The Scoop on SMASH Season 2; Jennifer Hudson to Appear in Three of First Four Episodes

By: Jul. 24, 2012
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According to TVLine.com, Oscar winner Jennifer Hudson will appear in three of the first four episodes of SMASH's second season on NBC. The new season will also feature Broadway's Jeremy Jordan, who was nominated for a Tony Award for his performance in Newsies.

"There are some great new storylines," NBC Chairman Robert Greenblatt said at the July 24th Television Critics Association summer press tour in Beverly Hills.

Read the original report here.

Greenblatt and president of entertainment Jennifer Salke attended the press tour today, where they discussed the upcoming season, now in production, the departure of creator Theresa Rebeck, and the addition of new showrunner Josh Safran ("Gossip Girl").

Salke stated that Safran's "vision for the season…was so specific, you were on The Edge of your seat. It just felt like there's a real plan in place, and things are coming together in a way that feels more consistent."

As previously reported, Jaime Cepero, Raza Jaffrey, Will Chase and Brian d'Arcy James will not return when Smash Season 2 premieres midseason.

"Smash" is a musical drama that celebrates the beauty and heartbreak of the Broadway theater as it follows a cross-section of dreamers and schemers who all have one common desire - to be a Broadway star The series stars Emmy Award winner Debra Messing ("Will & Grace"), Oscar winner Anjelica Huston ("Prizzi's Honor"), Jack Davenport ("Pirates of the Caribbean" films), Tony Award winner Christian Borle ("Peter and the Starcatcher"), Katharine McPhee ("American Idol"), Megan Hilty ("9 to 5: The Musical") and Tony Award nominee Jeremy Jordan ("Newsies").

From Universal Television in association with DreamWorks Television, "Smash" stemmed from an idea of executive producer and multiple Emmy and Oscar winner Steven Spielberg ("ER," "Schindler's List"). The series' executive producers also include Joshua Safran ("Gossip Girl"), Craig Zadan and Neil Meron (Oscar-winning "Chicago," "Hairspray"), Darryl Frank and Justin Falvey ("United States of Tara," "The Borgias"), Tony and Grammy Award winners Marc Shaiman and Scott Wittman ("Hairspray," "Catch Me If You Can") and Theresa Rebeck ("Mauritius," "NYPD Blue").

 



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