NBC's SMASH, Season 2 -- Discussion- Page 28

[frogs_fan85]

Posted: 3/6/13 at 1:33pm

"Smash" actually had higher ratings last night than it's lead-in, "The New Normal."

At least The New Normal was a repeat (Halloween episode!!!)

Actually, no New Normal did a 0.9 vs. Smash's 0.7. And The New Normal last night was not actually a repeat, it was an original episode that was pre-empted back in October for Hurricane Sandy coverage.

ETA- PRS beat me to the punch re: the Halloween episode.

Updated On: 3/6/13 at 01:33 PM

[perfectlymarvelous]

Posted: 3/6/13 at 1:38pm

I honestly don't think Smash would air on one of the cable networks...the only reason it was ever going to air on Showtime was because Greenblatt was the head of the network at the time. It's really his pet project and I can't imagine it going on without him.

Last night's episode was probably the best one so far this season, but that's not saying much. At least last season had some campy fun, this season is just a disaster.

[James885]

Posted: 3/6/13 at 2:24pm

I think the writing's on the wall for Smash. NBC is definitly struggling, but I can't see them giving this show another season. Not with the show being so expensive to produce and the ratings being so horrible.

I wouldn't hold out hope for a cable network to pick it up.

Updated On: 3/6/13 at 02:24 PM

[hyperbole_and_a_half]

Posted: 3/6/13 at 2:54pm

Last night's opening had a great sense of splashy camp that Smash desperately needs more of. Every episode should open with a musical number. We also need less of the earnest, boring numbers like the one Kitty McPhee sang in the last episode. "My feelings can best be summed up with an acoustic cover of a Death Cab for Cutie song." Hot. MySpace. Garbage.

Smash frustrates because it's so close to being amazing but can't fully commit to flinging itself headlong down the rabbit hole. NBC seems to be so concerned with making every character relatable that they forgot the number one rule for backstage dramas: theatre people be cray cray. We saw brief glimmers of that in season one, but now everyone's been Hollanderized to the point of inducing sleep. If NBC turned bland, little Caucasian Cartwright into an audience cipher and dialed up all the other characters' mental illness to eleven, we could have the next Twin Peaks or Dynasty, or even just something that did justice to the novel on which this show is "based". Instead, NBC is content to serve us Cop Rock 2: Broadway Boogaloo. I am disappoint.

[Phyllis Rogers Stone]

Posted: 3/6/13 at 3:23pm

If NBC turned bland, little Caucasian Cartwright into an audience cipher and dialed up all the other characters' mental illness to eleven

OMG, that would be divine!

[trixigold]

Posted: 3/6/13 at 3:28pm

It's possible NBC wants to kill the show (along with "The New Normal"). Why else would they lead in the night with "Betty White's Off Their Rocker," for a full hour, and a repeat of that particular show, at that? The demographics for a Betty White show have to be really old (no offense to older people). The problem with Smash is not only that the ratings are small, but the demographics skew older. Someone said that "The New Normal" got higher ratings last night. Actually, it didn't, in total viewers. That EW online story has columns for ratings without identifying what they mean. Smash has more people watching (in millions, far right column), but did more poorly than Normal in the 25-49 age group, which is supposedly what advertisers look for. So, "Smash" viewers are rich, but they're old. I have to think they brought on "Gossip Girl" writers to give it more youth appeal, but it seems they haven't brought in the young people. Though when NBC thinks Betty White is the perfect primetime line-up lead-in to give them a win among a younger, coveted audience, they're not even trying.

[Phyllis Rogers Stone]

Posted: 3/6/13 at 3:30pm

I just watch what I like and don't watch what I don't like. At the end of the day, ratings and shares mean next to nothing to me.

[ACL2006]

Posted: 3/6/13 at 3:30pm

Smash does seem like it's on the verge of getting cancelled. The ratings keep getting lower and unless The Voice does something to pick up their ratings, we'll be lucky to see the rest of season 2, let alone a third season.

[RaisedOnMusicals]

Posted: 3/6/13 at 3:41pm

DEClarke, Whizzer came up with it right after I posted. It was an LCT musical, "Happiness" directed by Susan Stroman.

[broadwaybabywannabe2]

Posted: 3/6/13 at 3:59pm

i actually LOVE SEASON 2 of SMASH...and last night led off with a GREAT BROADWAY NUMBER...i only wish they would do more of that as the show is about Broadway right?...

regarding the ratings...if NBC is trying to loose SMASH they have it in the right place...if i were NBC...I would move SMASH to the hour right behind THE VOICE...which i believe that was where it was last year...i hate NBC!

[beensince1987]

Posted: 3/6/13 at 4:05pm

Didn't know The New Normal was kinda new episode last night. My DVR didn't say "New" so I assumed it was repeat.

