I’m Loving the New and Improved “SMASH”

Tuesday night, the delightful musical dramedy Smash returned for its second season on NBC and I have to say I’m thrilled at the improvements. Gone were the annoying tertiary characters (Buh bye Dev and the horribly annoying Ellis. And we won’t miss you when you disappear Frank) and they were replaced by some great newcomers including Broadway standout Jeremy Jordan ( a Tony nominee last year for Newsies) and Oscar winner Jennifer Hudson who was simply fantastic and should expect a Guest Actress Emmy nomination in September. The storytelling was also streamlined and it looks like the show will live up to its great promise from its brilliant pilot. So, here’s to a much improved Smash and enjoy some of my favorite musical moments from the show below…. For more on Smash, head here.

Smash “Broadway Here I Come” (Jeremy Jordan)

Smash “Caught in the Storm” (Katharine McPhee)

Smash “They Just Keep Moving the Line” (Megan Hilty)

And while I couldn’t find any video for it, please enjoy Jennifer Hudson simply killing it on “Mama Makes Three”

Another New “Smash” Season 2 Preview!

February 5th marks the highly anticipated second season premiere of the Golden Globe nominated musical dramedy Smash, and I can’t wait. The new season has jettisoned four unlikable characters (good riddens Ellis!) and added a ton of new faces (Oscar winner Jennifer Hudson, Emmy winner Sean Hayes, Newsies Tony nominee Jeremy Jordan, Law & Order and Rent vet Jesse L. Martin to name a few). It also has some new show runners and is attempting to correct the uneven yet immensely watchable and fun first season. I, for one, can’t wait. Now, a second preview of the second season has hit the web following NBC’s Smash panel at the TCA this morning. Check it out below and watch Smash Feb. 5th on NBC!

Smash season 2 preview

It’s an Extended Look at Season 2 of “Smash”

Last season, Smash was the show I anticipated most and while I loved a lot about the show, it also drove me nuts. Following a brilliant pilot, Smash became incredibly uneven. There were great highs (loving Megan Hilty, Debra Messing, Christian Borle and a surprisingly good Katharine McPhee) and some deep lows (Ellis was the arguably the most hateful character in TV history), but the show was always entertaining. The final few episodes of the season improved greatly and now we have our first look at this intoxicating show that chronicles the rise of a new Broadway musical and the people behind it. Take a look at the preview below and I think you’ll be as excited as I am that we are getting much improved Smash in its second season. Gone are four annoying and needless characters (Ellis, Raj and Messing’s boyfriend and husband), while there are some great new additions. Joining the cast full-time is Broadway hottie and Tony nominee Jeremy Jordan (Newsies) while Oscar winner Jennifer Hudson (Dreamgirls), Emmy winner Sean Hayes (Will & Grace), and Broadway vets Jesse L. Martin (Rent) and Daniel Sunjata (Take Me Out) will all do recurring arcs on the show. Things look juicier than ever and it also seems like the storytelling will be more streamlined and focused. I can’t wait! … Season 2 of Smash premieres in February, but you can get a taste right now below.

Smash Season 2 extended preview

It’s time for my Big Bold 2012 Emmy Nomination Predictions!

Thursday morning July 19th is the day all of the television industry has been looking towards as this year’s Emmy Nominations are announced. We should expect last year’s winners Mad Men and Modern Family to be at the top of the heap again. However, we could see a few other series top them for overall nominations including Breaking Bad, Parks & Recreation, The Good Wife, and Game of Thrones. Some newbies are likely to make a big mark like New Girl and especially Homeland which should rack up a lot of nods. Check back here on Thursday for all the nominees and check out my big bold predictions below… I’m rooting for a few long shots like The Killing and its superb cast, Smash‘s Megan Hilty, Casey Wilson from Happy Endings and Jeff Perry from Scandal. How about you?

