Smash’s second season has been a mess, with the network splashing the show’s sloppy plotlines onto different evenings hoping to find a slot that works. Unfortunately, while there has been no official axing of the series, yet, the ratings aren’t saying good things about the program. However, there is a little bit of light at the end of the tunnel for NBC’s musical-oriented drama: the show’s finale will air on a Sunday instead of a Saturday evening.
NBC announced on Wednesday that Smash’s Season 2 finale will air on Sunday, May 26. Not only will that be a new and improved date and time for the series, the finale will actually be a two-hour affair, running from 9 p.m. ET to 11 p.m. ET. At this point, we just have to assume a two-hour finale means the network respects its high-cost drama and wants it to wrap up with a little dignity, although I can’t for the life of me understand why.
Don’t get me wrong—I have spent numerous hours this year and last year watching Smash, seeing its potential as a format, and wondering in agony why the writers couldn’t manage to do something more productive with the glitz and the glamour of the stage. When the show moved from Tuesdays to Saturdays, it seemed to mark a death march for the series. Now that we’re nearing the season finale mark, it seems a little too late to assume NBC is hoping to bring viewers in with a Sunday finale. Instead, by the time Smash’s finale will air, most of the networks other primetime fodder will have finished its run. Why not move the finale to a night when more viewers are going to watch?
In the meantime, Smash will continue to run on Saturdays at 8 p.m. ET. If you are still watching the show at this point, don’t forget to catch the finale on Sunday, May 26 at 9 p.m. ET.
