ABC is planning on expanding its commitment to broadcast live programming. The network has announced that they will air a live episode of The Conners in February and a presentation of Mel Brooks’ Young Frankenstein musical in the fall.
The live episode of The Conners is expected to be very politically charged and it will air February 11, the same night as the New Hampshire primary. The episode will be even more meta by having actual ABC News coverage incorporated into the broadcast. The cast will perform live for East Coast and West Coast viewers, with election results incorporated into the story in real-time.
The episode will have Mark (Ames McNamara) watching primary results for a school project with Harris (Emma Kenney), who’s apathetic and believes money’s influence on politics makes real change impossible. The rest of the family will also weigh in with their opinions, including that sometimes voters have to choose the candidate who will “screw them the least.” Katey Segal returns to guest stat as Louise, who gets an opportunity that could take her away from Lanford, prompting the family to interfere in Dan’s (John Goodman) complicated relationship with her by throwing Louise a surprise going-away party, creating new tension between Dan and daughters Becky (Lecy Goranson) and Darlene (Sara Gilbert).
Following the success of The Little Mermaid: Live! in November, Young Frankenstein Live will be ABC’s latest live musical event. The musical is based on the Broadway version of Young Frankenstein, with music and lyrics by Mel Brooks and a book by Brooks and Thomas Meehan. The 2007 Broadway production, which in turn was based on Brooks’ 1974 film starring Gene Wilder, Peter Boyle, Cloris Leachman, and Marty Feldman, was nominated for three Tony Awards. Casting for the live musical event will be announced at a later date.
ABC also aired its most recent Live in Front of a Studio Audience comedy special in December. The restaging of episodes of Norman Lear’s All in the Family and Good Times drew 6.68 million viewers with a week of delayed viewing. The network is planning a third live outing of that brand in the spring.
