TV review - "Smash" (2011) (first three eps) **

 Curious to see this after reading some articles about its troubled production. I get what they were going for. I like a backstage show. Some decent characters - Jack Davenport is strong, as is Deborah Messing. But it's sluggish. Slow. The two ingenues feel wrong. It lacks the zip and fun of Glee. That moved and popped around and had story. This seems so... I don't know. Forced. Serious. Something. I can understand why the show leant towards Ellis the assistant he at least has some life in him.