GOOD NIGHT AND GOOD LUCK To Air On CNN 6/7- Page 3

[pacificnorthwest]

Posted: 6/7/25 at 9:10pm

re: The most surprising thing to me in the broadcast was the audience reaction to the video montage—when I saw this in March the audience was stunned and appalled; you could hear the gasps....

I agree. The gasps were very real when I saw it last month, in fact one month ago precisely. The last image had such punch. It didn't come across the same way on TV. Hard to gauge how different the atmosphere may have felt in the theater tonight. They may have been extra-focused on responding with applause? 

Whatever the case, I LOVED this show. I'm thrilled that it aired tonight. And I so hope it will be available to stream later. Or at the very least be available to educators. 

What a theater lover's weekend this is! 

[Jeffrey Karasarides]

Posted: 6/7/25 at 9:11pm

I enjoyed watching this largely because of how exciting it was to be viewing a Broadway performance on live television. George Clooney gave a solid performance as Edward R. Murrow. Of the supporting cast, Clark Gregg as Don Hollenbeck was the standout to me. The production alone has so many moving parts, yet director David Cromer keeps them all together very well. There’s also a certain aspect of the ending that I felt was kind of neat.

Although if you ask me, the play itself is better directed than written. I’ve only seen the original film once almost three months ago. I’m not intimately familiar with it, but it does appear to me that Clooney and co-writer Grant Heslov mainly used a lot of their same script. While a good idea in theory, we’ve seen time and time again how that rarely works in execution. Film and theatre are two separate, distinct mediums. What works so well in one medium doesn’t translate well to another. The story as presented onstage to me felt pretty boring.

[EDSOSLO858]

Posted: 6/7/25 at 9:12pm

I’ll catch this later tonight as I taped it. 

This feels like a once-in-a-blue-moon occurrence, a Broadway show being live broadcast, and I’m probably delusional when I say I hope more productions do this in the future. 

[Idiot]

Posted: 6/7/25 at 9:12pm

After a poorly paced start, I liked it more than I thought I would.  I felt the ending montage combined with the monologue actually confused the message, but it didn't ruin the show.  I like how many households got to spend a remote evening in the Winter Garden in front of a quality Broadway production.  My favorite moment (other than some outbursts of applause from the audience) came during the post show talkback.  The anchor from Univision followed a couple of others and just cut straight to it: "We're here tonight because of Trump."  Somebody buy that man a beer. 

[Rumpelstiltskin]

Posted: 6/7/25 at 9:20pm

I didn't see the production on Broadway and doubt I would have had a chance to do so, so this was really a gift. I think watching this it in the comfort of my own couch on my own TV with clear sound (didn't miss a word) helped disguise any flaws the production may have. And you can't beat the cost of the ticket!  So appreciated the opportunity to experience this.  

[BoringBoredBoard40]

Posted: 6/7/25 at 9:23pm

I found this way more compelling as a broadcast then when I saw it in person, watching archival footage in the context of my television screen felt much different then watching it from the back of the Winter Garden

[FLarnhill]

Posted: 6/7/25 at 9:28pm

Idiot said: "After a poorly paced start, I liked it more than I thought I would. I felt the ending montage combined with the monologue actually confused the message, but it didn't ruin the show. I like how many households got to spend a remoteevening in the Winter Garden in front of a quality Broadway production. My favorite moment (other than some outbursts of applause from the audience) came during the post show talkback. The anchor from Univision followed a couple of others and just cut straight to it: "We're here tonight because of Trump." Somebody buy that man a beer."

His name's Jorges Ramos, one of the most beloved journalists in history, especially in LatAm.

[Tennis Fan]

Posted: 6/7/25 at 9:40pm

Such a treat! 

Fingers crossed more plays will be similarly broadcast.

[rburton66]

Posted: 6/7/25 at 10:09pm

So glad I watched this for free on CNN instead of paying $400 or whatever. 

[GiantsInTheSky2]

Posted: 6/7/25 at 11:50pm

I thought this feat was rather impressive, and I enjoyed every second. I had a little viewing party with some neighbors & family (who are *not* theater people, and somehow none had seen the 2005 film before - but all were alive for the real events) and it brought me immense joy seeing how captivated they were and were eager to watch the post-broadcast discussion.

I’m very curious as to the poster who said they thought the message was muddled by the montage and monologue, as for me it really hit a home run. 

