The play was broadcast on CNN on Saturday, June 7.
Over the weekend, just before the Tony Awards, CNN broadcast the penultimate performance of Good Night, and Good Luck from Broadway’s Winter Garden Theatre. According to Nielsen, 7.34 million viewers tuned in to watch the production across the cable network and streaming platforms.
This special CNN presentation of the five-time Tony Award-nominated play by George Clooney and Grant Heslov marked a historic Broadway first: never before has a live play ever been broadcast on CNN. Anchors Anderson Cooper and Pamela Brown led special live coverage.
George Clooney made his Broadway debut as Edward R. Murrow, showcasing his legendary, history-altering, on-air showdown with Senator Joseph McCarthy. As McCarthyism casts a shadow over America, Murrow and his news team choose to confront the growing tide of paranoia and propaganda, even if it means turning the federal government and a worried nation against them. Good Night, and Good Luck recently made history by becoming the highest-grossing play in Broadway history, and the first play to surpass a gross of $4 million in a single week.
Nominated for five Tony Awards, Good Night, and Good Luck, co-written by Clooney and Heslov, was directed by Tony Award winner David Cromer. Producers are Seaview, Sue Wagner, John Johnson, Jean Doumanian and Robert Fox.