical inaccuracies in the presentation of a character, according to the Canadian Press.

Home and educational sales of the film, titled “Prairie Giant: The Tommy Douglas Story,” have also been put on hold for the time being.

The controversy surrounds the film’s depiction of former Saskatchewan premier James Gardiner. Some say he comes across as resentful and egotistic in the movie. Historians say that Gardiner was, in fact, an impassioned spokesman for western Canada and agriculture.

Gardiner’s family had fought against the former premier’s portrayal. CBC executive vice-president Richard Stursberg sent an e-mail to the family informing them of the decision.

?We engaged an outside, third-part historian with no ties to CBC, your family or the Douglas family to assess the way in which Mr. Gardiner was depicted,? he wrote. ?I regret to say that his conclusion was that the character created for the film does not reflect the accepted historical record.?

The two-part movie was first broadcast on March 12 and 13. It was slated to run again in late June.

No word has been released on any planned changes to the film so that it could air again.

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