NBC's SMASH - Series & Broadway Adaptation Thread — Page 26

Erik, I didn't think you were trying to pick a fight. I'm just telling you what I saw.

Others: the mother doesn't post on the show's Facebook page, she posts on HER Facebook page. Since I've known her for over a decade, and she's a Facebook friend, I see the posts in my feed or food or dinner or whatever they call it.

That would really be something if "Smash" was remembered as the series that sank a network.

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As long as the show stays above 2.0, it´s lock for a renewal. NBC is in a disastrous state. Someone here tried to compare the production expenses to Parenthood. Parenthood shoots in a studio, using the same sets and is shot in a very improv/natural style that I imagine makes the production affordable. On the other hand, the cast is big and not cheap (it was reported that Lauren Graham gets 150k/episode, Peter Krause 125k and Craig T. Nelson is over 100k, too). Not cheap. but so far it looks like it will be renewed for another season. (I hope so, I love the show.)

I was so excited to hear that they were planning a show about Broadway back in May. Then I saw the first previews and my excitement doubled. I loved the pilot and then it went all down, sadly. I just can´t get really into it. I will stick with it because if someone makes the effort to make a show about theater, I´ll be there but it´s no must-see tv. And it´s not even reality problem for me. I know tv shows have to add some drama and change stuff but the dialog and some choices in directing are just soo bad. Starting to be a mock-tv instead (which isn´t bad either, for my amusement, not so great for the show itself.)

""Watching SMASH, I feel the way cops must feel watching LAW & ORDER."---Casting director friend of mine. "

My myriad of problems with the show aside, I have little patience for this kind of argument (and I don't meant to pick on your friend--I've read it in MANY blogs). Did people really expect an extremely, or even very realistic look at the theatre world on a network drama? Your friend raises a good point actually--one blog in particular seems keen on bringing the sholw down because she is so insulted on how people will now consider her profession. Umm has she seen any past backstage movies (or recent movies like Center Stage)? And has she seen how nearly all professions are treated in the majority of network tv shows?

Sueleen, the similarities between Hilty and Ivy are pretty striking. I'll leave it at that.

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"I am SO worried that Megan's career will be over after this show. She is coming off like a total see you next Tuesday and she is such a great actress that I am afraid people are going to think she IS Ivy and will NEVER want to work with her again."

While some people have had trouble separating their actual personas from a character they've played on screen, many, many others have not had any issues at all. If every actor had to worry about how what their character was doing onscreen would affect the perception of their real selves off-screen then we would never have any sort of conflict in anything because nobody would be willing to play the bitchy villain.

somethingwicked...I know you wanna leave it at that but you raised my interest. Everyone I've talked to has said Hilty is a great person to work with.

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I'm really worried.

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Updated On: 3/3/12 at 03:28 PM

But, PJ, Angelica is already a legendary Oscar, Golden Globe winner with too numerous nominations to count. Poor Megan is just getting started. Angelica doesn't have to work another day in her life and she will be fine, but I worry that if this show keeps making Megan look like a you-know-what, she will have a hard time getting a job as a hostess at Bubba Gump's Shrimp Factory in Times Square! I worry that this is the rare time an actor is just TOO good.

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First of all, I adore Patty Duke. But yes, as horrible as she was in VoD, she DID have a reputation not unlike Neely's as an erratic, unpredictable and risky actor. It was not until she was diagnosed with Bi-polar disorder that she was able to turn her career around again.

I think Megan needs to quit this show if she ever wants to work again.

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Suellen i think a better example of the kind of 'too good' in a more sinister role would be Christopher Meloni, Not Patty Duke.

First of all, I adore Patty Duke. But yes, as horrible as she was in VoD, she DID have a reputation not unlike Neely's as an erratic, unpredictable and risky actor. It was not until she was diagnosed with Bi-polar disorder that she was able to turn her career around again.

Okay, but then Duke's problem wasn't that she played an unsympathetic character, it was that she behaved badly due to her undiagnosed mental illness.

What has that to do with Megan Hilty?

It's the "Hamilton Curse", named for Margaret Hamilton, a perfectly lovely actress who regretted ever saying "yes" to L.B. Mayer. She could never walk into a room where children were present without every little boy and girl running from the room, screaming, "I thought she was DEAD!!!". Beware, Megan. This could happen to you on your next audition!

Oh, come on!

And people spat on Angela Lansbury for being mean to Judy Garland, but Lansbury went on to be not only the toast of Broadway but the most successful senior lady on TV (along with the Golden Girls) since Irene Ryan.

Hilty and SMASH are not going to be around long enough to have such problems, unless it's true that, as one poster suggested, Hilty and her character are much alike. But if so, I imagine the industry knows it by now.