Tx2Step--that's a good point, although I don't agree with all of your examples (Sweeney in particular feels like a very economical show for me, all things considered there isn't much I feel I have to sit through to get to the brilliant parts--although when the tooth pulling scene is kept that may count), and I worry about placing Bombshell or Smash in the same league as many of those titles, but... :P
I certainly don't hate Smash, and I only recently realized how even the parts I shake my head at I more or less enjoy--the hour flies by which says something (not sure what, but when watching---to pick on the obvious--Glee, there are moments I genuinely hate even when I enjoy other moments, Smash doesn't have that for me, at least yet).
One comment about the new showrunner (and it's interesting Rebeck will still be writing some scripts--kinda unfortunate as I think her episodes have had the weakest dialogue)--I, like others, assume this means they will up the soap and fantasy element, which could work since the show doesn't do the ernest drama as well anyway. But his only credit is Gossip Girl and he's never been the sole headwriter on it (I believe Schwartz and his partner still oversea the show they created), so like many writers who start on one show and then go on to work or create something completely different, it doesn't mean much one way or the other. Which makes me all the more curious why he was chosen.
Obviously, I agree with you about the cable/network thing. However, while network TV shows to succeed have to appeal to a broader base (which is why it failed pretty miserably when network stations tried to appeal to a Mad Men audience with period dramas this year that still had to be watered down for mass consumption), and I agree broadcast shows obviously still get more comments, etc--I do think cable shows with a fraction of the audience have lately often grabbed the zeitgeist more. I mean Mad Men does not get huge numbers--the dying genre of daytime soaps, which have numbers the networks feel they can't justify, still outperform it. But a TON of people who don't watch it are aware of it--enough that they understand a skit based on it on SNL, etc. So the impact can be seen in different ways
didn't mean to conflate SMASH with those stand-alone B'way hits; instead, like many TV shows (SEINFELD, NEW ADVENTURES, MET YOUR MOTHER, PARKS & REC, COMMUNITY)it may take a while for this hour long (twice their length) song-added (it has beat out COP ROCK for pete's sake) to find its stride. My weird point, not well stated, was that like brilliant B'way shows that workshopped their way in a studio then maybe out of town then maybe a studio again before success on Rialto (much like BOMBSHELL within SMASH is trying to portray now)...we may be looking at literally the "workshop season" of SMASH.
If FAME THE TV SHOW can last as long as it did, and GLEE, is there any real common sense reason to scoff at SMASH's chances? If you have some, great.i'd rather (feel a cover coming on, maybe as Cousin Debbie tries to charm Frozen Caveman back to the fire),,,"ac-cent-CHU-ate the positive". Carpet can take the Durante asides.
EDITED to reflect the sitcom examples above appear in many wise posts previous in the this thread, just too lazy to look up who said what first, copy, paste, italicize, and get all fancy-schmancy. i got peanut grinding to do.
Oh I was more rambling to myself outloud, a bad habit--I know you weren't clearly saying that.
The workshop thing makes some sense. I guess cynically I do kinda worry that this could be like some shows with a promising first season that instead of improving, fall apart the way, for example Brothers and Sisters did, IMHO, once Jon Robin Baitz left his creation due to all the interefering imposed on him by networks and quickly ran through no less than four teams of headwriters. Which seems funny to say as I do think Rebeck herself is the weak link, and as I've said, the new guy deserves a chance (I do wonder--not that it would clearly be a good or bad thing, if he has any theatre background).
I was kinda hoping David Marshall Grant, who obviously has huge theatre and film *and* TV experience both behind and in front of the scenes and wrote some of the better structured episodes of Smash would be upgraded, but perhaps he didn't even want the huge job being a showrunner is.
But your point is valid. The show already has some huge hurdles--aside from being a fairly un-tested genre for TV, and one that takes a lot of work to do weekly, it had to be completely re-tooled from its Showtime version, and, as they pointed out, because it ended up being midseason, they had already far more episodes in the can than most series do before they could gauge reaction and tweak things. Greenblatt has considered the show his baby since his time at Showtime and is championing it now that he's head of NBC, and he's often a very good exec producer--at least he was at HBO (Six Feet Under, etc) and Showtime, though he's less proven with network tv. And NBC of course can't afford to drop a drama right now that is getting people talking and getting better numbers than most of their troubled programming, particularly in the ever important demos.
Grr at my inability to post edits here. Robin Greenblatt of course does have background with primetime soaps--pre HBO he helped develop Fox's 90s hits like 90210, Melrose and Party of Five. Perhaps more troubling though he also apparently was a key player when he produced 9 to 5 the musical... :P But he does seem to be the one person who has been with Smash every stretch of the way, considering Rebeck was brought on fairly late, Spielberg loved the concept but as usual with his TV projects I get the impression doesn't have much direct involvement, and Zadan/Meron have been a bit less directly involved than I expected, just due to all their products.
That Little White Baby Grand song was totally something I'd skip over if it came up on my iPod, HOWEVER Megan Hilty kind of made me a little misty eyed with it this week! How does this woman do it? She could give me chills just reading the ingredients off the back of a Sprite can.
I looked through this thread and I do not believe that this was posted, but McPhee and Hily will be considered for the Supporting Actress categories at the Emmys alongside Huston. Messing will be considered for the Leading Actress categories.
Phyllis after carefully considering your post I think you should re-post it with attribution- who said what. I refuse to engage in slut-shaming but could really go for a couple hours of moron-shaming.
Umm...I don't think you can get to Boston from Grand Central Station. And I know you can't get to Boston on a Metro-North train. Did they think no one was going to notice that? I guess they decided to opt for atmosphere (GCT is definitely more photogenic than Penn Station) over accuracy!
Also, I liked how Eileen said she was "going to go into New York" - as if Boston were a suburb of NYC instead of four hours away!
Ah yes. I knew it looked familiar, but I couldn't place it. Saw a concert at the St George a few years back. Thanks, Mr Roxy.
As for getting to Boston from Grand Central... perhaps Karen took the Metro North to Stamford or New Haven, then Amtrak from there to Boston. Grasping at straws here. lol
"Umm...I don't think you can get to Boston from Grand Central Station. And I know you can't get to Boston on a Metro-North train. Did they think no one was going to notice that?"
To be honest, I've never been to NY and have only been to the Boston airport once, so I had no idea you can't get to Boston from GCS. So I doubt most people would even notice it.
The best part of Smash happened for those that get News 4 New York...coming of Smash, we heard Sue Simmons saying "...the ball took a bad hop and hit me in my breast," interrupted by Chuck saying "Are we on?"
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joined:10/31/11
Posted: 4/25/12 at 05:22pm