As part of NBC's centennial retrospective, Variety revisits the network's recent history of producing one-night-only tuners In 2011, NBC was in a rough shape. The network had struggled in the waning years under General Electric’s ownership. In January 2011, Comcast became the majority shareholder, and with it came a new leadership regime for NBC Entertainment, led by industry veteran Bob Greenblatt.
One of Greenblatt’s big ideas to liven up NBC’s schedule was to lean in to the network’s roots as the home of great entertainment specials and spectacles. NBC carried what was a landmark moment for Broadway on TV in March 1955 with its live telecast of Mary Martin performing her signature role in the beloved Comden and Green tuner. It was a smash in the Trendex ratings of the day.
Greenblatt’s experience as a Broadway producer gave him the confidence to take on “The Sound of Music Live” with the help of veteran producers Craig Zadan and Neil Meron. Carrie Underwood was cast as Maria, Stephen Moyer was tapped as Capt. The “Sound of Music” team spent money and time setting up an elaborate made-for-live-TV production that would be beamed live from a Grumman Studios soundstage on Long Island.
Nobody — not even Greenblatt, Zadan or Meron — quite knew what NBC had until the opening moments of the production on Dec. 5, 2013. Within minutes, fans ranging from Tina Fey to Cameron Diaz to everyday people who love tuners were chiming in on Twitter with posts noting the joy of singing along with the beloved Rodgers and Hammerstein standard. RELATED STORY: From Bob Hope to Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade to ‘Wicked: One Wonderful Night’: How NBC Became America’s Home for TV Specials Greenblatt credits the late producer Zadan and his longtime partner Meron for picking “Sound of Music” as the one to roll the dice on.
But everyone at the network got excited about it and came together to turn it into a powerhouse.” “Sound of Music Live” delivered an astounding 18 million-plus viewers — well past the hope internally that it would reach at least 10 million. It became a milestone in NBC’s revival, and it revved up the strategy to emphasize crowd-pleasing live events to reinforce the network’s prominence as a platform that reaches every corner of the U.S. The success of “Sound of Music” allowed NBC to produce four more live tuners during Greenblatt’s time at the helm of the network. (There was one that got away — a planned production of “Bye Bye Birdie” toplined by Jennifer Lopez never came to fruition in 2017.) “Peter Pan Live,” starring Allison Williams and Christopher Walken.
Airdate: Dec. 2, 2014 “The Wiz Live,” starring Queen Latifah, David Alan Grier and ingenue Shanice Williams. Airdate: Dec. 3, 2015 “Hairspray Live,” starring Marissa Jaret Winokur and Derek Hough. Airdate: Dec. 7, 2016 “Jesus Christ Superstar Live in Concert,” starring John Legend and Sara Bareilles.
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