Schmigadoon!

Schmigadoon is such a unique concept. I have seen parallels made to Galvant, but I ended up turning that off because although I respected its uniqueness it was a bit too cringe at times and the story a bit boring. Schmigadoon doesn't try so hard to be funny, it is more about fun, love, and happiness. It is a tribute to many of the old Hollywood musicals of old. Some of the songs are really good, though probably not ones you are going to add to your spotify playlist for the car. But watching them play out in the series is a lot of fun. It looks like a Tim Burton film - highly stylised saturated coloured buildings etc. It radiates warmth that you can nestle in for a couple of hours. But ultimately what kept me watching, rather than just being impressed by the concept, is that there is nice story at the heart of it about a couple who have relationship challenges but learn from others in the town about how to navigate them to improve their relationship for the better. They also have a positive effect on the townsfolk during their time there.

Either you like musical theater or you don't. If you do, then Schmigadoon - the town and the series - is for you. If not, stay away. The musical parodies are clever, though obviously derivative; the production numbers are appropriately over the top. At a few moments, it's a little too cute and self-aware for its own good, but for the most part, don't ask why, just enjoy. As the couple trapped in a Broadway fantasy while trying to revive their flagging relationship, Keegan-Michael Key and Cecily Strong play their parts well, but the real standouts are Broadway veterans like Alan Cumming and Kristen Chenowitz playing it for all the Camp it's worth.

Halfway through, it's not hard to guess where this is likely going. Maybe there will be surprises, but even if it ends crossing that bridge hand in hand, it will more than enough fun.

I liked the first season and am absolutetly loving the second.

In the first season we get some really oldy musical vibes from the 1930s to 1950s. Falling in love with no sense what so ever ... and lots of frills, pastels, and plastic trees. And what else would you want?

In the second season we find our selfs in more reasent years and musicals. Like Hair (70s) and Sweeny Todd (00s). It becomes a weird mix of the dark streets of 1800s London, the smoke filled lokales of 1920s Chicago, and all the flower-power you can handle from the 1970s (actually a bit more than that, to be frank).

The songs and dancing numbers are (at least in my opinion) well written, and well performed by the actors.

If you plan to watch this, do so with an open mind.

This is not meant to be a masterpiece. But to entertain and make us laugh.

Which I think the creators and the cast succeeds perfectly.

The intelligence of this show is encased in the fact that it's unmistakably a musical with song and dance, and yet is also a parody of musicals. There may be a dark side that emerges only at the end of the first episode, but until that develops, it's a story filled with amusing ironies. Two of the songs in the first episode are clearly meant to resonate Rogers and Hammerstein musicals. The opening song is a riff on Oklahoma and another a riff on Carousel. But they are at one and the same time well-written and well-rehearsed numbers, and yet are funny because of their self-conscious acknowledgment that they are musicals. Hard to explain, perhaps, but you'll see what I mean when you watch. Parts are laugh out loud funny.

If you truly hate musicals, then you won't like this show. Likewise, posting a 1-star review because you hate the genre makes no sense. As for me, I've seen several musicals. Some I liked. Some I did not.

But Schmigadoon is different. After watching the first few episodes, all I could think of was the great series Galavant that aired in 2015. The songs are all tongue-in-cheek parody. What makes Schmigadoon so endearing is the acting done by the two leads, Cecily and Keegan-Michael. They are trapped in this world and are often shocked or disturbed by what's happening around them.

The songs are highly inventive. The supporting cast is also spectacular. This is a unique and fun show with catchy tunes and laugh-out-loud moments. The script constantly plays up the fish-out-of-water setting, with moments such as Cecily's character trying to explain an IUD to the brash young man singing to her.

If the first episode doesn't hook you, then the show isn't for you. But if you were a fan of Galavant, I think you will enjoy Schmigadoon.