NBC's new musical drama "Smash"premieres

Katharine McPhee as Karen Cartwright in NBC's new musical drama "Smash."

/ Will Hart/NBC

(CBS) Smash, NBC's midseason musical drama starring Anjelica Huston, Debra Messing and former "American Idol" contestant Katherine McPhee, premiered Monday night to fairly positive reviews.

The show revolves around a musical adaptation of the life of Marilyn Monroe, with character's Ivy, played by Megan Hilty, and Karen, played by McPhee, as the top two contenders to play Marilyn.

Originally, because the show is musical, there had been a lot of comparisons to "Glee," but many critics have dispelled that notion.

"'Smash' is surprisingly high-quality drama and entertainment well worth your investment of time and support, and that's the only thing a viewer needs to be concerned about," says the Hollywood Reporter, calling the show "'Glee' for grown-ups."

"It is more adult and it is darker...It's about Broadway instead of high school," says cast member Hilty to E! News about the show's comparisons to "Glee."

Entertainment Weekly's Ken Tucker said, "Based on the premiere, which did the internet version of playing out-of-town try-outs on NBC's website, I think you'd have to say this was one damn lively show with a lot of promise."

The Wall Street Journal's show recap agreed with Tucker, saying "The show seems to have a lot of promise, and the musical numbers dazzled." 

Tell us: What did you think of "Smash"?

[max49black]

SMASH? Perhaps I misunderstood the trailers and pre-press, I thought this was to be a reasonably realistic backstage story series, not Guiffman does B'way. Is the opener intentionally trivializing its subject. Example: I am not recommending a ticking clock or a turning calendar to suggest passage of time, however it appeared that our dynamic duo of composer and lyicist went from "Marilyn" as a stupid idea to an I have always loved her and find her brilliant inspiration for a B'way musical as well as having a nearly finished score, lyics, book, producer, director, auditions and competing "Marilyns" one week later. Wow!
And yes boys and girls, be warned evidently top B'way directors do believe in the cliche' of the casting couch. Well, what's one more cliche', every other character is busy spouting them. Oh, and who decided to have Marilyn portrayed as an artless sexual cartoon singing and groping about for those ballplayer's "peanuts" and "hotdogs". Or perhaps it is meant as a mystery series, "How did so many talented people lose their Great White Way?"