CNN has announced it will air George Clooney’s acclaimed Broadway production, “Good Night, and Good Luck,” live on Saturday, June 7, marking a historic first for Broadway and television. The penultimate show from the Winter Garden Theatre in New York will be broadcast on CNN and CNN International, as well as streamed on CNN.com at 7 p.m. ET.
This will be the first time in history that a Broadway play is televised live, a milestone CNN highlighted in their official statement. “Good Night, and Good Luck” is adapted from Clooney’s 2005 film and dramatizes the legendary journalist Edward R. Murrow’s confrontation with Senator Joseph McCarthy during the 1950s Red Scare.
Premiering in March, the production has smashed Broadway box office records and secured five Tony Award nominations, including Best Leading Actor for Clooney. The play has drawn widespread praise for its exploration of journalism’s critical role in democracy and has become the highest-grossing play in Broadway’s history.
“I can’t tell you how exciting it is to do something that’s never been done. CNN is the perfect place to bring this story of courage to so many more people than we could have ever hoped. Live TV. No net. Buckle up everyone,” Clooney said following the announcement.
Speaking previously with CNN’s Jake Tapper, Clooney underscored the importance of Murrow’s words for today’s society: “It doesn’t matter what political bend you are on – when you hear things like, ‘We must not confuse dissent with disloyalty. We must remember always that accusation is not proof and a conviction depends on evidence and due process of law, and we will not walk in fear of one another. We won’t be driven by fear into an age of unreason,’ I think those are extraordinarily powerful words for who we are at our best.”
The play’s broadcast comes at a time of heightened tensions between the media and political leaders. The Trump administration has repeatedly clashed with press outlets, limiting access to events and attempting to cut funding for public broadcasters like NPR and PBS. Clooney, a longtime supporter of the Democratic party, has been an outspoken critic of Trump and recently co-hosted a major fundraiser for then-President Joe Biden. That event was followed by Clooney’s public call for Biden to withdraw from the 2024 presidential race, following concerns raised after a key debate.
CNN’s live broadcast promises to bring Broadway’s most talked-about play to a global audience, offering viewers a rare chance to experience a groundbreaking theatrical event in real time.
