NBC to Look at Musical Pilot Episode Based on Spielberg Idea

NBC to Look at Musical Pilot Episode Based on Spielberg Idea

Television News

By our guest blogger, Joe Oliveto

Along with directing some of the most successful and admired films of all time, Steven Spielberg often gets involved in the television world, usually in the role of executive producer. According to Deadline, he may now be able to add another credit to his producing resume, with NBC ordering a pilot called “Smash” based on an original idea of Spielberg’s.

The pilot, which will be an hour long—uncommon for an NBC show—follows a variety of different characters as they all try to mount a Broadway musical.

Hmm, looks as though someone is trying to mimic the success of “Glee.” In fact, it’s not all that uncommon to see networks ordering pilots on the basis of which current shows are already popular; we can probably thank “Mad Men” for the fact that there are two more series about glamorous '60s icons in the works, one about Playboy Bunnies and another about Pan-Am pilots.

This isn’t exactly a bad thing, though. Sure, if his role is limited to executive producer, odds are that Spielberg won’t be too actively involved in this series, but he’s obviously got a strong creative vision and maybe he’ll be able to make it work. Musical theater needs all the love it can get, and Spielberg himself, although never diving headfirst into the musical genre, has expressed his love for it.

Of course, all NBC has done so far is order the pilot. We don’t yet know whether or not it will become a show, but with this kind of power behind it, we expect the network to pick it up.