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SMASH Bash

  • Jan. 10th, 2012 at 12:26 AM
Shy
Tonight I attended one of the advance screenings of the Smash pilot. I had entered a drawing for reserved seating and won, so I didn't have to arrive at the theater ridiculously early.

Isn't the program clever?



The theater was a packed house, and we were all plied with cupcakes (to which I certainly did not object).

My reactions are behind an LJ cut below, not because I include any spoilers per se, but because you might not want to know anyone else's opinion before watching it yourself. Although it premieres on Feb. 6, it will start streaming a week from tonight on NBC's digital download partners like iTunes and Xbox, as well as their on-demand partners. Then, a week before the premiere, it'll stream on nbc.com and Hulu.

So if you're interested in my thoughts, you can

I went into the screening a bit apprehensive because my expectations were so high. Everything I've read about the show thus far has been very positive and, of course, everything I've seen so far has screamed huge-budget quality.

Good news: My high expectations were met!

The show is a lot funnier and light-hearted than I expected, and the characters were all developed quite nicely just within the 45 minutes or so of the pilot. I think it has the potential to be one of those shows in which all of the characters and their storylines are intriguing. The pacing is excellent; the editing is excellent; the performances are excellent. And these weren't the observations of only me and my friend who tagged along. There was enthused audience response throughout the show (lots of laughs -- in the right places, of course!), and all the reactions I heard on the way out of the theater were very positive.

Not being a song-and-dance fan, I can say that the numbers are seamlessly woven into the show -- there weren't any hokey and awkward moments in which the cast burst into song. The musical performances were all related to auditions or practicing.

And all I can say about Jack is that I will be taking some pretty, pretty screenshots when the pilot goes online. He looks MIGHTY FINE throughout, and there are some lovely beauty shots of him to be had. His performance is top notch -- he plays the snarky, haughty, wickedly smart and smooth Derek so well. Viewers will just LOVE to hate him. 

Afterwards, we were treated to a reel of scenes from future episodes that I hadn't seen previously in any other promos. And, ahem, there's at least one of Derek in bed. (Too bad this show will be on network TV instead of cable....)  

If the writers can maintain the quality of the pilot throughout the rest of the season, I believe the show could indeed be a smash. And perhaps -- just perhaps -- Jack Davenport will become more of a household name in the U.S. And if that happens, ladies, remember that we all knew and loved him first! 



 
  • Mood: giddy giddy

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Comments

( 20 comments — Leave a comment )
[info]ericadawn16 wrote:
Jan. 10th, 2012 07:10 am (UTC)
Oh, I can't wait!

I've already downloaded the On Demand special.
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[info]amerally wrote:
Jan. 10th, 2012 01:45 pm (UTC)
Cool! It should not disappoint.
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[info]porridgebird wrote:
Jan. 10th, 2012 07:16 am (UTC)
And he keeps his glorious accent, right?
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[info]amerally wrote:
Jan. 10th, 2012 01:45 pm (UTC)
Oh, yeeesss, Dear, and he uses it in oh-so-many naughty ways.... ;)
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[info]joyful_molly wrote:
Jan. 10th, 2012 07:55 am (UTC)
Ah, that's excellent news! Now I'm looking even more forward to it. :)

Mind if I link to your review?
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[info]amerally wrote:
Jan. 10th, 2012 01:44 pm (UTC)
Well, great! I hope you enjoy it. And, yes, I would be delighted for you to link to my review.
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[info]lulubellnyc wrote:
Jan. 10th, 2012 03:02 pm (UTC)
JEALOUS!!!!!!!!!

I was gonna go to the Philly premiere, but hubby had to go to California and I didn't want to be that far from my boys.

So excited and can't wait till Monday when the rest of us can see it.
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[info]amerally wrote:
Jan. 10th, 2012 03:41 pm (UTC)
Sorry you couldn't make it to Philly, but it won't be long now, and it'll be worth your wait! :)
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[info]misscam wrote:
Jan. 10th, 2012 03:25 pm (UTC)
Good to hear :)
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[info]amerally wrote:
Jan. 10th, 2012 03:39 pm (UTC)
Yes! Fingers crossed that it won't be another one-season wonder for Jack....
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[info]volgivagant wrote:
Jan. 10th, 2012 04:42 pm (UTC)
Sounds promising. :) Thanks for the review!
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[info]amerally wrote:
Jan. 10th, 2012 07:44 pm (UTC)
"Promising" is a good description. You're very welcome!
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[info]lilfluffykitten wrote:
Jan. 10th, 2012 09:38 pm (UTC)
I have nothing to add other than 'Eeeeeee!'.
Sounds like a fantastic night and a great show (and I'm so relieved the song and dance routines worked!).

