NBC execs previewed some of the changes that will take place in season 2 of Smash during the Television Critics Association summer press tour. 

NBC Chairman Robert Greenblatt and President of Entertainment Jennifer Salke assessed the show’s first season and acknowledged that changes need to be made.

“Where we didn’t do a good job is the arcing of the storylines and the consistency of going in one direction with the characters,” Greenblatt said of season 1, TVLine reports.

But it seems that showrunner Josh Safran (Gossip Girl) has impressed Salke with his ideas for the upcoming season.

“[His] vision for the season… was so specific, you were on the edge of your seat,” she said. “It just felt like there’s a real plan in place and things are coming together in a way that feels more consistent.”

Shooting for season 2, which Greenblatt said will include “great new storylines,” began earlier this month, even though the show won’t be back until midseason.

The creative team behind the NBC musical drama has been making many changes since the May season 1 finale, casting American Idol alum and Oscar winner Jennifer Hudson, Newsies star Jeremy Jordan, The Addams Family‘s Krysta Rodriguez and up-and-comer Andy Mientus. Hudson will appear in three of the first four episodes of the season, according to TVLine, while Jordan, Rodriguez and Mientus have been cast as regulars.

Four season 1 characters – Dev, Ellis, Michael Swift and Frank – won’t be returning, however.

“It’s a big soap with a number of characters [and] at the end of the season, relationships end,” Greenblatt said of the announced departures. “You look at characters and evaluate whether they’re great characters or not.”

What are your expectations for season 2 of Smash?