At Adweek, I had a terrific chat with NBC Entertainment chairman Robert Greenblatt, who admitted that he went to bed last Dec. 5, after watching The Sound of Music Live!, he was steeling himself for low ratings the next morning.

“I was thinking, ‘I’m praying for a 2 rating, because I could defend a 2,'” he told Adweek. “And then I thought, ‘Oh God, I could probably spin a 1.7 or 1.8 to probably being almost a 2.’ I really was hoping it would be a 2.”

Instead, the final 18-49 rating was almost triple that number, which is why Greenblatt is doubling down this year, with Peter Pan Live! Greenblatt talked with me about why Sound of Music ended up being so success, his other plans for live TV on NBC and which musicals he is — and isn’t — considering putting on the air going forward.

Can NBC Create Another Real-Time Sensation With Peter Pan Live? 

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More than 18.6 million tuned in for The Sound of Music Live! on Thursday, which means one thing, as I wrote in my first piece for Today.com:

But why stop there? “Sound of Music” was the first live presentation of a musical on TV in more than 50 years, but there are plenty of other productions that could be resurrected as similar live spectaculars for audiences.

I came up with four more ideas, including casting suggestions. [Update: One of my picks, Peter Pan, is indeed going to be NBC’s next live special for December 2014, while Fox announced plans for Grease Live.]

After ‘Sound of Music,’ 4 More Musicals That Should Get Live-TV Treatment

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