'Smash,' or Broadway on TV

4:34 PM, February 7, 2012 ι Elisabeth Vincentelli

The only time of the year when America gets a taste of Broadway is the Tonys broadcast -- and we know what kind of ratings that gets. Now comes "Smash," a series that's going to put Broadway into more households than ever, every week for a good part of the year. Many have been wondering if America would take to this strange, alien world, but they shouldn't worry: Everything in "Smash" is familiar. You've got your behind-the-scene backstabbings; your competition between two beautiful women vying for the same prize; your touchy-feely subplot (adoption); your older, tough-but-fair older woman with attitude to spare; your money shots (musical numbers).

Essentially, "Smash" is a soap, and a well-done soap works whether it's set in a law firm, a doctor's office, a jail or outer space. Having seen the first four episodes of "Smash," I can say that the wheels of soapdom start spinning properly in the fourth episode. I'll keep watching.

For fans of theater, there is a great TV series that captures the specificity of putting on a show and running an institution, of being a director and of being an actor. Accordingly, "Slings & Arrows" was a cult hit, not a mainstream one. It's still great.