Eeeeeee!!
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[info]amerally wrote:
Jan. 10th, 2012 10:16 pm (UTC)
Well, I'd say that "Eeeee!" pretty much sums it up! :D
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(Anonymous) wrote:
Jan. 10th, 2012 10:21 pm (UTC)
Love Triangle?
I am so excited for this show! Jack is so hot and I am happy he will get the deserved attention here in the US.

Just wanted to ask you do you think Karen will end up having an affair with Derek on the show? From all the promos I´ve seen there is a sizzling chemistry between those two!

I bet she is the one in bed with him on the screenshot you saw. Can´t wait! Intriguing storyline between the director and the actress even though she has a boyfriend.

Pls let me know what you think will happen between those twowhenever you have time! Thanks!
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[info]amerally wrote:
Jan. 11th, 2012 12:15 am (UTC)
Re: Love Triangle?
I was busy looking at Jack's face during the glimpse we got of the bed scene, but I'm pretty sure his companion was blonde -- which means it was probably Ivy Lynn. Promos have more than hinted that she'll do anything -- including Derek -- to get the role. And their fling was made very obvious in other clips in the preview reel they showed last night.

As for a love triangle, the only possible hint of that were shots of Derek getting cozy with Karen in dance rehearsal. Otherwise, take a look at one of my previous LJ entries: http://amerally.livejournal.com/29326.html which includes shots of Karen's BF punching out Derek. Probably the only thing that would make him do that is finding out about Derek coming on to Karen or that Derek actually bagged her. Personally, I think Karen is going to keep resisting Derek, which will in turn keep him intrigued with her as a challenge.

Regardless, you're right -- Jack is so hot! And it looks like we'll be treated to some pretty hot scenes with Derek. ;)
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(Anonymous) wrote:
Jan. 11th, 2012 01:28 am (UTC)
Thanks so much!
Thanks for all the info! hmmm. So if Karen´s boyfriend felt the need to fight Derek it´s because something will happen between them as time goes by. Who knows? I am glad Karen rejected him at first that could only mean more interest from Derek and who knows maybe he does have some feelings and in the end falls for her. The story seems so interesting. I was just asking because whenever Jack and Katherine are together in a scene, even doing small talk sparks fly! Tons of chemistry, Don´t you think

I am new converted Jack fan, sorry I did not discover him before. After I saw all the Smash promos I was hooked instantly.I had to find every bit of info of him. Of course I saw Pirates but don´t kill me please, I did not remember his name at that moment! What a fool!
I am pretty confident now Jack will leave a big impression and will be household name here in no time. Can´t wait for this show to start!
Hope you don´tmind to have a new poster here!
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[info]amerally wrote:
Jan. 11th, 2012 04:29 am (UTC)
Re: Thanks so much!
You're very welcome! Of course, these are just my opinions on what little we have to go on with the show so far. I'm sure there are plenty of surprises in store for us. And, yes, I do agree that Jack and Katherine are really hot together.

Congrats on becoming a Jack fan! :) I love new commenters, so thanks for joining in. Do you have a Live Journal account? It makes it easier for you to find other Jack fans. At any rate, you're welcome to visit my journal anytime.

I didn't discover Jack myself until several years ago when he was in Swingtown, so I was late to the party myself. (And I confess that I saw him in Pirates years ago, and he didn't make an impression on me then!) But since Swingtown, I've been catching up on a lot of his movies and shows. I think Smash might be one of his best yet!
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[info]auroraloo wrote:
Jan. 11th, 2012 04:43 am (UTC)
Oh I'm so HAPPY that this finally seems like the show
that will boost his career in the USA.
I'm so looking forward to a weekly Jack fix.
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[info]amerally wrote:
Jan. 11th, 2012 04:49 am (UTC)
Well, I'm keeping my fingers crossed for it, anyway. It seems like the kind of show that will get a lot of Americans' attention, and then who can't help but notice him? :D

And I'm totally with you on that weekly Jack fix!
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( 20 comments — Leave a comment )