"Through its Los Angeles public affairs office, church representatives have asked the producers at HBO to consider a disclaimer at the beginning of the program, dissociating the practice of polygamy today from The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. The producers have said they are willing to consider that request."

In fact, a disclaimer will run at the end of each episode stating that the LDS Church does not condone polygamy.

Having asked a dozen or so TV critics who've seen at least some of the first five episodes, most agreed that it's a clear distinction. One, however, was surprised to learn mainstream Mormons aren't polygamists — and he'd seen all five episodes.

The producers also took great pains to make it clear that "Big Love" is not anti-Mormon.

"When we brought this project to HBO, there were two caveats that we had. . . . We were not interested in the glib, the sensational, the tawdry, the salacious. Our interests went much deeper than that," Olsen said. "And we also wanted to communicate to HBO (that) we had no ax to grind against the Mormon Church. And those remain our guiding principles in this material."

While the central family in "Big Love" seems relatively normal — almost average — the darker side of polygamy is also portrayed. Wife No. 2's father (Harry Dean Stanton), the leader of a polygamist cult, has a teenage bride. And the producers promise that storyline will be played out.

"It is very important to us to take responsibility and, in our dramatization of this family, also dramatize some of the groups that exist," said executive producer Will Scheffer. "I think that we are going to show a wide variety of polygamous behavior. And, certainly, some of it is not going to be shown in a good light."

"We do feel very much the responsibility not to give short shrift to the abuses of polygamy," Olsen said.

While he has no Mormon background, Olsen has done enormous research and has a firm grasp of the culture. It's not just that the scripts are sprinkled with LDS references, but they're in context. And he speaks easily and knowledgeably about various polygamous groups ranging from Bluffdale to Colorado City.

He knows enough that he edited out a scene in a later episode that featured temple garments being treated disrespectfully.

"I just couldn't leave it in. We really don't want to offend members" of the LDS Church, he said.

But he's not going to be surprised if they are. And, make no mistake, this is an HBO show that's far from family fare. Olsen expects church members to be offended by the sex scenes, which are HBO-explicit. But, clearly, they're not aiming for an LDS audience.

"If, at the end of the day, there is at least a recognition that we have attempted to be fair and transparent in our handling of this material, that is all we could ask out of the mainstream church," Olsen said.

---

E-mail: pierce@desnews.com