 Elvis, Binder, and Finkel did as much as they could to keep Parker out of the studio during recordings. This move worked. Although four hours of footage was shot, it was finally edited down to 50 minutes. The show aired on December 3, 1968, to huge success. It was the number one most watched TV show that week in the US. Austin Butler does his own singing and dancing as young Elvis. From the 1968 special onwards, he dubs Elvis' original performances. Even though his hair was dyed dark brown and he wore dark brown or jet black wigs in some scenes, Austin Butler is a natural blonde. Elvis Presley, who is known to have dark brown or jet black hair, was also a natural blonde. Austin Butler stated that one of the aspects about Elvis Presley that stood out to him was that he and Elvis lost his mother at a young age.