Photo by: Mark Seliger/NBC

Smash is the most buzzed about series coming to NBC since the May upfronts last year. The pilot, screened by a good amount of critics, has been praised, and apparently, NBC believes that it’s so fantastic, the episode can’t wait much longer. FOX did it with New Girl, The CW with The Secret Circle, and now NBC will do it with Smash: the network will make the series premiere episode available very early for fans who simply cannot wait any longer.

Yesterday, NBC announced that starting Monday January 16th, they will be making the pilot episode of Smash available for free on iTunes, Amazon, Xbox, Playstation, Samsung Mediahub, and Vudu, along with Comcast’s video on demand, and select American Airlines flights. One week later, if downloading isn’t your thing, the pilot will be available for instant streaming (most likely with commercials) on NBC.com and Hulu.com.

Can’t wait for those dates, either (Jeez, there’s no pleasing you!)? NBC will host screenings of the pilot on January 9th in Chicago, Los Angeles, Dallas, Denver, Minneapolis, Philadelphia, Phoenix, Portland and San Francisco, and it will screen on January 11th at LA’s Outfest. Hours after each episode airs, the songs of each respective installment will be available for download on iTunes (just like Glee).

Smash stars  Katharine McPhee, Debra Messing and Anjelica Huston, revolving around the backstage drama involved in the creation of a new musical about Marilyn Monroe. McPhee and theater vet Megan Hilty play two actresses vying to portray the Hollywood legend. Playwright Theresa Rebeck created and executive-produces the series, which will feature original songs by Marc Shaiman and Scott Wittman (Hairspray).

Smash begins on February 6th at 10PM on NBC, where it will air in the same timeslot for its first season.