Want to watch Katharine McPhee's new musical show Smash before its February 6 premiere? Just head on over to iTunes. Starting today you can watch the full pilot of NBC's buzzy new series by downloading it for free on Apple iTunes, Amazon Video on Demand, Xbox/Zune, Playstation, Samsung MediaHub, or Vudu. The premiere episode will also be streaming for free on NBC.com and Hulu starting January 23.
So why is NBC, which struggled in the ratings last fall, giving everyone the Smash goods for free? The network is hoping that positive word of mouth will help get people excited for the show's real premiere, which airs following the Super Bowl. NBC really (really) needs this Spielberg-produced series about the behind the scenes drama of a Marilyn Monroe-themed Broadway show to be a big hit, and they're hoping that an unconventional promotion campaign will help Smash have a stellar opening.
American Idol alum Katharine McPhee plays a musical theater newcomer that desperately wants to nab the starring role. She hit up the red carpet at the Golden Globes last night and chatted with MTV about the big name guest stars that Smash has in store for viewers this season.
"Well, we have Uma Thurman, who's not a pop star but a movie star. She's actually shooting with us already," McPhee revealed. "[One Republic frontman] Ryan Tedder is a guest star. So he's a pop star and an amazing writer. Oh god, and Nick Jonas. We're doing pretty good for the first season."
When asked about comparisons to Glee, the other big time musical television series, McPhee had nothing but nice things to say. "We're just actually really grateful that Glee has opened the door and has made music work on television."
Smash also stars Debra Messing and Anjelica Houston. Check out a preview of the series below, then head on over to iTunes to watch the full premiere episode!