[EDSOSLO858]

Posted: 6/8/25 at 12:58am

Well, I guess I’ll be a contrarian here.

It’s not the worst thing you’ll ever see, but I didn’t really take to this play despite the timely and eerily resonant message. It felt too sleepy. 

I will say there was some good camera work throughout, though the audio may have been a split-second behind the actors when speaking. (I was watching on CNN.) Also liked Clooney and the set, both well-earned Tony noms.

The TV format also masks one of the play’s most inexcusable flaws: the decision not to have a real actor play McCarthy. All the archival footage and black-and-white work felt additive, not distractive as it seems to be live.

Meh. I’m glad I didn’t spend money on this. 

 

[RUkiddingme]

Posted: 6/8/25 at 1:25am

I don't know the name or credits of the director of this tv filming but they did a pretty nice job,  Too many close ups for my taste but still a really nice job.

It's still a boring play - in the theater or on tv.

I hope Broadway tapes more shows like this.

 

[Idiot]

Posted: 6/8/25 at 2:23am

GiantsInTheSky2 said: 
I’m very curious as to the poster who said they thought the message was muddled by the montage and monologue, as for me it really hit a home run."

Hey Giants.  Let me see if I can dissect my reaction a bit.  I was all in on the struggle of a journalist to keep true to the purpose of journalism in the face of corrupt opposition.  The montage spiraled out into the larger 'mediasphere', which isn't really the same thing as journalism.  Tying Musk's Hitler salute, as one example, to the central theme requires such a large jump that I felt it diluted the message.  The last 10 minutes of the movie Network kept the culpability 'in house' with journalism - and it soars.  Here, I felt like they used too large a brush. 

[FLarnhill]

Posted: 6/8/25 at 5:55am

Idiot said: "GiantsInTheSky2 said:
I’m very curious as to the poster who said they thought the message was muddled by the montage and monologue, as for me it really hit a home run."

Hey Giants. Let me see if I can dissect my reaction a bit. I was all in on the struggle of a journalist to keep true to the purpose of journalism in the face of corrupt opposition. The montage spiraled out into the larger 'mediasphere', which isn't really the same thing as journalism. Tying Musk's Hitler salute, as one example, to the central theme requires such a large jump that I felt it diluted the message. The last 10 minutes of the movie Network kept the culpability 'in house' with journalism - and it soars. Here, I felt like they used too large a brush."

Not only that but it's pretty hypocritical to air this on CNN when one of their main anchors literally committed a breach of trust by withholding relevant info for years just to publish a stupid book about it. As much as that round table whined about how journalists are being treated, CNN played a bit role in the public's mistrust. Their success at being the first 24-hr cable news network let to the creation of Fox News and the like. 

[IronMan]

Posted: 6/8/25 at 9:38am

The merits of the play aside, I found the direction for cameras to be absolutely stunning.  And how is it that even in the extreme close-ups, I could not see one single body mic??  Compared to the recent London productions where most actors looked like they had two hand mics duct taped to their foreheads, this was beautifully done. 

[Jarethan]

Posted: 6/8/25 at 11:36am

I enjoyed this more than in the theatre.  I will admit that I saw it towards the end of a 12-show visit, so I was probably a little tired by then.  

I thought the direction / camerawork of the televised performance was really outstanding, and the close-ups were also a plus in a serious play.  Kudos to all concerned.

[John Adams]

Posted: 6/8/25 at 12:43pm

FLarnhill said: "...it's pretty hypocritical to air this on CNN when one of their main anchors literally committed a breach of trust by withholding relevant info for years just to publish a stupid book about it. As much as that round table whined about how journalists are being treated, CNN played a bit role in the public's mistrust. "

I would have liked this to have been aired on CBS, just as Murrow was. I would have relished a middle-finger-salute to Trump's law suit against them.

Jordan Catalano said: "...The first time a Broadway show has ever been broadcast live."

See: NPR's "Fresh Air" June 6, 2025, beginning at paragraph 3 of the transcript. 

Trump has signed an executive order cutting funding to public media, which will effect both PBS and NPR. He appears to be determined to silence/cripple institutions of higher education, free speech, and media outlets that offer alternative viewpoints from his own. 

In the spirit of "Good Night and Good Luck"'s final message, anyone who feels inclined to do so can help preserve Public Radio by visiting: https://goacpr.org/