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EXCLUSIVE: Smash, which was just renewed for a second season, will return next fall without its creator/executive producer/showrunner Theresa Rebeck. I’ve learned that Rebeck is stepping down as showrunner of the musical drama after its maiden season. Details about her future involvement with Smash are still being worked out. Rebeck will keep her executive producer title and may write scripts but will not be involved in the day-to-day running of series, returning to her theater career. Word is NBC will bring in a new showrunner for Season 2. It is unclear how that would affect writing executive producer David Marshall Grant, who joined the series after the pilot.
Related: NBC’s ‘Smash’ Renewed For Second Season
While the pilot of Smash was universally praised, there have been some qualms about the creative direction of the series — chronicling the creation of a Marilyn Monroe Broadway musical — which became increasingly soapy. Additionally, Smash, which started off big and broad, sometimes meandered into niche territory by focusing too much on the insider Broadway stuff over the human drama of the two singers, played by Megan Hilty and Katharine McPhee, battling it out for the role of their career. Rebeck, a playwright in addition to being a screenwriter, will have a continuing presence on Smash — the female lead on the show, Julia (Debra Messing), half of a successful Broadway writing team, was based on her.
TV Editor Nellie Andreeva - tip her here.
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Things that aren’t surprising – This.
She also wrote Catwoman. Just sayin’.
The comments (below) are 100% right. The producers of the show really need to listen to this constructive criticism — because the show could really be so much better. It has potential, which is why I think everyone here is taking the time to express their opinions, but it just isn’t working yet. It needs entertaining conflict, not pathetic storylines like Anjelica Houston falling in love with a bartender or hanging out with a real estate agent. Who gives a shit? The “assistant” character is such a cliche and completely obvious. Everything mentioned below about Debra Messing is absolutely right. The best story concept I saw mentioned below is that Messing should get replaced by another lyricist, and then we’d get to see the fun sparks of two writers paired together as partners — who don’t get along, struggle to work together, and maybe eventually begin to connect (or sleep together). THAT would make for interesting drama and comedy — and feel much more based in reality. And, finally, the show really needs to get funnier. Rottenberg & Zuritsky are terrific writers who have a good sense of humor. I would love to see the show staff up with more of a sharp, comedic, Broadway snark sensibility.
And, in case the show’s producers want to pick apart my comments, I’ve seen every episode — including this week’s workshop where the biggest drama came from a character getting stuck in an elevator off-screen.
But were the Sex & the City writers you mention as on staff around when that show became more earnest? I seem to recall that there eps were the more earnest and less funny ones. The show needs to be less dead-on soap earnest for sure. The choice of the musical may have sunk them. Marilyn? Really? A terrible, terrible idea, both for Broadway and to spin the show around. Cheesy and unsophisticated in every way as the subject of a musical. They needed to go for something a lot cooler. They should let the Marilyn musical unravel and go to the reject bin as many musicals do, or open out of town in a workshop and get scathing reviews (maybe even not open to reviewers but the blogosphere tears it apart), they lose funding completely and have to move on to a BETTER IDEA. I have some ideas for the musical within the show that would work so much better, but I won’t giving ‘em away for free.
I think CATWOMAN is extremely underrated. The director Pitof recapitulates the normative tropes of the contemporary superhero while simultaneously not just limning the rudiments of the milieu, the nerd gestalt, but also subverting, buttressing, indeed suffusing the comic-book Weltanschauung with historiographic verve. Halle Berry, essaying the feminine mystique (the Earth Mother godhead), is flat-out terrific in the way she recombines gender stylistics into a deep-purple cloud of counter-anthropomorphic felinity, superhumanizing the mythic self. Berry is the heart, surrounded by Pitof’s cross and thorns. Far more depthful than a piker like Christopher Nolan could ever achieve.
LOL!!!!
Way to break it down, Theresa.
To date,
I have tried to watch all of the episodes of Marilyn, but it would be very cool, if they could integrate some of the details of Marilyn’s life. She was party to some of the greatest politicians, as well as, one of the most renowned crime bosses, in all of American history.
She was also, known to hang with people, like Elvis Presley, Jimmy Dean, the pack five. There are so many more things, they could do with the show. I have hoped to see the infamous seen in a bar around the pool table.
All in all, the singing is wonderful, both Katherine, and her blondes side kick are very good singers. They may not have gained the star-power as, Uma, but they are certainly talented.
I have been a huge fan of Marilyn Monroe for quite a few years. Absolutely, intriguing and so many more things they could do with the musicals and the scenes pertaining to Marilyn’s life.
