• by Fern Siegel , June 28, 2013

"Smash," NBC's behind-the-scenes drama about the making of a Broadway musical, was cancelled after two seasons. But cabler Ovation is still enthralled, airing "Smash" Fridays at 8 p.m, starting July 19. The show, which developed a cult following in the Broadway community, will air Season Two in November.

Season One of "Smash" focused on the machinations behind bringing "Bombshell," a musical about Marilyn Monroe, to The Great White Way. Season Two added a downtown musical, "Hit List," and a new showrunner, Josh Safranto, hoping to revive falling ratings. Although NBC moved the series to various time slots, none hit pay dirt.

However, the show developed a loyal following and a "Don't Cancel SMASH" Facebook page.

The Emmy-winning series, which starred Katherine McPhee, Megan Hilty, Angelica Huston, Debra Messing and Jack Davenport,dovetails with Ovation's art-centric lineup. Several of his lead cast members, including Hilty, Christian Borle and Jeremy Jordan, have also appeared in Broadway shows. Borle won a Tony last year for "Starcatcher."

Robert Weiss, Ovation's chief creative officer, stated: "This high-quality series fits in brilliantly with our efforts to showcase the powerful role that the arts play in our lives" said Weiss. "Smash" executive producer Steven Spielberg had the original idea for the show; much of the music was provided by Tony winners Marc Shaiman and Scott Wittman.

More than 4 million viewers have seen the show since its February 2012 debut. "Smash" was cancelled in May 2013.

Although it was dropped by Time Warner Cable earlier this year, Ovation is available in close to 50 million homes.