The arts cable channel will debut the first season of the recently canceled drama July 19. The show will air Fridays at 8 PM, with the second season set to begin airing in November.
"Smash" explored the the behind-the-scenes musical drama about life, careers and relationships on The Great White Way. Created by Broadway playwright Theresa Rebeck, and nurtured by producers Neil Meron and Craig Zadan, "Smash" premiered in February 2012. After a nine-month hiatus, "Smash" returned for its second season in early 2013 without Rebeck and with new creative direction from showrunner and executive producer Joshua Safran.
The show starred "American Idol" alum Katharine McPhee and Megan Hilty (Wicked, 9 to 5) as competing actresses Karen Cartwright and Ivy Lynn, respectively. The show also featured Oscar winner Anjelica Huston ("Prizzi's Honor") as producer Eileen Rand, Tony Award winner Christian Borle (Peter and the Starcatcher) as composer Tom Levitt, Emmy Award winner Debra Messing ("Will & Grace") as lyricist and book writer Julia Houston and Jack Davenport ("Pirates of the Caribbean") as director-choreographer Derek Wills.
The show's ratings fell throughout the second season, and it was moved to Saturday nights mid-season.
From Universal Television in association with DreamWorks Television, "Smash" came from an idea of executive producer and multiple Emmy and Oscar winner Spielberg ("ER," "Schindler's List"). The series' executive producers also include Safran ("Gossip Girl"); Craig Zadan and Neil Meron (Oscar-winning "Chicago," "Hairspray" and Broadway's recent Promises, Promises and How to Succeed…); Darryl Frank and Justin Falvey ("United States of Tara," "The Borgias"); Tony and Grammy Award winners Marc Shaiman and Scott Wittman (songwriters of Hairspray, Catch Me If You Can), who penned the series' original songs; and Rebeck (Broadway's Mauritius and Seminar, "NYPD Blue"). "Smash is exactly the kind of art-centric programming that Ovation's viewers crave," Ovation chief creative officer Robert Weiss said in a statement.
