Television series

Smash

Name: Smash
Genre: Drama
Released: 2012
Cast: Debra Messing, Jack Davenport, Katharine McPhee, Christian Borle, Megan Hilty

Smash is a behind-the-scenes musical drama about Broadway creators developing a show about Marilyn Monroe. It's a love letter to theatrical ambition, featuring original songs, glamorous production numbers, and real backstage politics. For anyone who's dreamed of the stage or loved watching talented people create something extraordinary together.

TVMaze rating

4.0

Should you watch it?

Watch it if you love backstage stories about how a show gets made, with rehearsal-room friction, creative egos and the grind of musical theatre, and you don't mind a soap's appetite for romance and rivalry.

Skip it if you want a tight, self-contained plot; this one runs on long arcs, melodramatic turns and a lot of scenes that circle the same tensions before anything resolves.

What it asks of you: Sixty-minute episodes, two seasons, and a steady willingness to stay with characters through relationship complications and a lot of song, rather than hurrying toward a payoff.

Not sure? Find tonight's pick in a minute.

If you liked this

Glee2009

A show that also mines musical theatre for drama and ensemble chemistry. Follows performers at different career stages, with original songs integrated into emotional storytelling about ambition and belonging.

But The tone swings wildly between tones, and after strong early seasons, quality becomes increasingly uneven and hard to predict.

The Comeback2005

Another NBC workplace comedy-drama tracking the messy reality behind glamour. Offers a rawer, documentary-style look at show business desperation and reinvention that complements Smash's theatre-world perspective.

But It's mockumentary cringe humour throughout—if uncomfortable comedy isn't your thing, this will exhaust you quickly.

30 Rock2006

Fast-paced comedy set in a TV studio with a similar energy: ambitious people creating entertainment, workplace romance, and genuine affection for its characters beneath the jokes. Sharp writing and Broadway cameos.

But Much broader comedy than Smash's drama; if you want emotional stakes and sincerity, this prioritizes laughs and deflection.

Not sure tonight? Get a pick in a minute, starting from Smash

The wildcard

Something you would not have found on your own.

Singin' in the Rain1952

Both are about the effort—and ego—required to birth a great show. Smash is what happens when the backstage cynicism and creative desperation of this world gets a modern, melodramatic spin.

The gold standard of Hollywood musicals, showing the mechanics of creating entertainment during the 1920s transition to sound. Joyful but never naive—it knows how show business works and doesn't look away from ambition's selfish side.

But The opening hour is pure charm with minimal plot; if you need narrative momentum, it takes time to get there.

A Chorus Line1985

The legendary stage musical adapted for film, capturing audition anxiety and the lives of dancers competing for roles. The same world of Broadway desperation that fuels Smash's emotional core.

But It's a filmed stage performance rather than a cinematic adaptation, which can feel stagey and dated to modern viewers accustomed to screen drama.

Dreamgirls2006

A sumptuous musical about three singers navigating ambition, success, and betrayal in show business. Powerful vocal performances and explores the cost of stardom with real emotional weight.

But Heavy and sometimes soap-opera melodramatic; the pacing can drag if you're not invested in the romantic drama underneath the spectacle.

La La Land2016

A modern musical about artists in Los Angeles pursuing dreams together. Gorgeously shot with authentic affection for creative ambition and the small compromises that derail big plans.

But Can feel simultaneously pretentious and saccharine; some viewers find the nostalgia and romanticism of struggling artists cloying.

Rent2005

The film version of Jonathan Larson's stage musical, following a community of artists and performers in New York. Captures bohemian creative energy and the urgency of making art when time feels short.

But The film struggles to translate stage momentum to screen; feels cramped and loses the vitality that makes the musical itself transcendent.

Velvet2014

A Spanish drama following ambitious costume designers in 1950s Madrid building a fashion empire. Shares Smash's focus on creative ambition, mentorship, and the personal cost of professional success.

But It's set pieces and storylines can prioritize melodrama over character; the soap-opera elements may feel overwrought if you prefer restraint.

Halston2021

A miniseries about the legendary fashion designer's rise, ambition, and creative vision. Examines obsession with excellence and the loneliness at the top of artistic achievement.

But Bleak and sometimes superficial about why Halston did what he did; if you want warmth and ensemble camaraderie, this is solitary and cold.

Three's Company1977

Where Smash romanticizes the creation of musicals, Company sees musical theatre as a way to excavate difficult truths. Both understand that songs are where characters tell the real story.

A filmed stage production of Sondheim's masterpiece about relationships and ambition in New York. Raw, intelligent musical theatre that prioritizes character complexity over plot. A masterclass in how music reveals what dialogue cannot.

But Experimental structure and abstract staging; if you want linear narrative and spectacle, this is austere and demands active attention.

Birdman or (The Unexpected Virtue of Ignorance)2014

Both understand that Broadway ambition is inseparable from neurosis and ego. Birdman is Smash's darker mirror—what happens when the dreams collide with the fragile people who hold them.

A tense psychological drama about an aging actor struggling to mount a Broadway play while his ego wars with his talent. Technically audacious, thrillingly dark look at what drives performers and what it costs them.

But Bleak, cynical, and claustrophobic—the opposite of Smash's ensemble warmth. If you want cathartic triumph, this ends in compromise and damage.