Maybe Smash did get new audience this season but first 4 episodes been really really awful these people got turned off and left. So now only people watching the shows are all here.
Also I can't watch this show live then I won't be able to fast-forward McPhee singing. I watched "Public Relations" but ff'd her other song.

[beautywickedlover]

Posted: 3/6/13 at 4:44pm

I think they have made some good points here.

"Sometimes, it pays in the long run to stay the course with low-rated shows, especially when there’s nothing new to air, instead."

"Now it seems like a sure thing for fall. And say what you will about those hate-watchers: Smash deserves credit for breaking out if the box and trying something new. Nobody expects this show to go a third year, but can’t we at least see Bombshell make it to Broadway?"




Why NBC shouldn't yank 'Smash' yet

[ucjrdude902]

Posted: 3/6/13 at 4:52pm

Great article. Anyone think there is a chance, the NBC president (what's his name?) give this show a third and final season just because it IS his special project?

[beautywickedlover]

Posted: 3/6/13 at 5:05pm

Here's a little bit of good news. At least it was not as low than it was previously estimated.




Tuesday Final Ratings: 'American Idol', 'NCIS', 'Smash' & 'Body of Proof' Adjusted Up Updated On: 3/6/13 at 05:05 PM

[Blockhead24]

Posted: 3/6/13 at 5:19pm

It's still terrible.

[beautywickedlover]

Posted: 3/6/13 at 5:21pm

Obviously it is. But maybe NBC does not have to think it about yanking it early from its schedule for now since it was not such a steep drop.

Updated On: 3/6/13 at 05:21 PM

[beensince1987]

Posted: 3/6/13 at 5:30pm

^ It wasn't steep drop cause it was already very low, then it went down more...

Can they move it to Sat? Rating wouldn't be that much different with this number, would it?

[ucjrdude902]

Posted: 3/6/13 at 5:34pm

"Some Boys" is number 45 on the itunes Pop Charts.

[TFMH18]

Posted: 3/6/13 at 5:57pm

Not a doubt in my mind they'll finish airing the entire season. First of all, the ratings are embarrassing enough for all those involved and yanking the remaining episodes (when they've already been filmed) would be even more shame inducing than whatever abysmal numbers come in. I'm also sure they'll air the rest because of the sheer star magnitude (not that it's done anything to help the ratings) but with Messing, Huston and Spielberg all headlining, there's no way they wouldn't air their work. That being said, not even a snow ball's chance in hell for a third season. Too bad, I love this show and wish it could have lived up to its potential because it really did have SO much potential. Sigh.

[darquegk]

Posted: 3/6/13 at 6:10pm

I hope they have someone REAL (not a show character, but an actual professional bookwriter) working on an actual, tangible script for BOMBSHELL. I have yet to see/hear a number from the show that doesn't entertain or enthuse me, and MTI could make a killing on this show.

[ucjrdude902]

Posted: 3/6/13 at 6:11pm

I wouldn't be surprised if they do and just haven't announced it yet.

[trixigold]

Posted: 3/6/13 at 6:15pm

NBC really should have tried harder to preserve the show's audience for the sake of future cable network repeat showings. NBC is owned by Comcast (51% ownership, with intention to buy the rest of it), which has many cable networks to run their shows on. Not to mention soundtrack sales/downloads and online viewings/downloads and what's left of DVD sales.

[peachesr82]

Posted: 3/6/13 at 6:26pm

I'm from the UK so I find this notion of pulling shows when ratings drop fascinating. It really just doesn't happen in the UK, if the they invest in something they play it out to the bitter end no matter how bad it is, that said they rarely make anything with over 10 episodes or so (a particularly bad show by the BBC called Bonekickers with Adrien Lester & Hugh Bonneville springs to mind as an example). Rating's aren't really poured over publicly in the same way on a weekly basis either, shows doing badly just get quietly moved into graveyard slots and are allowed to slip away quietly.

When it comes to Smash, I've always just switched my brain off, not over thought it and allowed it to be the ridiculous mess it is once a week. I do think the original musical numbers are it's strength though, if they could throw more of that in there and less of Karen's whiny covers that would be a step in the right direction but not a solution.

It's fairly obvious what's going to happen plot wise now anyway and no, I don't think it deserves a third season but it would be immensely frustrating for those who, for whatever reason, have invested time in watching the show if it were just to be pulled.

[Phyllis Rogers Stone]

Posted: 3/6/13 at 6:58pm

Part of the difference between a show on a US network and a show on the BBC is that the network shows are all ad-supported and the lower the show is rated, the lower the amount the network can charge for ad space. Plus the shows on the BBC have much shorter seasons (series) than their American counterparts, making it easier and quicker for a BBC show to get burned off than an American one.

[beautywickedlover]

Posted: 3/6/13 at 7:09pm

"It wasn't steep drop cause it was already very low, then it went down more... "

I know that the 18-49 rating is disappointing, but dropping one tenth really is not as bad as dropping two tenths for this program right now.