NBC to cover Oklahoma tornadoes with Brian Williams in place of ‘The Voice’ recap

With the breaking news still coming in regarding the horrible tornado that has rolled through Oklahoma today, there is another last-minute change to programming that needs to be addressed for NBC tomorrow night.

Rather than going with their previously-planned recap show for “The Voice,” the network will instead be airing an hour-long special covering the devastation in Midwest, anchored by Brian Williams. The network is also shifting their morning TV coverage to the region, with Matt Lauer and the rest of his team heading to Moore, and “NBC Nightly News with Brian Williams” will also be broadcast from the state. At least 51 people have been confirmed dead in the storm, with more news breaking by the hour.

While CBS pulled the finale for “Mike & Molly” from their schedule due to it containing some storm-related coverage, ABC and CBS did still go with their previously-planned lineups with a few interruptions here and there. The tornadoes were specifically addressed on “The Voice” live show, where Blake Shelton, and Oklahoma native, expressed his concern and acknowledged that it was rather difficult for him to take part on a show given the circumstances. (Two of the contestants on the show in the Swon Brothers are also from the state, but did their best to give an energetic performance for the people back home going through some tough times.)

Other networks will also be planning their own storm-related coverage over the next few days, and we encourage you to give to the Red Cross or another organization designed to help deal with disaster relief. While such disasters are expected at times in this part of the country, you always hope that they do not have this sort of tragic result.

Photo: NBC