It seems all but inevitable that Bombshell, the Marilyn Monroe biotuner whose creation was the subject of NBC’s behind-the-curtain series Smash, would transition from small screen to Broadway stage. Now it’s a step closer. In the wake of a well-received semi-staged concert of the show earlier this month, Universal Stag…

Upfronts: It’s All About Ads & The Economy Advertisers like NBC’s and Fox’s decisions to add comedies to their fall lineups but say the clips shown to them today don’t show enough to suggest whether any will become hits. “Comedies are the hardest thing to do,” says Gary Carr of Targetcast. Even 30 Rock, a survivor on…

Broadway actor Christian Borle has landed the male lead opposite Debra Messing in NBC’s Broadway-themed pilot Smash, which is based on an idea by Steven Spielberg. The pilot, from DreamWorks TV and UMS, follows a cross section of characters who come together to put on a Marilyn Monroe musical on Broadway led by…

American Idol alumna-turned-actress Katharine McPhee has landed a co-starring role in the NBC hourlong pilot Smash, which will feature the Idol Season 5 runner-up sing. The pilot, from DreamWorks TV and UMS, is based on an idea by Steven Spielberg and follows a cross section of characters who come together to put on a…

EXCLUSIVE: I hear FlashForward alum Jack Davenport will co-star opposite Debra Messing in the NBC hourlong pilot Smash, which was based on an idea by Steven Spielberg. The pilot, from DreamWorks TV and UMS, follows a cross section of characters who come together to put on a Marilyn Monroe musical on Broadway led by…

New NBC entertainment chairman Robert Greenblatt is putting his stamp on the network’s development with a pilot order for a project he originally developed while at Showtime. NBC just greenlighted Smash, an ambitious one-hour musical about the mounting of a Broadway musical based on an idea by Steven Spielberg. The…