My Big Bold 2012 Emmy Nomination Predictions~

Drama Series:
Breaking Bad, Downton Abbey, Game of Thrones, The Good Wife, Homeland, Mad Men
~spoilers: Boardwalk Empire, Dexter, Justified

Comedy Series:
The Big Bang Theory, Curb Your Enthusiasm, Louie, Modern Family, Parks and Recreation, 30 Rock
~ spoilers: New Girl, Veep, Happy Endings, Glee

Lead Actor Drama:
Bryan Cranston (Breaking Bad), Kelsey Grammar (Boss), Michael C. Hall (Dexter), Jon Hamm (Mad Men), Hugh Laurie (House), Damian Lewis (Homeland)
~spoilers: Steve Buscemi (Boarkwalk Empire), Dustin Hoffman (Luck), Timothy Olyphant (Justified)

Lead Actress Drama:
Clare Danes (Homeland), Glenn Close (Damages), Mirielle Enos (The Killing), Juliana Marguiles (The Good Wife), Elizabeth Moss (Mad Men), Kyra Sedgewick (The Closer)
~ spoilers: Michelle Dockrey (Downton Abbey), Elizabeth McGovern (Downton Abbey), Kathy Bates (Harry’s Law), Debra Messing (Smash)

Lead Actor Comedy:
Alec Baldwin (30 Rock), Larry David (Curb Your Enthusiams), Louis C.K. (Louie), Joel McHale (Community), Jim Parsons (The Big Bang Theory), Adam Scott (Parks & Recreation)
~spoilers: Johnny Galecki (The Big Bang Theory), Jon Cryer (Two and a Half Men),

Lead Actress Comedy:
Zooey Deschanel (New Girl), Tina Fey (30 Rock), Julia Louis-Dreyfuss (Veep), Laura Linney (The Big C), Melissa McCarthy (Mike & Molly), Amy Poehler (Parks & Recreation)
~spoilers: Martha Plimpton (Raising Hope), Edie Falco (Nurse Jackie), Laura Dern (Enlightened)

Supporting Actor Drama:
Alan Cumming (The Good Wife), Peter Dinklage (Game of Thrones), Giancarlo Esposito (Breaking Bad). Mandy Patinkin (Homeland), Aaron Paul (Breaking Bad), John Slattery (Mad Men)
~spoilers: Josh Charles (The Good Wife), Jared Harris (Mad Men), Jeff Perry (Scandal), Joel Kinnaman (The Killing)

Supporting Actress Drama:
Christine Baranski (The Good Wife), Anna Gunn (Breaking Bad), Lena Heady (Game of Thrones), Christina Hendricks (Mad Men), Archie Penjabi (The Good Wife), Maggie Smith (Downton Abbey)
~spoilers: Kelly MacDonald (Boardwalk Empire) Megan Hilty (Smash), Michelle Forbes (The Killing), Jamie Anne Allman (The Killing), Rose Byrne (Damages)

Supporting Actor Comedy:
Ty Burrell (Modern Family), Jesse Tyler Ferguson (Modern Family), Max Greenfield (New Girl), Ed O’Neil (Modern Family), Nick Offerman (Parks & Recreation), Eric Stonestreet (Modern Family)
~ spoilers: Chris Colfer (Glee), Neil Patrick Harris (How I Met Your Mother), Oliver Platt (The Big C)

Supporting Actress Comedy:
Julie Bowen (Modern Familly), Jane Lynch (Glee), Sofia Vergara (Modern Family), Betty White (Hot in Cleveland), Kristen Wiig (Saturday Night Live), Casey Wilson (Happy Endings)
~ spoilers: Wendie Malick (Hot in Cleveland), Jane Krakowski (30 Rock), Aubrey Plaza (Parks & Recreation) , Cloris Leachman (Raising Hope)

Guest Actor Drama:
Alfred Molina (Harry’s Law), Michael J. Fox (The Good Wife), Robert Morse (Mad Men), Edward James Olmos (Dexter), Matthew Perry (The Good Wife), Fred Willard (The Closer)
~spoilers: Mos Def (Dexter) , T.R. Knight (Law & Order: SVU), Jeremy Davies (Justified), Chris Messina (Damages)

