NBC Renews 'Smash' for Second Season

Broadway drama joins 'Grimm' as net's second rookie picked up for 2012-13

By Andrea Morabito -- Broadcasting & Cable, 3/22/2012 3:00:51 PM

NBC has renewed its rookie drama Smash for a second season, the network announced Thursday.

Smash, about the staging of a Broadway musical, is averaging a 2.6 rating with adults 18-49 and 7.7 million total viewers in its first season, making it NBC's top drama. The network heavily promoted the drama's premeire in its Super Bowl coverage in February, and it has the benfit of NBC top lead-in, The Voice.

The series is NBC Entertainment Chairman Bob Greenblatt's second pick-up for the 2012-13 season, joining fellow freshman drama Grimm, which NBC renewed last week.

While the first season centers around the workshopping of a musical about Marilyn Monroe, with series stars Katharine McPhee and Megan Hilty vying for the lead role, Smash creator Theresa Rebeck said at the TCA press tour in January that season two would follow the mounting of the show on Broadway.