One of the Greatest Movies Ever Is Airing for Free for the First Time in Decades
We're off to see the Wizard. For the first time in nearly three decades, The Wizard of Oz, one of the best and most beloved films of all time, will be airing on TV for free. The 1939 film will air on the channel MeTV in October, and while an old movie returning to broadcast TV may seem like no big deal in the era of streaming (not to mention when there are two shiny new Wicked movies), The Wizard of Oz has a rich history on the small screen.
When The Wizard of Oz first came out, it was not instantly the iconic work of cinema that audiences of all generations know it as today. While a hit, the film actually lost money during its initial release. It wasn't until 1956 when the movie aired on CBS that it reached a new level of ubiquity. From that point on, The Wizard of Oz drew huge numbers of TV viewers when it aired each year on the small screen as a television special. It makes sense—the movie is wonderful and able to be appreciated by audiences of all ages, and this was in the era before streaming, home video, or even cable. Being able to see a movie at home was a much more special event, and audiences reacted accordingly when The Wizard of Oz was on TV. These early screenings also featured special wraparound segments and hosts who would introduce the film.
With a few exceptions, The Wizard of Oz was a yearly broadcast tradition from 1956 to 1991, whether it be on CBS, NBC, or The WB. However, after media mogul Ted Turner bought the MGM film archives, including The Wizard of Oz, the beloved film's days on broadcast TV were limited. The last time The Wizard of Oz was on broadcast was a CBS telecast on May 9, 1998.
In 1999, the movie made the jump to cable, airing most often in the fall on TNT and later TBS, both of which Turner owned. For close to 30 years, if you wanted to watch The Wizard of Oz on TV, you had to have cable. Until now, as MeTV acquired the rights to air the film, per The Hollywood Reporter.
MeTV Will Air The Wizard of Oz in October
MeTV, a channel that's available in 98 percent of the country and can also be accessed via streaming, will play the movie several times in October as part of its "Halloween BOO-Nanza." (This is a break from The Wizard of Oz's traditional TV airing—in the old days, it usually played in November or December, and only once per year.)
Exact airdates and times are yet to be announced, but it will play in a marquee Saturday night showcase hosted by horror personality Svengoolie.
The Wizard of Oz is more than a movie, it is a shared American experience that was defined by the annual tradition of gathering around the television set,” Neal Sabin, vice chairman of MeTV's owner Weigel Broadcasting, said in a statement to THR. “We are thrilled to bring the film back to broadcast television this October on MeTV. It will be presented without any edits and will be surrounded by surprises we will announce later."
In the meantime, The Wizard of Oz is available to stream on HBO Max. You can also see a version of it inside The Sphere in Las Vegas.