"Will And Grace" To Broadcast Another Live Episode

[Joseph_Gallant]

After having done it's season premiere on September 29th as a live broadcast, the producers of "Will And Grace" have decided to do a second live episode this season.

It will be the epsiode of Thursday, January 12th. That night's episode will be done twice: Once at 8 P.M. EST for live broadcast in the Eastern and Central time zones; and a second time at 11 P.M. EST for live broadcast in the Pacific time zone at 8 P.M. PST. I would think that unless NBC adjusts the prime-time schedule in the Mountain time zone on January 12th to run the live West Coast version of "W & G" at 9 P.M. MST, viewers in the Mountain time zone will see a tape of the East Coast version at 7 P.M. MST.

This is an NBC press release announcing the season's second live episode of "Will and Grace".

The series is scheduled to end it's long run this coming May; I wonder if the producers of "Will and Grace" might decide to do a third live episode this season and perhaps produce the series finale in May as a live broadcast.

 

[Garrett]

Overdone.
It was a good idea the first time. But the second or third time? Just does not have the same ring to it, imho...

> After having done it's season premiere on September 29th as
> a live broadcast, the producers of "Will And Grace" have
> decided to do a second live episode this season.
>
> It will be the epsiode of Thursday, January 12th. That
> night's episode will be done twice: Once at 8 P.M. EST for
> live broadcast in the Eastern and Central time zones; and a
> second time at 11 P.M. EST for live broadcast in the Pacific
> time zone at 8 P.M. PST. I would think that unless NBC
> adjusts the prime-time schedule in the Mountain time zone on
> January 12th to run the live West Coast version of "W & G"
> at 9 P.M. MST, viewers in the Mountain time zone will see a
> tape of the East Coast version at 7 P.M. MST.
>
> This is an NBC press release announcing the season's second
> live episode of "Will and Grace".
>
> The series is scheduled to end it's long run this coming
> May; I wonder if the producers of "Will and Grace" might
> decide to do a third live episode this season and perhaps
> produce the series finale in May as a live broadcast.
>

 

[tanim_95]

> I would think that unless NBC
> adjusts the prime-time schedule in the Mountain time zone on
> January 12th to run the live West Coast version of "W & G"
> at 9 P.M. MST, viewers in the Mountain time zone will see a
> tape of the East Coast version at 7 P.M. MST.

I don't think they've ever adjusted the Mountain Time prime-time schedule for something like this before, so I can't see why they would do it now - especially since this is Will & Grace we're talking about.

As mentioned in a few other threads, there just aren't enough people living in the Mountain Time Zone to justify special feeds or adjustments. How many times have we heard promotion of a program that is "LIVE, except on the West Coast"? The Mountain Time zone isn't the West Coast - we aren't even acknowledged in those kinds of announcements.

It would be nice to accommodate all the time zones, but I'm guessing that, given the relatively small population, it doesn't make sense financially.

 

[RockManAC]

> the producers of "Will And Grace" have
> decided to do a second live episode this season.
> It will be the epsiode of Thursday, January 12th.

Grr.. Do they not realize that this strains those of us who run Master Control in small market TV?

> I would think that unless NBC
> adjusts the prime-time schedule in the Mountain time zone on
> January 12th to run the live West Coast version of "W & G"
> at 9 P.M. MST, viewers in the Mountain time zone will see a
> tape of the East Coast version at 7 P.M. MST.

They'd never do it as I believe it's against their "prime policy".

-A<P ID="signature">______________

</P>

 

[oldiesfan]

> I don't think they've ever adjusted the
> Mountain Time prime-time schedule for
> something like this before, so I can't
> see why they would do it now...

You're probably correct regarding NBC--one
example being the "ER" live show where the
Mountain zone got a replay in pattern of the
east coast version. And this from the network
that actually has a dedicated Mountain time
zone feed!

I do recall one "Drew Carey Show" episode
on ABC being a live show, and they actually
did it three times, with the second feed for
the Mountain zone in it's normal time slot.
(Well, whatever its normal slot was that week ;-)
And it was in the winter, so Phoenix and Tucson
got to see it live too.

 

[Joseph_Gallant]

Some years back, an entire season of the sitcom "Roc" was broadcast live to the Eastern and Central time zones.

I wonder if any other sitcom producer would dare to produce their show live every week.

One advantage: Topical humor can be injected into the script.

Disadvantages: (1) Someone can really screw-up; (2) Topical humor that would add something to the live broadcast of the show would detract from reruns both during the network run and later (if enough episodes are produced) when those reruns are syndicated. The humor could get pretty dated pretty fast.

For example: During the live January 12th broadcast of "Will And Grace", one of the characters could crack a joke about the break-up of Nick Lachey and Jessica Simpson that would cause both the studio audience at the show and home viewers to really laugh out loud. But those watching a syndicated rerun of that episode five, ten, or twenty years from now probably wouldn't laugh.

 

[WLYNWAZNgm]

so what???

The house has already burned to the ground. Hey --- let's put in a fire alarm!

W&G "jumped the shark" a long time ago. Stick a fork in it - it's done...