Do I think NBC's *Smash* is a smash??

I love musicals, love New York City and love TV, so this show should be the ideal one for me.  After the pilot I do have many thoughts on it, mainly I'm scared that I am going to love it and its going to be quickly taken away!

Ok firstly I did love it, of course I did, its a musical TV show set in one of my all time favorite cities New York, with Broadway show tunes, what's not to love!  There was not one original song that I did not love and I was cautious about that going in to this show.  When you know its going to be original Broadway show tunes mixed with a couple you already know it does scare you because this is the type of TV that well people like me want to work.  I did not appreciate Karen (Katherine McPhee) singing Beautiful with a pop voice and it being an amazing thing to do at audition.  Up until that point I did find the show to be more realistic about the industry but  singing a pop song with a pop voice no it just wouldn't no I refuse to believe that would EVER work on Broadway.

So lets start with McPee's Karen.  Not a fan, she is so blumin boring.  Please please please do not make her the lead actress and we are all supposed to route for her to be Marilyn.  McPhee is a brilliant singer and can hold her own (as seen with the finale duet with Ivy) but she is Broadway enough to lead a Broadway show, and she's too clean and boring to be Marilyn.  No Marilyn NEEDS to be played by Ivy (Megan Hilty).  Ivy is already my favorite character she is talented, very talented, and she's not appreciated enough.  That alone was enough for me to love her character but after seeing the previews for the upcoming episodes and how competitive she is going to get, ooo I am already very excited, she could be someone to watch for at awards season. 

The writers Tom (Christian Borle) and Julia (Debra Messing) are a great team.  Straight from the first scene of the pilot you believed that these two had worked together for years and are great friends, it made me want to route for Marilyn to be a success straight away.  Julia's life isn't a complete mess as well, it seems pretty normal. A nice change from most TV show where no married couple can be happy, ever.  Poor Tom though his new wonder assistant Ellis (Jaime Cepero) lets him down in the pilot but I sense it is going to happen again within the season.

The producer Eileen (Anjelica Houston), well firstly Houston is a legend, that's enough to love  her character, its a good thing though that the character is someone you want to see kick her soon to be ex husbands ass.  Eileen is in the middle of a messy divorce where I am guessing she came in with no money but made a lot through her musical producing.  Her current work has gone into stand still until the divorce is finalised and so she needs Marilyn to work.  Its great when nearly everyone is passionate about the project.  Bringing me to my other least favorite character, as well as Karen that is, Derek Wills (Jack Davenport).  He is everything you kinda stereotype for a Broadway director, dick head who is charming but sleazy at the same time.  Of course this makes me dislike him.  I think though what makes me dislike him the most is that he somehow thinks Karen is perfect for the part of Marilyn when he already had Ivy there ready and perfect.  Of course he and one of the writers Tom already have bad blood between them so the ladies in charge of the production (Eileen and Julia) kinda have to sway them both for Derek to be involved.  I know I am only 1 episode in but I am totally already on Tom's side!

With all this being said I am very excited for the next episode, and well the whole season.  I just hope that It continues to be a success!

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Will I stick with *The Playboy Club* NBC's new period drama?

I can save the article and write here YES! It may not be as stylish and probably not as historically correct as Mad Men but for me its a lot more enjoyable. 

I don't know if this show will work as a full 22 episode season or if it should be more of a mini series because the story line of the mob murder doesn't feel like it can play out for long, nor can the presence of a young Mr Hugh Heffner, but I gotta feeling I will be gripped for however long its on for.  This is the 2nd of two network shows this season to be focusing on a workplace in the 60's, ABC are looking at the air hostesses of Pan Am and I am looking forward to trying out that but this was the one i was expecting to dislike and I am pleasantly surprised.

The bunnies all have their own story lines we only got to really delve into Maureen's (Amber Heard) in the pilot, who I presume to be the main character along with Nick Dalton (Eddie Cibrian).  Maureen is the new bunny and whilst dancing a man gets a little bit too handsy with her, he then later follows her into the back and after a struggle which Nick walks into and tried to help him off her she end up stabbing him in the neck with her shoe, by accident.  Nick informs her that this is no ordinary business man and that he is in fact a big mob boss so they must cover it up.  We later find out that Nick is in fact one of his protégées who has built himself up into well the future state attorney.  Anywyas nick helps Maureen dispose of the body and the rest of the episode is then denying they know what has happened to this guy and making out they went home together, which i can see is probably going to happen with these two.  

Other bunnies stories we really got to start looking at, and I have a feeling will probably end up being more interesting than the main two, are  Carol-Lynne (Laura Benanti) who is the oldest bunny working in the club but by the end of the episode goes above the club managers head to The Heff himself to become the 'Bunny Mother', another name for the manager of the ladies.  And then there is Alice (Leah Renee) who throughout the whole episode we know is married and her husband, who comes and gets her after work but they are in trouble with the law and kind of in hiding.  We find out at the end of the episode that she is in fact a lesbian and he is gay and they are part of a secret society.  Still not sure what they are raising their money for though.

I'm excited to see where all these stories go but at the same time I am loving the 60's references and in the pilot episode we had Tina Turner (not the real one) making an appearance in the club as the the band that night, which of course make it even more awesome.  I also kinda wish I had been around to go party at the playboy club it looks like fun.

Check out next weeks promo below, which seems to give away even more of the other bunnies stories, oh i am excited:

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