Though NBC’s musical drama series Smash is coming back for a second season, not all of the regulars from the first season will have a role, and they’re probably not even allowed back for the chorus (musical jokes!). Raza Jaffrey, who played Katharine McPhee‘s fiance in the first season and Jaime Cepero, who played the despicable assistant Ellis, have both been axed from the second season. In addition, Brian D’Arcy James, who played Debra Messing‘s husband Frank and Will Chase, who played the Broadway musical star with whom she cheated, are also not going to return as season regulars. More after the jump.

NBC is looking to siphon off the success of FOX’s hit, Glee, by including some famous guest stars in their new musical drama, Smash. Having recently released a promising trailer, the series from executive producer Steven Spielberg will follow Karen Cartwright (Katharine McPhee) along her journey from Iowa to Broadway. Though the show already supports a strong cast in Debra Messing, Christian Borle and Anjelica Huston, Smash is going to need some star power: that’s where Uma Thurman comes in. Thurman will be featured in a five-episode arc as a famous, but pretentious, movie star who competes for the starring role in “Marilyn,” the featured musical of Smash’s plot. Hit the jump for the press release.

Yes that headline is meant to be literal as series star Katharine McPhee belts out a cover of Christina Aguilera’s hit song Beautiful, but honestly, the trailer for Smash is actually quite a solid presentation of a show that looks like it’s going to be much more than Glee for adults. From executive producer Steven Spielberg, the series follows Karen Cartwright (McPhee), a young girl from Iowa with a dream of making it on Broadway. While a veteran of the stage seems like an obvious choice to take the lead role in a new musical based on the life of Marilyn Monroe, a songwriting team (Debra Messing and Christian Borle) and their tenacious producer (Anjelica Huston) just might see something in Cartwright and kick off a new chapter in all of their lives. Watch the music video style trailer for Smash after the jump.

After last night’s huge influx of news from Fox about series pick-ups, renewals and cancellations, it’s now NBC’s turn to announce some of their new series that we can look forward to in the fall. As of now there seems to be some dissension amongst the news outlets online as to whether or not Wonder Woman will actually get picked up, and other potential series like The Playboy Club are rumored for a pick-up but we haven’t heard anything official yet.

After the jump, check out the four new series that have definitely been picked up to premiere sometime this fall including a new sitcom from stand-up comedian Whitney Cummings, another comedy from Christina Applegate, a Broadway musical series from producer Steven Spielberg, and the stateside remake of the British crime drama Prime Suspect.