Smash

[shadowkat]

Smash has turned into a brilliant meta-narrative on itself. Can't believe they are doing this storyline. Last year they fired Theresa Rebeck, the female creator/head writer, who had created a somewhat soapy tv series about women on Broadway struggling to juggle personal lives with professional lives, but the male characters were oddly the most compelling. This year, with a new male writer, and all male executive producers/lyrcists - the story is about the women being pushed aside by the men. The male assistant from last year, Ellis, conspires with Eileen's ex to steal the Broadway show from her. The show she wanted to prove herself by. Ellis never shows up. We just find out via a phone conversation that Cherry stole the show from her with his help. Then according the previews...the dramturge, Lenny Kravitz, is stealing the show from the female writer Julia, and manipulating her into turning the show into one about the male gaze. That Marilyn had no voice, she was what the men around her saw, their product, their sex symbol. It's a bold move and a brassy, and oh-so-true meta-narrative on both Hollywood and Broadway - and in particular on itself and what happened to Theresa Rebeck last year.

If you're not watching SMASH because of last year? You should start. It's become rather interesting. Plus, Jennifer Hudson is knocking it out of the park.

Comments

[embers-log.livejournal.com]

I decided to make a Broadway icon because I am really enjoying SMASH... they had some interesting plot twists, and Jennifer Hudson has just stolen the show!

[shadowkat67.livejournal.com]

Oh definitely. Listened to Hudson's number back to back with Katherine McPhee's and Hudson blows her out of the water.

What's amusing is that Katherine McPhee finished on American Idol as runner-up, while Jennifer Hudson came in in 7th place on American Idol.
So, let's see all the idol winners with the exception of Kelly Clarkson and Carrie Underwood, have basically become yesterdays news or forgotten, while the runner-ups or people finishing in 7th or 8th place, rocket to stardom.
Jennifer Hudson is the biggest star of the bunch. Shows how silly reality tv is.

[embers-log.livejournal.com]

yeah I don't think that winning is really a big advantage over losing in the later rounds:
I mean a few winners have done well, but they were locked into a contract w/the American Idol producers for years. The losers are free to make a better record deal as a free agent. I think the Chris Daughtry and Jennifer Hudson are good examples of just how great it is to lose after getting the chance to show off their talent on national television.

[spikes_heart.livejournal.com]

I just adore this show, and I'm praying that it gets to the end of the season intact. Also, gossamer prayers for a third season.

[shadowkat67.livejournal.com]

I think it will make it to the end of this one - NBC doesn't have a lot. Depends on whether they feel the need to put Revolution in its place (Revolution though is on Mondays, so maybe not).

[petzipellepingo.livejournal.com]

I know, it's much more interesting than last year but unfortunately the ratings are TERRIBLE so the chances of it continuing are very, very slim.

[shadowkat67.livejournal.com]

Much like last year - it all depends on how NBC's other series are going, and what demo's it is getting. Example: Vamp Diaries would be cancelled if it was on ABC, but on CW it's a hit. Also Pretty Little Liars has changed how they evaluate- big on the twitter feed apparently.
(I don't follow either PLL or Twitter so wouldn't know - but there's a huge article in EW on it.)

NBC doesn't have anything. It's only hits are Revolution, Sunday Night Football and The Voice. And it's mid-season series Deception and Do No Harm tanked worse than anything else. The mid-season series are all low-rated this year, everything from the critically touted Monday Mornings to well Smash. So there's that as well. Now, if Do No Harm and Deception had done really really well, and Smash had low ratings...than yeah.

I'm betting they'll finish the season. And I'm also guessing they are taking this risk because they know it's unlikely they'll survive.
Shows that aren't comfortable, sometimes take crazier risks.