Smash canceled after second season

The second season of "Smash" will also be its last.

In a move that surprised exactly no one, NBC dropped the axe on its backstage Broadway drama after low ratings and creative infighting dogged the production from the start.

The peacock network pushed the show hard in the beginning, but after a respectable debut of more than 11 million viewers in February 2012, the ratings quickly dropped, ending the first season with less than 6 million people watching.

A long hiatus, the departure of showrunner Theresa Rebeck and critical jeering saw the viewership drop even further when "Smash" returned for its second season, perpetuated by a move to Saturday night airings.

"Smash" told the behind-the-scenes tale of a musical based on the life of Marilyn Monroe, the real-life drama of getting a production from page to stage and the lives of the people involved.

It starred American Idol alum Katharine McPhee and Broadway star Megan Hilty as dueling diva hopefuls, Debra Messing and Christian Borle as the creative brains behind the musical, Jack Davenport as the slimy director, Anjelica Huston as the show's determined producer and Jeremy Jordan, a troubled but brilliant up-and-comer.

The series finale of "Smash" will air Sunday, May 26 in a 2-hour sendoff.