| "Filmed Before a Live Studio Audience" | |
|---|---|
| WandaVision episode | |
 Promotional poster for WandaVision highlighting elements of the 1950s setting seen in this episode | |
| Episode no. | Episode 1 |
| Directed by | Matt Shakman |
| Written by | Jac Schaeffer |
| Featured music | "Yakety Yak" by The Coasters |
| Cinematography by | Jess Hall |
| Editing by | Tim Roche |
| Original release date | January 15, 2021 |
| Running time | 30 minutes |
| Cast | |
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"Filmed Before a Live Studio Audience" is the first episode of the American television miniseries WandaVision, based on Marvel Comics featuring the characters Wanda Maximoff / Scarlet Witch and Vision. It follows the newlywed couple as they try to conceal their powers while living an idyllic suburban life in the town of Westview, New Jersey. The episode is set in the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU), sharing continuity with the films of the franchise. It was written by head writer Jac Schaeffer and directed by Matt Shakman.
Elizabeth Olsen and Paul Bettany reprise their respective roles as Wanda Maximoff and Vision from the film series, with Debra Jo Rupp, Fred Melamed, and Kathryn Hahn also starring. Development began by October 2018, and Schaeffer was hired to write the episode and serve as head writer for the series in January 2019. Shakman joined that August. The episode pays homage to sitcoms from the 1950s and 1960s, including The Dick van Dyke Show and I Love Lucy. Filming occurred in front of a live studio audience over two days in early November 2019, at Pinewood Atlanta Studios in Atlanta, Georgia. It was shot in black-and-white and used many period-appropriate practical special effects and wire gags.
"Filmed Before a Live Studio Audience" was released on the streaming service Disney+ on January 15, 2021. Critics praised the faithful recreation of sitcom elements from the era and the performances of Olsen, Bettany, and Hahn. The episode had Disney+'s most-watched series premiere opening weekend until it was surpassed by the series premiere of The Falcon and the Winter Soldier in March 2021. It received several accolades, including three Primetime Emmy Award nominations, winning one for Outstanding Fantasy/Sci-Fi Costumes.