Billy Joel’s TV Special Rescheduled for Full Re-Air

CBS has responded to fans’ disappointment by deciding to re-air Billy Joel’s TV special in full. The move comes after the original broadcast was cut short last Sunday. Joel’s performance at Madison Square Garden, which marked his 100th show at the iconic venue, will now get another airing. Fans can catch it at 9 p.m. EDT on April 19.

Broadcast Mishap and Resolution

The issue began when CBS’s coverage of the Masters golf tournament extended beyond its scheduled time. This delay affected the start of Joel’s two-hour special that was also set to begin at 9 p.m. As a result, the network had to cut Joel’s closing performance of “Piano Man” short. This abrupt end came so that local stations could start their news at 11 p.m.

CBS released a statement explaining the early cut-off: “A network programming timing error ended last night’s Billy Joel special approximately two minutes early in the Eastern and Central time zones. We apologize to Mr. Joel, his fans, our affiliated stations and our audience whose viewing experience was interrupted during the last song.”

The statement further mentioned, “Due to the overwhelming demand from his legion of fans, ‘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.” Joel shared this message on his social media, letting his fans know about the re-airing.

Fan Reaction and Continuing Influence

Fans had expressed their frustration following the special’s initial airing. One viewer commented on the quality of the production saying, “You couldn’t produce a worse product than CBS just did on the Billy Joel special. 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.”

Another fan expressed disbelief, stating, “After CBS making the Billy Joel televised concert late because of golf, the local news just cut off ‘PIANO MAN’!!!! I cannot even!!! You had three minutes. That’s it!! I sat through two hours and you cut off his signature song!”

Alongside the news about the special’s re-airing, it’s worth noting that Joel released his first new song in nearly two decades in February, named “Turn the Lights Back On.” While he issued two singles in 2007, “All My Life” and “Christmas in Fallujah,” his last album was the classical “Fantasies & Delusions,” released six years before that. Joel has mentioned that he doesn’t plan on recording another album. However, he continues performing live and had maintained a monthly residency at Madison Square Garden since 2014. His upcoming 150th concert at the venue, a journey that started in 1978, will be his last and is scheduled for July 25.

CBS’s decision to re-air Joel’s special wholly highlights the network’s acknowledgment of the fans’ dissatisfaction and showcases their attempt to make amends. This gesture not only respects Joel’s landmark achievement but also underscores the significance of artist-fan relationships in the media industry. With the rescheduled airing, fans now have another chance to experience Joel’s historic performance, hopefully this time without interruptions.