Smash: Discussion Thread

[EricMontreal22]

Agreed full heartedly--and that article seems to make that clear. I do think that includesthe NBC execs--but I can't see in this case another network doing better.

Spielberg has never ever "got" tv IMHO.

A friend on, of all places, a Sondheim forum posted this in reply to me remarking the same thing:

"

I remember a Time or Newsweek article about Spielberg when Amazing Stories was on, describing him on the set of that hour-long episode he directed where Kevin Costner was a World War II bomber pilot. Between takes, he was strutting around the set saying, "Tender vittles. That's what TV stands for and that's what we're going to give them. Tender vittles." Around the same time he was quoted by a critic as having derided television by saying that he made movies for sophisticated people, not the sort of people who stayed home and watched 30-Something. The critic pointed out that Spielberg didn't realize that the people who watched his movies were the same people who watched 30-Something and that he was wildly underestimating the television audience. I would go further and say most viewers of 30something of all shows prob were more sophisticated than most of his movie audiences.

While watching an episode of Amazing Stories that reminded me of a bad episode of Twilight Zone from circa 1961, I realized what the problem was. Spielberg had started making movies so young that he had completely dropped out of touch with television and hadn't realized how much more sophisticated it had gotten since he had last been a TV viewer in the early 60s. In the 90s, after he had kids, he took some time off to spend with his family and reportedly watched a lot of TV, which I think helped. He's not as bad as he used to be and probably wouldn't do Seaquest DSV today. But I think a little of his contempt for the television audience may remain. So his keeping hands off on Smash is probably a good thing. But I'm sure he still has an influence."

And I think it's true. I also think he's just too busy to be able to do anything about the quality of a show. I mean with Terra Nova or something he came up with the concept, loved it, and then just sorta threw it out there. I admit I'm mixed on Spielberg as a movie director in general, but no one can deny that he is insanely detail oriented and handson when it comes to his movies. TV just doesn't work for him IMHO (there are exceptions--I mostly liked United States of Tara, but in that case he just happened to have a strong team on the show--and it wasn't his concept anyway--and as a kid his idea to return to the WB cartoons ofthe 40s with Tiny Toons and Animaniacs created cartoons that were smart and a lot better than most of what was out there--but again he lucked into a great team).

[Vee]

That's pretty accurate. It also is reflected in his dreadful segment in the Twilight Zone movie, "Kick the Can," which is really not a thriller piece at all, just a paean to the elderly and "the kid in all of us." It's saccharine pap and it's made all the more offensive being plopped into a lame anthology film where the production managed to decapitate Vic Morrow and kill two illegally hired children with a helicopter.

I have a lot of issues like that with Spielberg, but at the same time I also love a lot of his work and think he's unquestionably very talented and knowledgeable. He's one of the last great craftsmen in film (and he chose to be that) but he can still stretch himself, with great stuff like Munich - or Lincoln, which is an incredible film and a spectacular piece of work in that he knew when to get out of the way of the script and the actors, except for the last two minutes or so. Still, he should keep away from TV.

[DRW50]

What was the gay Republican story?

[Darn]

Nope, we're supposed to think Karen is a Broadway STAH. She gets raves in the paper and every single person who meets her LOVES her and screams about her talent. What kind of Marilyn is supposed to be on Broadway other than a Broadway Marilyn? I find that so confusing. Katharine McPhee has a lovely voice, but she would not wow anyone in a theater. Not an episode has gone by without someone telling us Karen is an amazing singer, if the show had confidence in that they wouldn't feel a need to constantly remind us of how brilliant she is.

I forget where I read it but someone said that Karen is more an "idea" of a character. She's just a blank slate to project onto, which is what every other character has done. She's Derek's muse, Ivy's nemesis, Eileen's rising star without actually possessing any of those qualities.

[EricMontreal22]

CHristian Borle's character met a cute, sweet gay guy and they started dating early onin the series. He was kinda put off by his politics, and walked out on some gay Republican party thingand then it was kinda just very quickly ended so they could go the obvious route with him and the black dancer. The story never even really started going, it just seemed to be a place holder. (And was annoying because the bf was shown as practically perfect otherwise).

[DRW50]

That's the modus operandi for a lot of liberal-meets-Republican stories. I'm not sure why shows bother telling these stories. I guess liberal writers get a thrill out of some forbidden fantasyland idea and then don't know what to do with it. The only time I remember this working was on Six Feet Under, and that was when the show was ending, and also because a naked Chris Messina was always going to cross party lines.

[Mr. Vixen]

I gave up the show after a few episodes last year but I'm thinking about trying again. Have Jennifer Hudson and Nikki Blonsky debuted yet? I love them both.

[EricMontreal22]

Hudon was featured a lot in episode one, not at all in episode two. She's meant to be in around 4 episodes I think? No Blonsky.

Carl, not sure I remember that--was he their paint ball friend they almost had a 3way with or something? (I loved SFU but it seems so long ago I forget details).

But yeah it does seem to be an oddly common gay storyline that rarely is handled in any worthwqhile way. Don't get me wrong, I'm not very sympathetic to the beliefs of Republicans--but if I had an otherwise perfect guy after me, who happened to be an extremely liberal Republican, it would barely register. I'm sure Bros and Sis had a story about this early on (back when Baitz was still in charge and wanted the show to actually deal in politics...)

[DRW50]

Not gay - Claire's boyfriend, later husband.

[DRW50]

http://www.theatlanticwire.com/entertainment/2013/02/lessons-end-times-smash/62351/

[Jonathan]

The last episode was a snoozefest. And what exactly is Jennifer Hudson's storyline? I'm not following.

[marceline]

I'm not sure that I'm ready to call time of death on Smash. I think they may be able to turn it around. I like some of the changes they made. Adding other shows into the mix seems like a good move. I like that not everything is about worshipping at the altar of Marilyn. The writing is a lot better for Ivy and the show has gotten a little better at recognizing McPhee's limitations. I think Smash's ratings problems aren't as much about the content as the fact that the show 1.) was gone almost a year, 2.) no longer has The Voice as a lead in 3.) put the first episode up on the web a month before the premiere then 4.) was gone for a week. I didn't even know there was a new episode this week.

[EricMontreal22]

You know the show is in trouble when Ent Weekly's recap is trying to out hate-watch the other hate-watch blogs--I have never seen them be so snarky in a recap for a show before. But one interesting thing in their recap of Tuesday's episode--interesting because critics of this new "improved" season said when it premiered that it hits its stride in episode three--is this:

In a curious move, NBC decided to bundle season 2's first, second, and fourth episodes together on a screener, skipping "The Dramaturg" entirely (probably because next week's episode ends with a show-stopping Jennifer Hudson number). I can sort of see why they wouldn't want reviewers to judge the show's new season based on this episode

[gtru1981]

Expect Smash to be canceled after this season. No way in hell with such bad ratings to get a season 3.

[JackPeyton]

idk, Smash is apparently the number one show in high income houses so they sell ads at a higher rate even with lower ratings. Be interesting to see if that matters.