Grease is the word at Fox, with the network planning to go back to Rydell High with a live version of the classic musical “Grease” in 2015.
Fox announced Monday that their three-hour version of “Grease” would be the first-ever live broadcast of the musical, which made it’s Broadway debut in 1971 and was later immortalized on the Big Screen in a 1978 film starring John Travolta and Olivia Newton-John.
“From Broadway to film, and across generations, ‘Grease’ is one of the most beloved musical stories ever told – and we can’t wait to bring it to our air in a spectacular live event,” said Shana C. Waterman, senior vice president of event series for FOX. “Its iconic characters and addictive songs make it the perfect fit for FOX, and we’re going to give it the kind of star power and production quality to make every Sandy, Danny, Rizzo and Kenickie out there want to get up and sing along.”
Fox’s move comes five months after NBC scored a huge ratings win with their live broadcast of “The Sound of Music over the Thanksgiving holiday. The Carrie Underwood-starring broadcast delivered NBC a 4.6 rating/13 share in the 18-49 adult demographic, making it the biggest non-sports Thursday since the “ER” finale in 2009. The Peacock network is already working on a live version of “Peter Pan” as a followup.
“Grease Live” will be a Paramount Television production for Fox, with cast and production team announcements still to come.
Brief Take: It’s hard to ignore the numbers that “Sound of Music” delivered for NBC over the holidays. Fox is hoping to steal some of that musical mojo for it’s own schedule in 2015.
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