PAGE b8 THE STATE JOURNAL MAY 8, 2012 Tuesday ALMANAC 50 YEARS AGO Mrs. George C. Collins, Why ‘Smash’ went splat Jr. was honored at a dinner that was a regular feature of her bridge club. The mem- bers of the club presented her with a going-away gift. NBC series started out fast, but many fans abandoned ship The Collins family was mov- ing to New York City. Mem- bers of the bridge club pres- By Neal JustiN “Smash” re- ent were Mrs. Leroy Fischer, Star tribune (MinneapoliS) volves around Virginia Lee Simms, Mrs. Joe “Smash” is decisively not the creation of Terry, Mrs. Walter Watson, living up to its title. a new Broad- Mrs. Marion Longmire and It didn’t start out that way. way musical Mrs. Don Bowers. Following The NBC series, which re- based on the the dinner, the group went to volves around the making life of Marilyn the Collins home where they of a Broadway musical about Monroe. As were joined by Mrs. E.A. Zei- gler, Mrs. Charles Roberts, Marilyn Monroe, premiered the production in February to 11.5 million Mrs. Bion Hanna and Mrs. takes shape, Sam Martin for bridge. viewers, a godsend for a net- everyone work whose prime-time line- involved in up is holding on by a thread, 25 YEARS AGO or, more specifically, a mind- the show must Franklin County’s Don less singing competition balance his or Kelley, son of Don and San- (“The Voice”). her often cha- dra Kelley, signed a track/ NBC quickly renewed otic personal cross country scholarship “Smash” for a second season life with the with the University of Missis- and executives almost cer- all-consuming sippi. Kelley also received an tainly began plotting “Law & demands of academic scholarship from the school. Order: Broadway.” a life in the Then fans started aban- theatre. doning ship. The show now draws about 6 million a courteSy nBc week. Cast members must be dreaming about being booked for something more ‘The Vow’ respectable – like the Spider- Man musical. nDon’t oversell yourself. “CSI” and “Cheers,” shows like Captain America. and backstage betrayals, among It can only get worse. Cre- “Smash” had so many ads that actually benefited from My personal vote goes to but “Smash” takes it way ator Theresa Rebeck won’t be leading up to its premiere, soft launches. Viewers don’t the musical’s producer, Ei- too far. A kid running away returning next season, and you’d think Katharine want to be told what to love. leen Boyd, if only because from home because – gasp! new DVD a changing of the guard this McPhee was running for n Face the music. I’m a she’s played by Anjelica – his parents might be sep- early in a show’s run is nev- president. Sure, that helped big fan of the original songs Huston. That’s actually kind arating? Check. Switching er good news. Just ask fans the premiere, especially be- Marc Shaiman and Scott of a compliment. An Oscar Marilyns as often as most releases of ABC’s “Commander in cause the campaign was tied Wittman have penned winner and the daughter of people change their toi- Chief,” who threw the Geena to NBC’s airing of the Super for the show. The ballad a film legend shouldn’t be let paper? Check. Watching By Rich heldeNfels Davis series out of office af- Bowl the previous night. But “Secondhand White Ba- downing shots in dive bars, your lead actor abandon the a kron beacon Journal ter Rod Lurie was replaced by with heavy promotion come by Grand,” introduced two playing “Big Buck Hunt- show two days before the The actor Channing Ta- Steven Bochco. weighty expectations, ones weeks ago, should be re- er” and shacking up with a curtain rises? Check. tum has been on a nice movie And then there’s the ques- that few shows can uphold. corded by a pop diva, like, scruffy bartender. And let’s not forget the roll in 2012, seeing box-office tion of what happens when Fox made such a big deal yesterday. But viewers, es- Movie stars don’t make unintentionally hilarious success with both “21 Jump the show’s fictional musi- about having Steven Spiel- pecially younger ones, seem compelling characters on Bollywood scene. It may be Street” and “The Vow.” cal, “Bombshell,” premieres, berg as a producer on “Ter- to prefer familiar tunes, the small screen. HBO’s the most maligned fantasy But he may also want to an event that occurs during ra Nova” that audiences ex- judging by the success of “Luck” was officially can- sequence since Ally McBeal send a thank-you note to the May 14 finale. I can just pected “Jurassic Park IV.” “Glee” both on screen and celed because several hors- boogied with a baby. Nicholas Sparks. imagine a very special epi- Instead, they got a gritty on the pop charts. es died, but it didn’t help You can admire a series While “The Vow,” arriv- sode next season about the update of “The Swiss Fam- nDon’t make us haters. that it was one of the chan- with so much ambition, ing on video on Tuesday, was fallout after a performance is ily Robinson.” Needless to The biggest debate among nel’s least-watched shows. but that doesn’t mean you not based on a Sparks nov- interrupted by a ringing cell- say, “Terra Nova” is now ex- “Smash’s” dwindling fans Dustin Hoffman and Nick have to love it. Nonethe- el, at least one website listed phone. tinct. (Spielberg, who is also isn’t about which character Nolte are fantastic actors, less, “Smash” will probably it among five movies you’d So what went wrong so attached to “Smash,” may is their favorite, it’s about but we were hesitant to in- have a second chance next think Sparks had written. quickly – and how can net- want to think about devel- which is most annoying. vite them every week into season – a rare luxury these (The others were “Letters to works avoid making this oping TV projects under a The leader of the pack ap- our living rooms, especial- days, and only because it’s Juliet,” “Here on Earth,” “P.S. mistake again? A review of pseudonym.) pears to be Ellis “I just heard ly if the good china wasn’t on a fourth-place network. I Love You” and “Someone nearly all 15 episodes and a Audiences don’t need Os- something” Boyd (Jaime out. Let’s hope its producers use Like You,” all of which are look back at other fast-fading car-winning advisers and Cepero), a two-faced assis- n Don’t try so hard. that opportunity to build a on video, if you get to feeling series suggest the following relentless publicity. Just ask tant who’s such a weasel he The theater world may be better “Bombshell,” and not Sparks-deprived). And both tips: the folks from “Seinfeld,” makes Eddie Haskell look fraught with massive egos a bigger bomb. stars of “The Vow,” Tatum and Rachel McAdams, have been in Sparks-based mov- ies, “Dear John” and “The Brought To You By www.fpb.cc 352-4372 Notebook” respectively. ON TV TONIGHT So that connection may TUESDAY EVENING MAY 8, 2012 WEDNESDAYhelp explain theEVENING box-office MAY 9, 2012 6:00 6:30 7:00 7:30 8:00 8:30 9:00 9:30 10:00 10:30 11:00 11:30 success of6:00 “The Vow,” 6:30 which 7:00 7:30 8:00 8:30 9:00 9:30 10:00 10:30 11:00 11:30 Wave 3 News at NBC Nightly News WAVE 3 News at WAVE 3 News at Fashion Star “Buyer’s Choice” The buy- The Voice “Live Finale” (Season Finale) The winner is revealed. (N) ’ (Live) Å WAVE 3 News at The Tonight Show Wave 3 News at NBC Nightly News WAVE 3 News at WAVE 3 News at Betty White’s Off Betty White’s Off Rock Center With Brian Williams (N) Law & Order: Special Victims Unit WAVE 3 News at The Tonight Show # # 6 (N) (N) ’ Å 7 (N) Å 7:30 (N) ers commission designs. 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