Guest Actress Drama:
Joan Cusack (Shameless), Loretta Devine (Grey’s Anatomy), Lucy Liu (SouthLAnd), Bernadette Peters (Smash), Carrie Preston (The Good Wife), Jean Smart (Harry’s Law)
~spoilers: Anika Noni Rose (The Good Wife), Julia Ormond (Mad Men), Martha Plimpton (The Good Wife), Uma Thurman (Smash)

Guest Actor Comedy:
Matt Bomer (Glee), Bobby Cannavale (Nurse Jackie), Michael J. Fox (Curb Your Enthusiasm), Greg Kinnear (Modern Family), James Marsden (30 Rock), Paul Rudd (Parks & Recreation)
~spoilers: Wil Arnett (30 Rock), Ricky Martin (Glee), Jimmy Fallon (Saturday Night Live), Bobby Cannavale (Modern Family)

Guest Actress Comedy:
Ellen Barkin (Modern Family), Patricia Clarkson (Parks & Recreation), Kathryn Hahn (Parks & Recreation), Melissa McCarthy (Saturday Night Live), Mary Steenburgen (30 Rock), Elaine Stritch (30 Rock)
~spoilers: Megan Mullaly (Parks & Recreation), Dot Marie Jones (Glee), Chloe Moretz Grace (30 Rock) , Robin Wright (Enlightened)

Reality Competition Show:
The Amazing Race, American Idol, Dancing with the Stars, Project Runway, Top Chef, So You Think You Can Dance
~spoilers: The Voice, RuPaul’s Drag Race

Reality Host:
Tom Bergeron (Dancing with the Stars), Cat Deeley (So You Think You Can Dance), Phil Koeghan (The Amazing Race), Jeff Probst (Survivor), Ryan Seacrest (American Idol)
~spoilers: RuPaul Charles (RuPaul’s Drag Race), Heidi Klum (Project Runway), Padma Laksmi (Top Chef)

TV Movie/ Miniseries:
American Horror Story, Game Change, The Hatfields & The McCoys, Hemingway & Gelhorn, Sherlock: Scandal in Belgravia, The Hour
~spoilers: Page Eight, Luther, Great Expectaions

Actor TV Movie/Miniseries:
Benedict Cumberpatch (Sherlock: Scandal in Belgravia), Idris Elba (Luther), Woody Harrelson (Game Change), Clive Owen (Hemingway & Gelhorn), Bill Paxton (The Hatfields & The McCoys)
~spoilers: Kevin Costner (Hatfields & McCoys),Bill Nighy (Page Eight)

Actress TV Movie/Miniseries:
Connie Britton (American Horror Story), Patricia Clarkson (Five), Nicole Kidman (Hemingway & Gelhorn), Julianna Moore (Game Change), Emily Watson (Appropriate Adult)
~spoiler: Rachel Weisz (Page Eight)

Supporting Actor TV Movie/Miniseries:
Ralph Fiennes (Page Eight), Martin Freeman (Sherlock: Scandal in Balgravia), Ed Harris (Game Change), Denis O’Hare (American Horror Story), David Strathairn (Hemingway & Gelhorn)
~spoilers: Michael Gambon (Page Eight), Powers Boothe (Hatfields & the McCoys)

Supporting Actress TV Movie/Miniseries:
Gillian Anderson (Great Expectations), Judy Davis (Page Eight), Jessica Lange (American Horror Story), Sarah Paulson (Game Change), Mare Winningham (Hatfields & McCoys)
~spoilers: Frances Conroy (American Horror Story), Ruth Wilson (Luther)

This Smash Highlight is a “Smash”!

It’s no secret I love NBC’s musical dramedy Smash. Sure, the show is inconsistent at times and has a lot of growing to do to figure out just what it wants to be. However, one thing it always is is entertaining. The cast is fantastic and all of the musical numbers from the show within a show Bombshell are wonderful. My favorites so far have been “Second Hand White Baby Grand” and “Let Me Be Your Star”, but last night showcased a new number I’d at to that list, “Smash”. This one was a duet between Ivy (the amazing Broadway vet Megan Hilty) and Karen (American Idol‘s Katharine McPhee who has made a great impression on the show thus far). Check it out below and watch Smash’s juicy season finale next Monday on NBC.

Smash~ “Smash” by Karen (Katharine McPhee) and Ivy (Megan Hilty)

“Smash” Preview~ Uma Thurman as Marilyn

So far the main dramatic thrust of the new and delightful musical dramedy Smash has been whether Broadway vet Ivy (Wicked’s Megan Hilty) or newbie Karen (American Idol’s Katharine McPhee) will get the juicy part of Marilyn Monroe in the upcoming musical Bombshell. Both have had their moments and the actors are doing some amazing work. However, the producers of the show are giving them some serious competition in the form of movie star Rebecca Duvall played by Oscar nominee Uma Thurman. Yeah, I think she’s totally wrong for the part, but that never stops Hollywood from miscasting stars in real life. So, the storyline makes a good deal of sense and I can’t wait to see how it unfolds. Check out a teaser clip of Thurman singing and dancing below. She’s pretty good actually. That’s not too much of a shock since she was perhaps the best thing in the film adaptation of the Tony winning musical The Producers. Watch Smash, which was recently renewed for a second season, tonight at 10pm on NBC.

Smash Preview 4/16/12

Bernadette Peters shows ‘em how it’s done on “Smash”

My favorite new show of 2012 to no one’s surprise is the musical dramedy Smash. Despite some inconsistencies in quality week to week, it never ceases to entertain and I’m thrilled it’s on the air. Katharine McPhee has shown she has some nice acting chops to go along with her lovely voice that we first heard on American Idol, Emmy winner Debra Messing (Will & Grace) and Tony nominee Christian Borle (Legally Blonde) are a wonderful comic duo and Broadway vet Megan Hilty (Wicked) is killing it every week as vindictive insecure starlet Ivy…. This week things really get good as the workshop of their Marilyn musical finally goes up and we also get a visit from Ivy’s over-bearing Broadway diva mother played by seven-time nominee and two-time Tony winning Broadway diva Bernadette Peters (Song and Dance, Annie Get Your Gun). Of course, she comes right in and steals the show with her own musical number from Gypsy. Check out the preview below and watch Smash tonight on NBC.

Smash Preview~ Bernadette Peters singing “Everything’s Coming Up Roses”

The Stars of NBC take you to Broadway!

NBC is pretty much an unmitigated disaster area these days. Despite having two of the best and award-winning comedies on television. 30 Rock and Parks and Recreation, the network is mired at the bottom of the ratings heap. However, they are hoping two new rays of light will save the network, the singing competition show The Voice and the new Broadway musical show Smash. I think those two shows are a fantastic start. While The Voice grew into a disastrous mess last year, it was quite fun to watch and the judges are very entertaining. Plus they will be adding great mentors like Lionel Richie, Miranda Lambert, Alanis Morissette and Kelly Clarkson (hello defecting from her alma matter!) to the mix; so, I’m cautiously optimistic…. And looking at the new show Smash, I’m overjoyed. The pilot is wonderful, hilarious, moving and intoxicating with a great cast (Debra Messing, Angelica Huston, Katharine McPhee and  Wicked’s Megan Hilty to name a few) tackling the making of a new Broadway musical. I gave the pilot an “A” grade and I can’t wait to see where it goes.
So, with both of those shows in mind, the NBC brass is taking to the Broadway stage again to publicize its shows. Check out this fantastic promo (airing during today’s Super Bowl) which features the stars of the network’s shows from The Office to SNL, Parenthood and beyond singing “The Brotherhood of Man” from the current hit revival of How to Succeed in Business without Trying. Enjoy it below and catch the season premiere of Smash tomorrow night at 10pm on NBC.

NBC “Brotherhood of Man” Promo