Galavant

Stumbled on this show and was surprised to find what looks like a gem in the rough. Mainstream TV (ABC< CBS and ABC) has been lagging as of late.Good mix of: Monty Python, South Park, Men in Tights (Mel Brooks TV Show from the 70's) and Glee (in medieval times) I was surprised to find no one from Monty Python was involved with this show. So many things remind me of Holy Grail and so on. If this was a cartoon, the Boys at Southpark would have a field day. I'm looking forward to see how this story line plays out and if and who shows up as guest stars. The songs are catchy, a story that's funny and pretty girls. What more do you want?

Galavant is your standard Prince Charming type, who embarks on a quest to reclaim his "one true love" Madalena from the clutches of the evil King Richard. The thing is, Richard isn't really evil, he's merely a petulant man-child, and Madalena immediately tilted "pretty sharply bitchward" when presented with wealth and power. It's evident from the very first episode that Gal's REAL true love is strong-willed Princess Isabella, who's blackmailed into leading him into a trap... though there are plenty of twists, turns and surprises along the way.

There's never been anything remotely like "Galavant" on TV before, and there most likely never will be again. Comparisons to things like "The Princess Bride," "Monty Python," "When Things Were Rotten" and "Wizards and Warriors" are rampant... but none of those were full-blown musicals with music by Disney legend Alan Menken. Every episode features at least two big musical numbers and a short reprise, running the gamut of musical styles and with utterly demented lyrics by Glenn Slater. And on top of the infectiously zany music, there are running gags, inside-jokes and intentional anachronisms galore - plus the characters routinely take a sledgehammer to the fourth wall.

Although it's called "Galavant," it's an ensemble and the namesake is the least interesting character on the show (which is pretty typical of Prince Charming types). The big breakout star is Timothy Omundson as King Richard - the man routinely upstages costars with his impeccable comic delivery and cartoonish facial expressions - and thankfully the writers recognized the power of his performance and readjusted their initial vision of the character in a believable way. Mallory Jansen revels in portraying evil Queen Madalena, Karen David is literally pitch-perfect as constantly-flustered Princess Isabella, Darren Evans and Sophie McShera are utterly delightful as the dour peasant chef and handmaiden, and Vinnie Jones gives a surprisingly multi-dimensional performance as King Richard's henchman (and who would've guessed he could sing?!). There are too many other secondary, minor and recurring characters to list, but suffice it to say there's not a weak link in the chain.

The songs were a little stronger in the first season but the story was a tad unfocused, the jokes were hit-and-miss and it ended on a very sour cliffhanger. The show seemed destined to fall into TV oblivion but in a move that surprised everyone, ABC renewed it for a second season... and that's when everything really came together. For their second outing, the story was more concise, the writers injected it with an overwhelming amount of heart, the jokes were as rapid-fire as a machine gun, there were ginormous character arcs to be had for most everyone, and it all came together in a wholly-satisfying-but-open-ended conclusion. Unfortunately, the ratings went even more dire than they'd been in the first season.

I don't know exactly what the future holds for "Galavant" on television, but it was an instant cult-classic and I can pretty much guarantee its popularity is going to snowball. Critics and fans loved it (season 2 attained an unheard-of perfect score on Rotten Tomatoes), plans are being made for a Broadway adaptation, and I could totally see it being spun-off into a theatrical feature film. It's rare for any production to be struck by magic, but this little show got it in spades.

Shows like Galavant are an acquired taste. This show will never win any awards, and I think they are wise to go with a four week limited run--it would never survive as an on-going series. But it is FUN. All the actors take their roles right to the point of chewing scenery, then leave it there. The songs are light, and the sexual overtones are just enough to make you laugh without covering your kids' ears. You may not want to go out of your way to watch this show when it is on, but DVR it and watch it sometime. If you like Monty Python or Family Guy, you will probably enjoy this show enough to give it a try. If you don't like it after the first two episodes, it is only an hour of your time. And oh, if you use the DVR, don't fast forward through the commercials!

I came on here to see how Galavant was being received and to be honest I am quite shocked... there seems to be negativity and the positivity towards the show seems to be bunked down by people not finding the reviews helpful.

I understand Galavant isn't for everyone, it's crude, it has curse words, the characters can be mean spirited, but if you know what Galavant is really a love letter to, it makes perfect sense I love the songs, they're really well done, Alan Menken does a superb job with the scores and the lyrics are from the guy who did the Lyrics for Tangled, so no wonder they're so catchy.

Galavant is a story that in one hand is a satire and a wonderful comedy and on the other has some actually emotional moments if you care enough to see them. And yeah, I get it if it isn't for you, and I understand if it turns you off. However, it doesn't to me. Galavant is something right up my alley. I appreciate what they're doing. If you don't then that's fine. But some of the harsh criticism I've seen sees a little extreme. One Star reviews especially.

Yeah the comedy is lewd and not for everyone, but for people who appreciate musicals, some good comedy, and the classics like Monty Python and The Princess Bride, this is a show for you, and I will be continuing on. It definitely doesn't deserve one star reviews, that's for sure... even if you aren't a fan, there is FAR worse out there to me.

Well, it's fun and it's different. It's kind of a Mel Brooks-Zucker, Abrahams and Zucker-A Knight's Tale-Shrek mixture, a cartoonish medieval musical comedy. If the story goes well and the humor is good, people will respond sooner or later. There are far less comedies than dramas and it's really too soon to be talking about cancelling. Why cancel it? To make another sci-fi/crime/action/cop drama? We've had enough of that and plenty to choose from. I say, support comedies -the good ones, of course- and explore more fresh ideas for that matter. This one is doing just fine in the 2first episodes, it's got fresh faces, I would really like to see it getting better and better. ~

I see that some people started watching this show without actually checking the genre and got surprised/annoyed about the musical part. It's Period Musical Comedy, if you don't like Musicals or Comedies or costumes etc, or its particular kind of humor, just don't watch it. It's not of yr taste doesn' t mean that the show is not good. And who says that just because it involves singing, its humor must be for children? Nope, fun as it is, it's witty and it is for grown ups.