Saturday TV: 'Wonderful Life' Out, 'Sound of Music' In
by EG
If your plans for Saturday night involve trimming the Christmas tree while you watch "It's a Wonderful Life" on NBC, you'll have to adjust them. The airing of the classic movie scheduled for Dec. 14 has been pre-empted in favor of a repeat airing of the network's production of "The Sound of Music."
The production of the play starring Carrie Underwood aired live on Dec. 5, and although critical reaction to the production was largely negative, the audience seemed to be far less critical. The initial airing of the musical attracted 18.5 million viewers, and even if many of those viewers were hate-watching the show, it was still the highest-rated non-sports program on NBC in the last six years.
The great ratings make a repeat airing that draws even a portion of the initial viewership an attractive proposition for NBC. It also provides a little more exposure for the production in advance of the release of a DVD/Blu-ray version in stores on Dec. 17.
"It's a Wonderful Life" will air instead on Dec. 20, as well as in its traditional Christmas Eve slot on Dec. 24. If you need some Christmas programming to accompany your tree trimming on Saturday, CBS will air three Christmas specials—"Rudolph The Red-Nosed Reindeer," "Frosty the Snow Man" and "Frosty Returns"—on Dec. 14 opposite the first half of "The Sound of Music."