NBC's ‘Undateable’ May 5 to Be Aired Live from the Studio

NBC's sitcom Undateable will be going live May 5 for its special two-hour penultimate episode before the show ends its run for season 2. As to why, Entertainment Weekly was told by executive producer Bill Lawrence that: "Everything with Undateable starts with the fact that [showrunner] Adam [Sztykiel] and I like the show, we think the performers are funny, and we'd do anything to give the show a shot. We saw how much success NBC was having, specifically with live programming. [NBC Chairman] Bob Greenblatt called up and asked if we'd do an hour-long live sitcom, an episode for both coasts. And we foolishly said yes, until we realized what an over-the-top nightmare this could possibly be. But I think it'll be fun."

Season 2 of Undateable starring Chris D'Elia as Danny Burton, Brent Morin as Danny's roommate Justin Kearney, Bianca Kajlich ad Danny's sister Leslie, Ron Funches as Justin's friend Shelly, Rick Glassman as Justin's other friend Burski, David Fynn as Justin's employee Brett, and Bridgit Mendler as Justin's new bartender Candace is set to premiere tonight, March 17, at its regular 9:00 pm time slot. The show's second season will be comprised of just ten episodes.

In going live for the show's penultimate episode, Lawrence's biggest worry is "retaining the show's energy while ensuring the comics don't crack each other up," according to Entertainment Weekly. Said he: "All these dudes-and the ladies-constantly make each other laugh out loud during our normal tapings, and if they do that during our live show, I am going to kill them. We let the comics riff. When we do it in front of an audience, they'll often go so far off topic that they'll call back to us and say, 'Hey, how do we get back to what this scene's about?' For us, it's preserving the spontaneity of the show and at the same time, not go down as being the worst live show of all time."