NBC  gets lots of credit for having the courage to do a live production of Peter Pan. They get still more praise for not taking on one of the recent tepid new interpretations, but staying with the best Peter of all: the Broadway show written by Betty Comden and Adolph Green, with lyrics by Carolyn Leigh, and music by Moose Charlap and Jule Styne. And that is where the kudos end. I can't tell you my feelings about the production because I gave up shortly after Captain Hook's first song, a mediocre new ditty designed to show of Christopher Walken's charming dancing skills. But even up to that disappointing moment, there were far too many commercials, and lots of messages flashed over the plays action showing that the network had no respect for its own ambitious production. As attractive as Allison Williams is she was far too Julie Andrews feminine and instead of sounding boyish she sounded more like Emma Thompson in a Jane Austen role. (My personal favorite Peter  is Cathy Rigby, though Sandy Duncan and Mary Martin were also excellent and believable.) Having not seen the rest of the program, I am guessing that it was over-produced, slow moving and not worth the wait between the endless commercials, station breaks, and news updates.
   On March 7, 1955, something magical happened in America. NBC presented Peter Pan on Producers' Showcase. It was the first Broadway production on TV in color and it attracted a then-record audience of 65 million viewers, the highest ever rating up to that time for a single program. Mary Martin and Cyril Ritchard starred, repeating their Tony-winning performances. It was a moment of TV history, and I, for one, will never forget the event or the praise that followed. I doubt that tonight's production will create any such stir, mostly because NBC is more concerned about making profits than making TV history.