Love the show…Kathy
I like the insider Broadway stuff!
Me too! That stuff is the most fun. The specificity is what makes it interesting.
Broadway stuff is the only interesting stuff. Julia`s family and Karen`s boyfreind are the most boring and hated by fans. They shouldn`t keep those extranous characters on the show because they just drag it down and remove it from what really matters. Not to mention that McPhee and boyfriend actor, who`s really bad, have ZERO chemistry which makes their scenes a chore to sit through. Ditto Julia`s son, another terrible actor. casting changes will be welcome next season.
That boyfriend character is the WORST! He’s like some HR/Diversity executive’s wet dream. “Let’s make him sensitive, give him an english accent, make him a minority, he has a successful job – but for the city – so he’s community minded” seriously the worst.
Is Julia’s son a terrible actor, or terribly written? He’s the most unconvincing “teenage boy” I’ve ever seen. He’s written like a middle-aged woman’s idea of what her teenage son should be like – namely, a middle-aged woman.
The actor who plays Julia son is terrific. I don’t think you know what you are talking about.
Yes – we can get soaps anywhere, but this is the only series that delves into the inner workings of a Broadway show, which is fascinating because it’s new and unknown to us.
The best part of last week’s episode was Eileen fixing the damn boiler! The job of a producer is to just get things done. I’ve had jobs like that, nothing to do with Broadway shows of course, but I can relate to the get-out-of-my-way attitude she brings to the job.
Oh, that’s why Julia is such a Mary Sue.
Smash is fantastic. I love everything about it and this departure is befuddling.
It would be awesome, though, if Debra Messing went with her.
Hope she takes Will Chase and that whole nonsense adultery storyline with her.
I second that wholeheartedly. Where are they going with that anyway? It has absolutely nothing to do with the main story line!
Agreed. It’s totally tone deaf, pun intended. Can’t tell what she sees in that guy, he’s emotionally abusive, and comes off like some stalker-y prick.
Did you both see this week’s episode? They seemed to imply the adultery plotline was ending by them firing Will and Debra Messing telling her son it was over.
Fingers crossed thats pretty much the end of it.
Unfortunately Will Chase is coming back for the last two episodes of the season (there were set pictures of him filming with Messing) so it’s not over. God help us if they make him a series regular for season 2.
Well, Deb’s gotta keep her new boyfriend employed, since he’s way past his expiration date on his legit theater career.
This news is disappointing. Theresa’s a fantastic writer – if you haven’t read any of her plays (really the only writing that doesn’t have a million people weighing in and changing things), do yourself a favor and get them. I personally love the show, especially the insidery broadway stuff. Boo NBC!
I hear a rumor that NBC might bring back ‘Law & Order: Criminal Intent’ back an 11th season. Theresa Rebeck wrote early season episodes of it… if it was to return, she may do work on it as well.
But this is purely a rumor for now. But knowing how NBC/Bob Greenblatt is rushing for quality programming on NBC, don’t be shocked if the mothership ‘Law & Order’ or one of it’s three dead spin-off’s, likely ‘Criminal Intent’, are brought back to life.
Run, don’t walk, or just go to Amazon, & get Theresa’s beautifully written, humorous & heartbreaking book about being a show biz writer. She’s a warrior & an incredibly talented role model. Can’t wait for what’s next.
“She’s a warrior”?? Sorry, Pam, but no, she isn’t. Alexander the Great, George S. Patton, Ulyses S. Grant — those guys were warriors. Rebeck is an enormously talented playwright.
Maybe now the writing will actually improve. Considering how much the playwriting pedigrees of all the writers on staff have been touted, it’s shocking how mundane and cliched the writing actually is. The show is humorless and the characters are stock and not tweaked in any possible way (as opposed to Glee, where the writing has a voice and many stock characters are given a twist that makes them more interesting.) The musical itself is so dated that it makes “Kiss Me Kate” look hip.
The only acting energy comes from Megan Hilty; I usually love Jack Davenport but since his character has no dimension, he’s hung out to dry as an actor. As to Katherine McPhee, I’ve seen better acting when my kid tries to convince me that he ran a mile during P.E. so he earned an after-school ice cream.
The biggest problem is that the characters have no depth. They’re all surface. And I’m not sure Deborah Messing is salvageable. She’s just annoying in every scene she’s in.
I’m sure the original intent was to have Karen and Ivy be both so outstanding that we wouldn’t know who to root for – that’s the core conflict in the show.
