Great Performances at the Met

Initially entitled "Live from the Met" or "Live from the Metropolitan Opera", the 1977 series inauguration presented Puccini’s La Bohème with Renata Scotto and Luciano Pavarotti as the ill-fated romantic duo, conducted by James Levine. The telecast was an astounding success, drawing millions of viewers and proving that there was indeed a substantial audience for opera on TV. In 1988 another re-branding occurred - some say due to the fact that the telecasts were no longer live but recorded - and the series became "The Metropolitan Opera Presents." The Met and PBS partnership continued through 2006 when the new "Great Performances at the Met" was inaugurated.