'Doon

Ted Lasso has emerged as "the show that makes people get Apple TV+." But once/while you're there, there actually is other great content on the service worth your time -- some of which I've blogged about before. Let me add to that the sweetly funny Schmigadoon!

Schmigadoon! (bang included) is a 6-episode series of half-hour episodes. It's also a musical. Dating couple Josh and Melissa have hit a rough patch in their relationship and decide to go on a forest retreat. They emerge in a clearing at the magical town of Schimgadoon, a pastiche of classic Broadway musicals. Their modern sensibilities clash with the town's antiquated values, and hilarity ensues (along with catchy songs).

Series creator Cinco Paul was reportedly inspired by An American Werewolf in London -- though his "wandering backpackers" would stumble into a musical rather than a horror movie. Paul had the idea many years ago, but it finally happened in the age of COVID. With Broadway closed down, a lot of incredibly talented musical performers were available for a gig, and so Schmigadoon was able to line up a deep bench of great actors.

Cecily Strong and Keegan-Michael Key anchor the cast as Melissa and Josh, each absolutely perfect for their role. Much of the comedy revolves around how quickly Melissa eases into the trappings of a musical, and how much Josh resists it, and both play their roles to the hilt. Meanwhile, the town of Schmigadoon is populated with TV and Broadway stalwarts like Kristin Chenoweth, Alan Cumming, Aaron Tveit, Ariana DeBose, Fred Armisen, Jane Krakowski, and Martin Short.

Schmigadoon! does what the best send-ups do: it's also a credible incarnation of the thing it's poking fun at. It calls out one cliche of classic musicals after another, then unironically embraces them for the purposes of its own narrative. Every episode is delightful and fun, and the songs are wildly clever. They're also more enjoyable the more steeped in old musicals you are -- that way, you can recognize the song that's a clear parody from "The Sound of Music," the one that's a clear parody from "The Music Man," and more. (The characters themselves all draw clear inspiration too, from the likes of Oklahoma, Carousel, and others.)

Cinco Paul says he envisioned more than one season of the show, and I do hope his vision comes to pass. Still, Schmigadoon! may be the sort of quirky thing too weird to last for long. If that's the case, I'm glad at least for these six whimsical episodes to enjoy. I give Schmigadoon! a B+.