CBS To Rebroadcast Billy Joel Concert After ‘Piano Man’ Debacle
15.04.2024 - 19:47
/ deadline.com
CBS just announced that the network will rebroadcast Billy Joel: The 100th – Live at Madison Square Garden special in its entirety this Friday, April 19, after Sunday’s presentation cut out in some parts of the country as the singer was in the middle of his signature hit “Piano Man.”
“A network programming timing error ended last night’s Billy Joel special approximately two minutes early in the Eastern and Central Time Zones,” CBS said in a statement. “We apologize to Mr. Joel, his fans, our affiliated stations, and our audience whose viewing experience was interrupted during the last song.
“Due to the overwhelming demand from his legion of fans,” the statement continues, “Billy Joel: The 100th – Live at Madison Square Garden will be rebroadcast in its entirety on CBS on April 19th at 9:00PM ET/PT.”
Sunday’s broadcast of the special in Eastern and Central zones cut away to local news at 11 p.m. shortly before the song’s final “la la la de de das.” The end came something like: “And the piano, it sounds like a carnival/And the microphone smells like a beer/And they sit at the…”
Billy Joel: The 100th – Live at Madison Square Garden special had started a half-hour late Sunday evening due to the 2024 Masters Tournament coverage running overtime.
Fans expressed their outrage on social media. “You couldn’t produce a worse product than CBS just did on the Billy Joel special,” tweeted one. “Way too many commercials, didn’t play some of his best songs, went extremely out of order in his set list, and then cuts away to the local news in the middle of Piano Man?!? A total flop by CBS.”
Wrote another, “@CBS You just might to re-schedule Billy Joel’s concert that your affiliates cut short to go to local late night news. We fans