The peacock network has given an early season two renewal to Smash, their highest-rated dramatic TV series. The show has given NBC a much needed ratings boost this season. While the numbers have come down quite a bit since the February premiere, it’s still the second-highest rated scripted series on the network (behind The Office) and the third-highest rated show overall (behing The Voice and The Office).

NBC ordered 15 episodes for Smash’s first season and it looks like the finale will air on May 14th, opposite the Hawaii Five-0 finale and the eighth season premiere of The Bachelorette.

Here’s the press release from NBC with additional details:

NBC RENEWS CRITICALLY ACCLAIMED DRAMA “SMASH” FOR SECOND SEASON

UNIVERSAL CITY, Calif. – March 22, 2012 – NBC has renewed its critically acclaimed musical drama “Smash” (Mondays, 10-11 p.m. ET) for a second season, it was announced today by Robert Greenblatt, Chairman of NBC Entertainment.

“Smash” is NBC’s #1 drama in adults 18-49 and total viewers. “Smash” is up 160 percent in 18-49 versus NBC’s season average in the time period prior to “Smash” (with a 2.6 rating vs. a 1.0, “live plus same day”) and in total viewers, “Smash” has improved the time period by 100 percent (7.7 million vs. 3.9 million).

Among the many positive notices the series has received, USA Today wrote, “‘Smash’ pulls out all of the entertainment stops and succeeds… just the kind of gloriously entertaining, wildly ambitious network series you hope for each season…” The Los Angeles Times wrote, “…’Smash’ is a triumph.” And EW.com referred to “Smash” as “…one damn lively show with a lot of promise.”

NBC’s “Smash” – which debuted February 6 — celebrates the beauty and heartbreak of the Broadway theater as it follows a cross-section of dreamers and schemers who all have one common desire – to be a “Smash.” Evolving from an idea of executive producer and multiple Emmy and Oscar winner Steven Spielberg (“ER,” “Schindler’s List”), the series unites the hit-making Broadway writing team of Julia Houston (Debra Messing, Emmy winner, “Will & Grace”) and Tom Levitt (Christian Borle, “Legally Blonde: The Musical”) with producer Eileen Rand (Anjelica Huston, Oscar winner, “Prizzi’s Honor”) to create a new musical based on the life of Marilyn Monroe, and seasoned chorus girl Ivy Lynn (Megan Hilty, “9 to 5: The Musical”) vies with newcomer Karen Cartwright (Katharine McPhee, “American Idol”) for the role of a lifetime.

The cast also features Jack Davenport (“Pirates of the Caribbean” films), Raza Jaffrey (“MI-5,” “Sex and the City 2”), Brian d’Arcy James (“Shrek the Musical”) and Jaime Cepero (“Porgy & Bess”). In addition to Spielberg, the executive producers include Theresa Rebeck (“Mauritius”), David Marshall Grant (“Brothers & Sisters”), Craig Zadan and Neil Meron (“Chicago,” “Hairspray”), Darryl Frank and Justin Falvey (“United States of Tara,” “The Borgias”) and Marc Shaiman and Scott Wittman (“Hairspray,” “Catch Me If You Can”). The first three episodes were directed by Tony Award winner Michael Mayer.

“Smash” is a production of Universal Television in association with DreamWorks Television and Madwoman in the Attic.

UPDATE: In related news, series creator Theresa Rebeck is stepping down as showrunner after season one. She’ll be an executive producer and may continue to work on the show’s scripts. An established playwright, Rebeck wrote the first three episodes of Smash.

What do you think? Are you glad that Smash will be back next season? Do you like the way that the storylines are progressing?

Image courtesy NBC.