NBC's SMASH, Season 2 --

[darquegk]

I BELIEVE Shaiman/Wittman will provide the new musical numbers for Liaisons- there was a Facebook photo of Shaiman with the Liaisons cast, posing together.

[EricMontreal22]

Yeah, I think that was confirmed in the Ent Weekly preview article for this season. It's obviously going to be a silly pastiche show, which is the kind of thing they can write in their sleep--and wouldn't really show off any of the younger writers (witness the, IMHO, disappointing Pasek & Paul score for Christmas Story.)

[beensince1987]

Also it supposed to be a revival so it can't sound too "Now" or "New".

[FindingNamo]

"There's zero doubt that this is NOT a case where one can fault the marketing--which often is the case when a quality show disappears..."

I'm sorry but, WHAT?

[CarlosAlberto]

"There's zero doubt that this is NOT a case where one can fault the marketing--which often is the case when a quality show disappears..."

I think he/she means that you can't blame the marketing for the show's failure as he/she feels that the marketing is usually the reason a show fails....

Never mind the ratings...

[FindingNamo]

Marketing is the reason a show fails?

[CarlosAlberto]

According to EricMontreal it is.

[FindingNamo]

A bad title could kill a show pretty quickly.

[EricMontreal22]

" '"There's zero doubt that this is NOT a case where one can fault the marketing--which often is the case when a quality show disappears...'

I'm sorry but, WHAT?"

Ha, sorry that was pretty incoherent even for me. Often when a beloved show disappears--I mentioned My So-Called Life, Firefly is another one--they never got much promotion from the network at all. Obviously that's not the case with Smash, was my very basic point. I was replying to Finebydesign who said the show was doing badly in the ratings because it was terrible, not due to lack of marketing. It's a pretty obvious point I guess, but while quality is subjective, there are many times that people fault the low ratings of a show due to the network having no faith in it in the first place.

Carlos, it's "he" :P

[perfectlymarvelous]

"A bad title could kill a show pretty quickly."

That could kill a show pretty good. But I think with Smash the problem might be too much exposition.

[thespian geek]

@benjpasek sometimes you gotta rip off a band-aid and sometimes you gotta eat mint chocolate chip by the carton immediately after.

@briandarcyjames No news is good news until it's bad news then it sucks that it's bad news. Take me back to the "no news" part.

Hmmm...

[E.Davis]

Not sure if this was posted already, but this is why SMASH failed in my opinion.


Karen on "SMASH" is the Worst!

[FindingNamo]

No offense to the disabled community, but that collection is lame.

[chellie]

For me, the main problem is that the show keeps TELLING us things: i.e., that Karen is a good choice for Marilyn (when it's painfully obvious that Ivy is much better suited to the part for a ton of reasons) or that Jeremy Jordan's character has some incredible, never-before-heard gift (when both of the songs were just okay, maybe good, but certainly not earth-shattering).

It just feels completely shallow to be told one thing and hear, with my own ears, that it's not true.

[EricMontreal22]

To be fair, it's a bit hard to have a storyline where you say "You have to listen to the music this guy writes, it's amazing!" when using original music. Changing it to "This guy writes ok, maybe good, songs! You must listen!" doesn't work as well.

[Idiot]

I admit that I gave up looking for it half of the way through this thread -- but is nobody willing to say what a bad actor Jeremy Jordan is? I think someone told him to 'just be pretty' and he fell for it.

[mamaleh]

I don't even think he's pretty. I never understood his supposed appeal in NEWSIES (didn't see BONNIE AND CLYDE, though); I thought the character in NEWSIES as played by Ben Fankhauser was much more appealing and interesting. But I certainly agree that Jordan's not a very adept actor, at least at this point. And now he's going to play Jamie in a film of THE LAST FIVE YEARS(??) Should have been Joseph Gordon-Levitt, who's at least ethnically appropriate.

[dramamama611]

It has already been said that Jordan is at least part Jewsish. (even though I don't think he looks it.)

I don't think he's a great actor, either. I saw him in both Newsies and Bonnie & Clyde. He sings those high notes beautifully, and then he's just ordinary. (IMHO) Maybe that's why he's a great match for Karen.

[Bettyboy72]

Jordan was horrible in A Joyful Noise. His acting is very wooden and to me he looks like a monchichi and I never wanted to bang one of those.

[crushgroove]

THAT collection is awesome, Louis Peitzman is awesome!

[finebydesign]

"Jordan was horrible in A Joyful Noise." Yes he was, but that script was just horrendous. They could have gotten "prettier," Glee has that. When he acts "street" it is just downright cringe worthy.

[emjullee]

Season 1 was really better storywise. There was "rawness" in the script - to make a story of how a musical is made. But in season 2, that "raw" element isn't there anymore. Katherine McPhee's acting hasn't improved. In season 1, her acting fit well because she was a "new" actor in the story. But it hasn't been working out well for her this season. Jeremy Jordan has a good voice but yeah, agree with some of you that his acting suffers as well.

[jacobsnchz14]

Anyone watching?

[OperaBwayLover]

I am. And as always, I want to smack Karen. Girl thinks she's Patti LuPone, the way she's acting during the concert rehearsals.

And how I am I supposed to like the Jimmy character? Has he ever had a likable moment? (although Jeremy Jordan has a nice belt)

[Johnnycantdecide]

“WE HAVE A HUGE TELEVISED BROADWAY CONCERT IN LESS THAN 24 HOURS AND WE HAVE DANCERS FLOATING IN AND OUT AND WE DON’T KNOW WHAT SONG WE’RE SINGING.
#YOLO #YOLO #YOLO #YOLO #YOLO #YOLO #YOLO #YOLO"
-Smash Logic

[Borstalboy]

Oh, the men on this show. They just need to change the title to NBC'S TUESDAY NIGHT PARADE OF CVNTS.