NBC may have cancelled Smash, but the network obviously still likes the idea of offering a program with theatrical aspects during primetime. Next winter, the network has plans to air The Sound of Music, and we’re not talking the 1965 film starring Julie Andrews and Christopher Plummer. Instead, the network is putting together an adaption of the 1959 Broadway play that will be aired live on television. On Monday, the network solidified the live event, noting that it will officially air on Thursday, December 5.
NBC announced the news as part of its upfronts presentation on Monday, and according to Deadline, the live event based on Rodgers and Hammerstein’s beloved (and last) work will run for three hours during primetime in December. The timing should actually be pretty good for programming of that ilk. By December 5, most of NBC’s primetime programs should be on winter hiatus and the network’s schedule should be fairly clear. Additionally, December is a big time for family get togethers, and The Sound of Music, if it is anything, is an all-ages event.
When the project was announced in June, NBC’s live broadcast of The Sound of Music seemed to be a fanciful idea that may not make it to fruition. Later, I still felt that way, even after actress and singer Carrie Underwood was signed on to play the lead and the program was one step closer to happening. The idea is a simple one; in fact, Fathom Events has made a name for itself by airing live broadcasts of plays, operas, and ballets in theaters across the country, and I’m very happy that the special will air on television next season and that I have been proven wrong.
