tapio_hietamaki
I didn't watch Season 2 so this review is only about Season 1. Based on what I hear I didn't miss much.'Smash' is a great drama about what goes on behind the scenes on Broadway. It's a show about show business, competition, ambition, disillusionment, pressure, being a creator and music. Debra Messing is great as a producer who wants to create a big musical about the life of Marilyn Monroe. The other central characters are the two actresses who compete for the role of Marilyn, the director and the writer/composer.Karen is pretty much a nobody who strikes gold in an audition, but does she have what it takes? She's not even blonde! Ivy, on the other hand, has worked with the minds behind the play before, is a great singer and rocks that bombshell body, but seems like a safe choice whereas the producers want to go for something bold.Lives will be changed, relationships tried and ambitions shattered under pressure, but the show always retains a middle-of-the-road drama style, never going for too dark material or forgetting levity.
jonesincanada
Some reviewers thought the 2nd season was worse than the first, but I thought the 2nd season had much more to offer. The creation of a competing Broadway show allowed the viewer to see how Broadway evolves and changes. "Bombshell", the traditional, colourful spectacle and "Hitlist", the darker, edgier version of basically the same story demonstrated this well.While I admit I teared up at the end of the first season as Marilyn sang "Don't Forget Me", the music for "Hitlist" was much more interesting, especially "Reach for Me" and "I'm Not Sorry". My only criticism of the 2nd season was that the plot lines of the last couple of episodes seemed rushed, probably because the storyline had to be wrapped up quickly.
LA Hill
Just found out that Smash was cancelled and am quite upset about it! Loved seeing Debra Messing and Jack Davenport (loved him in Coupling) on screen again. Katharine McPhee and Megan Hilty were incredible both in acting and voice and played their roles perfectly.I loved the different intrigues running in the background. The musical scores were great as well.TV today has been overrun with reality shows-how many pawn shows do we have now? DIY shows? Housewives and housemates and models and drunks and druggies and people surviving on islands are overtaking my preferred "UN-reality". I watch TV to escape and I do NOT prefer doing that by watching other people suffer or struggle something to feel superior as it seems so many in this world do.
greggkteacher
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.