History Series / Smash

Not to be confused with the ''VideoGame/SuperSmashBros'' series, ''VideoGame/SmashTV'', or [[Series/FridayNightLights Smash Williams]].

%%* BroodingBoyGentleGirl: Jimmy and Karen

* ThirdLineSomeWaiting: There are now ''three'' musicals vying for the viewer's attention: ''Bombshell'', ''Hit List'', and ''Literature/DangerousLiaisons''. The last is given a bit less focus than the first two.

%%* TragicBromance: [[spoiler: Jimmy and Kyle.]]

A 2012-13 musical drama on Creator/{{NBC}} from executive producer Creator/StevenSpielberg and the producers of ''Film/{{Chicago}}'' and ''Film/{{Hairspray}}''.

* DreamBallet: The "A Thousand and One Nights" song is actually Karen having a daydream while Dev and Rebecca have an argument while they're in an Indian restaurant. And because Karen is staring at a UsefulNotes/{{Bollywood}} while she daydreams, the dream ends up being a Bollywood dance number.

* TriangRelations: Type 4, with Derek being A, Karen B, and Jimmy C.

* MsFanservice: Both [[BuxomIsBetter Megan Hilty]] and Katharine "[=McPheever=]" [=McPhee=] supply plenty of this even when not playing Creator/MarilynMonroe (where it kind of comes with the territory).

* MsFanservice: Both [[BuxomIsBetter Megan Hilty]] and [[ShesGotLegs Katharine "[=McPheever=]" [=McPhee=] ]] supply plenty of this even when not playing Creator/MarilynMonroe (where it kind of comes with the territory).

* InformedAbility: Many viewers wondered how Karen could ''possibly'' be considered an equal contender with Ivy for the role of Marilyn Monro. While Karen isn't ''un''talented it's clear from very early on that Ivy is better suited for Broadway than Karen's pop-music performance style. The frequent statements, especially from Derek, that Karen has "a quality" did little to convince the viewing audience.

When duo songwriters Julia Houston (Creator/DebraMessing) and Tom Levitt (Creator/ChristianBorle), director Derek Wills ([[Franchise/PiratesOfTheCaribbean Jack Davenport]]), and producer Eileen Rand (Creator/AnjelicaHuston) put on a Broadway musical based on the life of Creator/MarilynMonroe, small town girl Karen Cartwright (Creator/KatharineMcPhee) and veteran actress Ivy Lynn (Megan Hilty) audition for the star role. But things won't be easy when both women are favored for the role and must compete for it.

* AllGaysArePromiscuous: Subverted. In the pilot, it seems like they might go that route with Tom, but he turns out to be more of a serial monogamist.
* AllGaysLoveTheatre: The show does nothing to dispel the trope.

* AndStarring: Anjelica Huston (see also BillingDisplacement).

* BackForTheFinale: Lyle, Leigh, and Jerry all return after extended absences to attend ''Bombshell'' in the season one finale.
** In the series finale, [[spoiler: Michael]] pops up in the final where-they're-all-headed montage.

* BrokenPedestal: Leo is a big friend and fan of Michael Swift until he finds out that he's [[spoiler: having an affair with his mom Julia.]]

* BroodingBoyGentleGirl: Jimmy and Karen
* BuryYourGays: [[spoiler: And how. Kyle, oh Kyle, we hardly knew you.]]

* CastingCouch: This is how Derek operates. Karen manages to both reject him and deliver a brilliant audition for the part. At the same time.
** For the most part, it's a DeconstructedTrope: Ivy sleeps with Derek and spends a lot of Season 1 subsequently worried that it's the sole reason she got the part of Marilyn over Karen - and several of the ensemble members make it no secret that they believe this to be the case. In Season 2, Derek is accused of sexual harassment by multiple women and is told in no uncertain terms that, while to him this trope appears to actually be unintentionally invoked, every actress he hits on knows this trope is in full play and it all depends on who's willing to use it to their advantage.
* CharacterCelebrityEndorsement: Ivy films a commercial for Ford. Which was a sponsor of ''Smash''.

* DawsonCasting: In-universe, when Rebecca Duvall comes on board - it's noted that she's several years older than Marilyn Monroe was when she committed suicide (as is Creator/UmaThurman, who plays Rebecca).

* DiegeticMusical: An odd case in that it features characters performing in in-universe musicals, characters spontaneously bursting into "real-life" choreographed numbers, characters singing in neither context and "mind palace" choreographed numbers.

* FanService: Both [[BuxomIsBetter Megan Hilty]] and [[ShesGotLegs Katharine "[=McPheever=]" [=McPhee=] ]] supply plenty of this even when not playing Creator/MarilynMonroe (where it kind of comes with the territory).

* FoodSlap: Eileen throwing her Manhattan in Jerry's face becomes a RunningGag. Now she does it in the second season title sequence.
* GayConservative: [[spoiler:John Goodwin]]

* HardWorkHardlyWorks: Averted. Ivy is more experienced and skilled than Karen, and gets the part because of it. Though the CastingCouch might have played into it as well...
** And later played straight when [[spoiler:Ivy loses the role to Karen in the season finale, despite knowing the part better. When various characters confront Derek with the fact that Ivy is better prepared, he rebukes them by saying that while Karen is green, she just ''has something'' that Ivy lacks.]]

* IncompatibleOrientation: Kyle's rather blatantly in love with Jimmy. Jimmy, who is ''not'' ObliviousToLove knows this, and publicly announces in a fit of anger that nothing would ever happen between them.

* LetsDuet: 1x13 opens with a montage of the main characters packing up and traveling to Boston for their out of town previews. During the montage, we see Tom and Sam at Tom's apartment around his piano, playing around and singing 'Another Opnin', Another Show' which eventually becomes the music for the montage.

* LoveDodecahedron: [[spoiler: Karen is with Dev who slept with Ivy, who is dating Derek who is also involved with Rebecca.]]
** And now in Season 2, they've added Jimmy, Kyle, and (eventually) Blake and Tom to the mix.

* MoodWhiplash: In "The Producers," the episode ends with Kyle [[spoiler:getting hit by a bus and dying]]. Cue the upbeat end credits music.

* OneSceneWonder: In-universe, Ivy in ''Liaisons''. She has small part in a show that's rapidly coming off the rails, but (on Derek's advice) she goes gloriously OTT in her big solo and instantly becomes the best and most memorable thing about the show for everyone who sees it. It even earns her a Tony nod, despite the show itself ending after just a few runs when the bipolar lead actor stops taking his meds and nearly dies on-stage.

** The show title itself.

* PlatonicLifePartners: Tom and [[Series/WillAndGrace Julia]]. Observe the automatic, synchronized leg-crossing in [[EstablishingCharacterMoment their first scene in the pilot.]]

* PutOnABus: Ellis and Leo, and some other minor characters, for Season 2.

* TakeThat: Dig Deep. Tom and Julia add the song after Rebecca Duvall suggests a scene with Marilyn in the Actors' Studio. She's also been complaining that there are too many songs as opposed to scenes. Guess what the song's about? A whole awesome sounding number, that lampoons Lee Strasberg, method acting, Stanislavski and the entire naturalistic school of acting. Funny that Rebecca didn't pick up on that.

* ShoutOut[=/=]TakeThat: The song "Original", which is directed at Music/LadyGaga. Ana, who originally played the Diva before Daisy took the role, even resembles Gaga a bit.