8 Reasons Why 'Hot in Cleveland' Was Better Live

TV Land's original scripted series "Hot in Cleveland" taped a live episode for the first time at CBS Studios earlier this week. The buzz from the live taping stirred everyone.

"It's like being in love. ... Everything is so heightened and so wonderful that you want to savor it, but it flies by," Wendie Malick told Entertainment Tonight. "This was just a blast."

Valerie Bertinelli still felt the thrill of the show as she went to bed.

Malick stated, "I think we should do this more." After we went to witness the event, we have to agree with her.

Here are eight reasons why the show was better unscripted:

8. Valerie Bertinelli embarrassed her little brother.

As production assistants and crew ran around set getting ready for the taping to start, actors were frantic and excited for the live show. Bertinelli, who plays Melanie Moretti, pierced the tension and expressed her excitement unashamedly. As the cast members were waiting on set, they squealed like little kids. When the show runners shouted, "Ten seconds till taping!" Bertinelli screamed, "Oh God!"

In the crowd, Bertinelli's brother sat and cheered her on but didn't ease the anxiety. When the show's host, Michael Burger, asked Bertinelli if she was more nervous with her brother watching her, she emphatically said no: "I've seen him in diapers!"

7. The cast cuddled and huddled.

Before the clock struck 7, "HiC's" leading women gathered for a team huddle that got us feeling all fuzzy inside.

Jane Leeves shared a Twitter pic with "HiC" co-star Malick saying, "For those of you asking for #Jendie."

6. Marissa Janet Winokur ain't afraid to shush you.

"Hairspray" actress Marissa Janet Winokur, who also appeared in "Hot in Cleveland" in 2011, shushed the viewers in the greenroom to ask everyone to pay attention to the live taping. Thank you very much, Marissa. Betty White would've been proud.

5. Whose line was it anyway?

White and Bertinelli both forgot their lines but played it up charmingly. After the taping, White said, "I screwed up a line, but that was not unexpected," while Bertinelli chimed in "Oh, you weren't the only one." But everybody had one another's back, and the taping still garnered laughs with charm.

4. "Soul Man" stars spice up the afterparty with "Thriller."

CBS decked out its "New York Street" lot to celebrate the success of #HOTlive. With a photo booth, a popcorn stand, a taco grill, and an ice cream cart, the decor was made complete with a vibrant dance floor. TV Land's "The Soul Man" stars Niecy Nash and Wesley Jonathan danced to "Thriller," performed the electric slide, and proved they were the coolest kids at the party.

3. We learned the "Community" handshake.

"Community" fans, get ready to geek out (because we totally did)! Danny Pudi, who guest starred on the "HiC" live premiere as an affable volunteer, taught us the classic Troy and Abed handshake. When we asked Pudi how to do it, he advised, "Don't think about it."

2. William Shatner's still got it and he drives a Porsche.

The audience shouted and applauded when guest star William Shatner busted through the door frame. The iconic actor played gangster Sally from Cincinnati, intimidating Pudi's character and the rest of the players. But he proved to be weak in the face of his mother, played by Shirley Jones. The crowd couldn't hold in their laughter when Shatner lingered behind Mom, asking if they could stop by the ice creamery on the way home.

And of course the man drives a Porsche, which wasn't too hard to spot outside the set.

1. Reunions: "Community" and "Frasier."

"Frasier" co-star and real-life best buddy Peri Gilpin came to celebrate the live taping with Leeves. Seeing the friends reunite off set made us smile.

Not to mention, NBC "Community" co-stars Danny Pudi and Yvette Nicole Brown met up at the afterparty and hung out with each other throughout the night.

"Hot in Cleveland" airs Wednesdays at 10 PM on TV Land.

Check out photos from the afterparty: