X
  • TV-G
  • NBC
  • TV-G
  • NBC
The Wiz Live!

Summary NBC's latest live musical is an adaptation of the retelling of The Wizard of Oz with 18-year-old newcomer Shanice Williams as Dorothy; Queen Latifah as the Wiz; Mary J. Blige as Evillene, the Wicked Witch of the West; David Alan Grier as the Cowardly Lion; Elijah Kelley as the Scarecrow; Ne-Yo as the Tin Man; Common as the Bouncer of the...

  • TV-G
  • NBC
  • TV-G
  • NBC

The Wiz Live!

Season 1 Premiere: Dec 3, 2015
Metascore Generally Favorable Based on 16 Critic Reviews
73
User Score Available after 4 ratings
tbd
My Score
Hover and click to give a rating Saved

Summary NBC's latest live musical is an adaptation of the retelling of The Wizard of Oz with 18-year-old newcomer Shanice Williams as Dorothy; Queen Latifah as the Wiz; Mary J. Blige as Evillene, the Wicked Witch of the West; David Alan Grier as the Cowardly Lion; Elijah Kelley as the Scarecrow; Ne-Yo as the Tin Man; Common as the Bouncer of the...

Top Cast

View All
View All Cast & Crew

Critic Reviews

 View All
Metascore
Generally Favorable Based on 16 Critic Reviews
73
75% Positive
12 Reviews
25% Mixed
4 Reviews
0% Negative
0 Reviews

  • All Reviews
  • Positive Reviews
  • Mixed Reviews
  • Negative Reviews

Critic Reviews

 View All
Metascore
Generally Favorable Based on 16 Critic Reviews
73
75% Positive
12 Reviews
25% Mixed
4 Reviews
0% Negative
0 Reviews

  • All Reviews
  • Positive Reviews
  • Mixed Reviews
  • Negative Reviews
91
Dec 7, 2015
Everyone served as a good reminder that, after the aerial dance numbers of Peter Pan Live! and the elaborate sets of The Sound of Music Live!, no flashy TV musical gimmicks can match the power of raw talent.
By Melissa Maerz FULL REVIEW
80
Dec 7, 2015
Newcomer Shanice Williams--all of 19--had to capture a butterfly by the name of Dorothy. And if the butterfly occasionally eluded her grasp, her voice did not.... Leon, a veteran Broadway and TV director, decided we all needed a little dose of happiness instead. We do. He and the terrific cast of The Wiz Live! delivered.
By Verne Gay FULL REVIEW
80
Dec 4, 2015
The Wiz is by far NBC’s most sophisticated live musical broadcast yet; it’s also one that felt, movingly, of its time.
By Daniel D'Addario FULL REVIEW
80
Dec 4, 2015
Great casting, terrific costumes, even a worthy new original song made it a spirited night.
By Joanne Ostrow FULL REVIEW
70
Dec 8, 2015
The costumes, sets, choreography and makeup were incredible. And newcomer Shanice Williams as Dorothy? Outstanding. The only problem? The show was so packed with commercials the actors barely sang a song and it was time to cut to five or six ads. As a result, the story (what little there was) was impossible to track.
By Bruce Miller FULL REVIEW
50
Dec 11, 2015
The Wiz Live! was certainly not transcendent, or even anything that I’d ever want to watch again. But it was Citizen Kane compared to the twin rancid garbage pile that were Sound of Music and Peter Pan.
By Kevin Fallon FULL REVIEW
50
Dec 4, 2015
All in all, there was a lot of talent laboring heroically in The Wiz Live! to enliven material that just didn’t come to life very often.
By Ken Tucker FULL REVIEW

User Reviews

There are no user reviews yet. Be the first to add a review.

Details

 View All
Production Company:
  • Storyline Entertainment
Initial Release Date: Dec 3, 2015
Number of seasons: 0 Seasons
Rating: TV-G
Genres:
All Details

Awards

Primetime Emmy Awards
• 1 Win & 6 Nominations
Black Reel Awards
• 1 Win & 5 Nominations
Critics Choice Television Awards
• 5 Nominations

Related Shows

Samurai Jack

93
Universal Acclaim

Genndy Tartakovsky's Primal

91
Universal Acclaim

Battlestar Galactica (2003)

89
Universal Acclaim

Fraggle Rock: Back to the Rock

89
Universal Acclaim

The Baby-Sitters Club (2020)

87
Universal Acclaim

Game of Thrones

86
Universal Acclaim

The Pacific

86
Universal Acclaim

Harley Quinn

86
Universal Acclaim

Shogun (2024)

85
Universal Acclaim

Rick & Morty

85
Universal Acclaim

The Last of Us

84
Universal Acclaim

Lost

84
Universal Acclaim

X-Men '97

82
Universal Acclaim

The Midnight Gospel

82
Universal Acclaim

The Dark Crystal: Age of Resistance

82
Universal Acclaim

Scott Pilgrim Takes Off

82
Universal Acclaim

Star Wars: Visions

81
Universal Acclaim

Toy Story That Time Forgot

81
Universal Acclaim

The Legend of Vox Machina

81
Universal Acclaim

Lemony Snicket's A Series of Unfortunate Events (2017)

81
Universal Acclaim

Station Eleven

81
Universal Acclaim

Star Trek: Strange New Worlds

80
Generally Favorable

Related News

What to Watch on Peacock Right Now

What to Watch on Peacock Right Now

Jason Dietz

Get a list of the best movies and TV shows recently added (and coming soon) to the Peacock streaming service, updated frequently.

  • tv show
May 2024 TV Preview

May 2024 TV Preview

Jason Dietz

The month ahead will bring Apple's latest sci-fi series, the return of Hacks, a new Doctor Who, and more.

  • tv show
What to Watch on Paramount+ Right Now

What to Watch on Paramount+ Right Now

Jason Dietz

Find a list of the best movies and TV shows recently added to Paramount+ and Paramount+ With Showtime, plus a list of titles coming soon to the streaming services.

  • tv show
What to Watch on Max Right Now

What to Watch on Max Right Now

Jason Dietz

Get a list of the best movies and TV shows recently added (and coming soon) to Max--plus all of the titles leaving the streaming service this month--updated frequently.

  • tv show
What to Watch on Prime Video Right Now

What to Watch on Prime Video Right Now

Jason Dietz

Get a list of the best movies and TV shows recently added (and coming soon) to Amazon's Prime Video, updated frequently.

  • tv show
What to Watch on Netflix Right Now

What to Watch on Netflix Right Now

Jason Dietz

Get a list of the best movies and TV shows recently added (and coming soon) to Netflix, updated frequently. You can also find a list of titles leaving Netflix this month.

  • tv show