But by casting Katherin McPhee in order to bring in her fanbase, they botched this dynamic. Megan Hilty has the presence to be a Broadway star (which she is) and also carry a TV show (like this one). McPhee couldn’t carry a feather, and if she were cast as the lead in the show for real, she’d sink it. So how can we root for her?
Megan Hilty is absolutely terrific in this show. Debra Messing is old and tired. Please, for the love of God, don’t ever show a sex scene with her again. I would rather see Houston get naked than Messing.
While I hate to see anyone lose a gig this will probably get me to take another look. LOVED the pilot but most of the time what came next felt nothing like the pilot. Pilot setup so many great characters only to dive into Broadway/Musical numbers. I felt fooled so I stopped watching. Thought it was going to be a show about the characters involved in a musical. Not a show about a musical that sprinkled in character.
The problem with SMASH is the same one that most musicals themselves face: a terrific score and a lousy book. Whether “want song”, ballad, or comedy number, Mark Shaiman and Scott Whittman’s songs are never less than first-rate. Just pair them with the 21st century Arthur Laurents (whoever that may be), and the show should soar.
I like the show, but I expected so much more!!!!!
Since they already did all of this season’s episodes, lets just hope that the producers read the reviews and listened to the fans and are bringing something better next season.
I was hoping I could see the creative process about the development of a broadway musical: how the study the theme (in this case Marilyn’s life), how they think about the songs, how they match it with the lyrics, how the director listens to the songs and come up with the choreograph etc.
Its episode 7 and they are already doing workshops!!!
I definitely want less soap opera ans more creative process both to the musical and to the series itself, because it surely has a lot of potential and the songs are amazing!!!
This is great news for several reasons: I am so glad this wondreful show got renewed, and I am equally glad Theresa Rebeck has stepped aside. She is a great playwright and wrote/produced well for “Law and Order”, but TV isn’t her first,best talent. Thank God SOMEONE at NBC noticed/listened to viewers? about how BORING the Debra Messing family subplot is. Actually, horrible as this is to say, they could replace Messing and I don’t think anyone would care! Her character could get replaced as the co-lyricist/bookwriter. They could introduce some character that USESD to write with the Christian Borle character, years ago. Another gay character would be good; perhaps to mirror Marc Shaiman and Scott Wittman in real life.
I loved the pilot! It was fantastic! Katharine McPhee showed spunk when telling the director (Davenport) “not gonna happen” but now, she is too sugary sweet. She needs to kick Ivy’s ass! put her in her place. Ivy is a whiner, a sobber, a poor me- blah!
I hate when networks do this.
By the way, the Messing character was my favorite, but I stopped watching once the adultery subplot kicked in. Yawn.
What happens to that credit? ” ‘Smash’ by Theresa Rebeck.” Making her the author of a whole TV series just like a playwright and a play. Pretty intense layering considering it’s based on a book by Garson Kanin. Love the show especially both Debra Messing and Anjelica Huston.
Thank goodness! Teresa Rebeck’s plays lack insight and while shallow unmotivated characters and lack of narrative logic may be forgiven in a two hour play, for a longer form work they are deadly. Rebeck’s best work has always been in television, filling in the scenes that fit a story breakdown someone else laid out. This move could actually help Rebeck do better work, if she had the humility to accept it.
Thanks for pointing this out about Rebeck. I often feel like I’m the only person who feels that she’s overrated as a playwright.
I agree about the insidery broadway stuff being the best part of the show. this is what happens when networks execs make decisions based on what they think the public wants. everyone i know says the same thing about the show – they like the behind the scenes drama but find the soap elements a bit flat (probably because they are being forced upon the writers, making it feel inauthentic).
I like the chemistry between Jack Davenport and McPhee on screen. Its the only time she seems less wooden and Davenport’s chemistry with Anjelica Houston seems warm and real.
Any of Messing’s storylines are a disaster. The son and husband in particular are god awful but even the affair was toe curling.
Some of the supporting actors are very poor e.g the dancers who are given lines.
All I have to say is: “that Bruno Mars thing at La Mama”. That is when I tuned out.
So it wasn’t just me then?
The next episode will do just that won’t it? Bring another lyricist into the show and have Karen sing a new song that isn’t done by the original lyricist, making everyone feel betrayed, a way to replace Julia (Messing’s character as we all know) IF this is indeed the path her character is going to take. Therefore in other words you guys are just sensationalizing next Monday’s episode aren’t you? Not bad. But I don’t like to see Messing’s character go.
Renew the show fire the showrunner = canceled show in the second season. Every time. Sorry
Sorry to hear of Rebeck’s departure. I’m a huge fan of her writing, having been in a production of Mauritius in the DC area. Awesome script!