“Why doesn't anybody do new musicals anymore?”
Given the financial straights that NBC is currently in, Smash in many ways is just another show that's become the victim of it's circumstances, where the meta-narrative surrounding it seems to encompass the actual issue of the show's narrative quality. Given the money that went into making this pilot, the Glee-bandwagon-jumping high-concept, and the overly aggressive marketing campaign, is it any wonder that whenever anybody looks at it, all they see is NBC's latest “make-it-or-break” it show? In fact, the best part of Smash's premiere may be the knowledge that once that 10 o'clock hour strikes, we can all leave the hellish nightmare of over-promotion. Because even though Smash makes a solid debut, I doubt it's going to be the kind of show that build a passionate fanbase, or even inspire the regular water-cooler buzz that NBC is surely hoping for.
