This live television special was one of the very few musical programs carried on all four US networks, CBS, NBC, DuMont, and ABC.
There was only one noticeable snafu in the live telecast: During their introduction to the Allegro (1947) sequence, Edgar Bergen and Charlie McCarthy clearly receive a signal to continue ad-libbing to cover a set change that hadn't been completed, which explains their seemingly random foray into Greek history. Unfortunately, the stall led to the show's time going over, resulting in the finale, "Oklahoma!" being cut off mid-song for station identification.
Though this was conceived as a celebration of Rodgers and Hammerstein's shows, the timing, in retrospect, was funereal. As of the date of the broadcast, March 28, 1954, two of the musicals highlighted in the special had just recently ended their landmark Broadway runs, "South Pacific" on January 16 and "The King and I" on March 20. A third, "Me and Juliet," was scheduled to close seven days after the telecast, on April 4, which means that, one week after this special, Rodgers and Hammerstein were not represented on Broadway at all. Their next show, "Pipe Dream," would not open until November 30, 1955.
Sequences from this show are included as supplements on the 2-Disc DVDs of Oklahoma! (1955), Carousel (1956), The King and I (1956), South Pacific (1958), and State Fair (1962).