Smash

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.

I'm a huge Broadway fan, but not a big TV fan. I go twice a year to NYC and try and see everything that might win a Tony. I thought I wouldn't like this show because simply, I thought it would be lame. But a director friend of mine recommended it to me and told me to read the NY Times review of it. I did both and now I'm hooked. I find the story line a bit too Dallas for my liking but the cast is awesome and totally full of A-listers. Lots of appearances by Tony award-winning actors. Great talent everywhere. The musical numbers are authentic. And the behind the scenes drama feels real-ish. No homophobia, real producers, ideas based on fact - what's not to like?! I don't think the show is perfect but I want to give it my support. I appreciate singing with believable lip synching and that the actors in the show can actually sing and dance! More! More! More!

It is so good to have the option to see an upbeat musical instead of being limited to all of the police, vampire, garish and reality shows that have been taking over the networks these days. Katherine McPhee's performance is excellent. She is quite a refreshing actress and singer. The show is nicely geared towards the crowd that is over 16. Glee is much too young for me. I am 61. The show is very well done. The storyline is interesting and kind of reminiscent of the movie Fame. I am eager to tune into the next episode. I will be a loyal fan and hope that Smash becomes a long running show. It makes me smile and sing. We need more shows that can do that.

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'.