Posted on 12/06/2013 9:07:36 AM PST by SeekAndFind
NBC’s big winter gamble paid off: The Sound of Music Live! delivered a massive audience Thursday night. The three-hour performance of the classic Rodgers & Hammerstein musical delivered 18.5 million viewers and a great 4.6 rating among adults 18-49. This is NBC’s biggest Thursday in the adult demo excluding sports since the ER finale in 2009. Obviously, it’s also far and away NBC’s strongest non-sports Thursday performance this season; the network has had all sorts of ratings headaches on this night given its troubled comedy block.
Sound of Music was Thursday’s most-watched show and tied CBS’ Big Bang Theory in the demo to win the evening.
While skepticism about the Sound of Music stunt ran high leading up to the show, viewers were generally enthusiastic about the performance, which was executed without any technical or performance glitches.
Yup, BTTT on what you said! I loved it, and have seen the original at least 25 times. I didn’t like the PC nuns (my mom lived in Austria during that time and there wasn’t that “diversity”) or the Gretl actress, but everything else was fabulous.
I have to wonder if some of the panning of this, isn’t related to the PC Crowd not being able to bear the presentation without a full blown PC makeover.
Highest ratings for NBC in a long time..., pretty much refutes what folks are saying.
Somebody out there must have been enjoying it.
Not really fair to compare it with the movie version and Julie Andrews, even though we were both spring loaded to do that.
In Obama speak the ratings were unexpectedly high.
How could a show about a family, standing up for what’s right and sprinkled with religion have so many viewers?
I guess it was too much of a risk to make it about a gay love triangle hiding out from the evil Tea Party with their multicultural adopted children.
PS. I saw it and was very entertained and I hate musicals.
"Helluva game....Helluva game....Bears got a great team this year. They're gonna go all the way."
Thought she sang very well. But her acting reminded me of our 1969 high school production of this. Sorry, Carrie. Don’t lose your day job.
Imagine that, big ratings by airing something with actual quality entertainment value.
Goes without saying that it was made over 50 years ago.
Guess Jesse Jackson got to the NBC brass and read them the riot act if they didn't include some minorities.
It is a great movie, for sure. But it is a sad commentary on our culture that little of even nearly equal value has been produced in the almost 50 years since it has been made.
It involves two themes that progressives need to obscure:
1) the Von Trapp children were starving for love from a mother figure and found it with the arrival of their new governess (family nucleus)
2) A sovereign Austrian people (majority rule) voted to allow itself to be annexed by Nazi Germany, and a few courageous people saw the looming danger of a totalitarian state that they were willing to leave their homeland to save their family.
I still get a little tingle when I see Julie's smile in Mary Poppins. Something about the lips and teeth. Sexy as heck. Totally contrary to the character and role, I know.
***Carrie Underwood ain’t Julie Andrews.***
Well, Audry Hepburn ain’t Julie Andrews either (subtle reference to MY FAIR LADY.) But she did the part real well!
I enjoyed it start to finish. This was not “TV”...this was TELEVISION.
Bit jarring the songs followed the order from the original musical and not the movie. It shows what a singular talent Julie Andrews is being both an grade A singer and actress. Underwood could sing but the acting fell short. I thought the actor playing the Captain was too stiff.
Those who would like to get a flavor of this, Hulu has “The Making of the Sound of Music” up on it’s site.
It’s a 42 minute presentation that will give you an idea of what you missed.
I’m not sure if the full program will follow in a few days. That would be nice.
Hulu does require a membership. It costs something like $7.99 per month. There are a lot of first run television programs on there.
At any rate, here are a few links for those who have Hulu accounts.
Direct to presentation: http://www.hulu.com/watch/565598
Header page: http://www.hulu.com/the-sound-of-music-tv
My only hope is that it does slow the demise of NBC. We know which side they are on in this battle and anything that helps them hurts us. Gave away my tv 2 years ago.
RE: I was inclined to constantly wondering what they might’ve changed from the original to ascend to some narrative being preached by the handlers at NBC.
Well let’s see...
1) They sang MY FAVORITE things at the Abbey...
2) The song I HAVE CONFIDENCE was never sang.
3) They sang THE LONELY GOATHERD in Maria’s bedroom instead !! (What happened to the great puppet show?)
4) Since this was a live stage production ( made in the Gruman Studios in Long Island ), DO RE MI was sang in the Captain’s House instead of outdoors.
5) Although I love Audra McDonald ( A wonderful Broadway performer ), I just cannot help but wonder... would Austria in the 1930’s really have a BLACK Mother Abbes?
RE: This story lacks diversity and is not inclusive
C’mon, It’s diverse enough. They have a BLACK woman playing the Mother Superior in an AUSTRIAN abbey during the time of Hitler... How much more Affirmative Action do you want this to be?
i watched a little bit of it- thought it was awful....there are some things you should not mess with; Julie Andrews is one of them....
Doing it live on TV rather than filming and editing it.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.