GOSSIP GIRL writer and executive producer Josh Safran is expected to take over for Theresa Rebeck, the Broadway veteran who created SMASH and shepherded the show's first season.
After NBC gave the Monday night drama an early renewal, the announcement was made that Rebeck would step down from the top post amid viewer criticism about the creative direction of the show. She will remain an executive producer on the project.
Rebeck is an established Broadway playwright who wrote the first three episodes of SMASH this season. The show's lead character, Julia (Debra Messing), is based on her.