Smash

This new show is a breath of fresh air. It has a simple plot with many complicated sub plots. It entertains you with great music and gives you a realistic look at what goes on during the casting, rehearsals and collaboration that is required to produce a Broadway musical. This is a high energy and fast paced piece of entertainment with a few twists to keep you wanting more. The interactions among cast members is so real you don't feel like you are watching television. I hope this show makes it because it is like nothing a regular network has done before. It has brought Broadway to television with a great cast, original music and a break from the many cookie cutter shows on television lately.

The cast, level of vocal ability and performance, choreography, and dialogue were all excellent. The juxtaposition and occasional pairing of the two lead singers in competition for the lead in Bombshell really played up the suspense and excitement while highlighting what each brought to the part. It helped that we saw it through the director's eyes - the difficulty in choosing between them.

I like that it showed the conflict between making decisions for the good of the show and for the good of existing relationships. The only unnecessary character / conflict, in my opinion, was the ladder climbing Ellis. His character had no real development or arc. The obstacles he put in the way of success could have been shown by different means than this villain who we were not made to care about strongly either way.

I would not have taken it in a different direction the 2nd season; it didn't jive with what seemed to be the original premise of the show (i.e., a musical about putting on a musical). The struggle to mount the show and bring it to major success was interesting in itself. Especially when showing the inner struggles of the various teams, groups and individuals. Very unique - nothing like has come before it - and authentic. I miss it!

I love musicals and grew up loving all the great Broadway hits like Phantom, Les Miserables, Miss Saigon, Jeckyl and Hyde....It is so refreshing to watch a show that provides us with a kind of behind the scenes and making of the next big production! The cast members in this show are outstanding and the music is spectacular! I hope, hope, hope that this gets the ratings to stay on the air! Although I'm a fan of Glee, I feel that it is less story driven and more theme oriented around certain artists or genres. If you are looking for something fresh, if you love a good drama, if you like excellent writing, and if you enjoy listening to people sing songs that make you feel good then you owe it to yourself to check out SMASH!

This was a wonderful series until 2nd Season and the bright bulbs in charge decided to change the cast, change the story line, change the producers and writers and directors and then the show tanked. Second season was ridiculous and made no sense. the songs sucked and the cast had no chemistry and they didn't even finish the storylines. First season was amazing, songs, cast, direction. Why can't the studios leave well enough alone. They get people that thing they can do better and they ruin everything. This show tanked because the bright bulbs at the studio thought they could do better with what was already a fantastic show.

NBC takes it head-on in its ongoing battle with the cable channels with Smash, an edgy take on the inner workings of Broadway. With production values you would expect more from AMC or Starz, Smash is sure to light up broadcast television like nothing has in years.

The plot is simple in premise: thanks to the observations of an eager intern, a couple of Broadway producers decide to work on a musical featuring the life of Marilyn Monroe -- despite the fact that the last attempt on that subject matter failed abysmally. But, as spectacular as the potential subject matter might be, it is the inter-relationships between the characters involved in that production that inevitably make the show 'work' -- just as it is in a great musical.

There is the blonde 'born to play' Marilyn, and the brunette who just does it oh-so-much-better. There is the conflict between a producer and a director who just cannot stand each other. There are the money problems faced by an executive producer cutting it just a wee bit fine. There's the difficulty producers face running a production 16 hours a day and maintaining any semblance of a home life.

Not only is there entertainment value in the acts that make up the musical themselves, but the eye-opening realism of the personal dynamics involved in mounting a musical on Broadway ensure that this program will not run out of steam any time soon.

Frankly, I'm just surprised this show didn't happen any sooner. Congratulations, NBC -- you've got a great one in 'Smash'.