THE WIZARD OF OZ Returns to Broadcast TV After 28 Years

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As a film buff, it’s hard to overstate just how much The Wizard of Oz means to American culture. While it’s a brilliant movie from 1939, I think most of us remember it less from the theaters and more from those annual TV showings. It started on CBS back in 1956 and became a yearly tradition for forty years, finally leaving the network in 1998. Well, get ready to dust off your ruby slippers! According to The Hollywood Reporter, after nearly three decades, this classic is finally coming back to broadcast television this fall on MeTV. It’s a huge deal and I, for one, am thrilled!

MeTV will be showing the beloved musical classic The Wizard of Oz several times during prime time and throughout October as part of its month-long Halloween BOO-Nanza celebration of classic horror, sci-fi, and family films. The event also includes a special Saturday night presentation hosted by Svengoolie. With the recent popularity of Wicked, interest in The Wizard of Oz is booming. While it hasn’t been shown on network TV since 1998, it was a regular feature on cable. According to MeTV’s Neal Sabin, The Wizard of Oz is “more than a movie—it’s a shared American experience, defined by the tradition of families watching it together.” MeTV will air the film in its original, uncut version.

While TV is a major reason The Wizard of Oz remains so well-loved, the idea that it failed in theaters isn’t quite true. People actually enjoyed the movie, and Judy Garland even received a special Academy Award for her performance. The film was costly to make, so it didn’t become profitable until it was shown in theaters again. However, television undoubtedly cemented its place in pop culture. It’s wonderful to see it celebrated again, just like Dorothy Gale always said: There’s no place like home.

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2026-02-06 02:02