I don’t know if you get Apple TV+ or not. If not, you can skip all this. Though...if it's of interest, you can wait a little over a month until all the episodes drop and then sign up for a month to binge-watch the show and also the first two seasons of the wonderful comedy series Ted Lasso (which is beginning its second season next week on July 23). Apple TV+ only costs $5 a month. If you do get it, though, last night they premiered a new 6-part series called Schmigadoon! It’s an affectionate spoof of musicals (with, of course,” Brigadoon as the starting point, but Rodgers & Hammerstein flow through it all, and I’m sure others will, too.) The premise is two hikers get stuck in a town that’s a 1940s musical. It stars Cecily Strong of Saturnday Night Live and Keegen-Michael Key, and a good cast that includes several big Broadway stars -- I'll let it tell you know who's in it. Plus, it has a great final joke. The first episode was a total joy. In fact, from the moment it started I was burst out laughing – because they start with an overture. I have no idea how well it will develop, but it’s only six half-hour episodes, so it’s not like they have to stretch the the story and can move it along briskly enough. It's written by Ken Daurio and Cinco Paul, who together wrote such films as the Despicable Me series, The Lorax, Horton Hears a Who, and The Santa Claus 2. Paul wrote all the songs (which so far, after one episode, are wonderful) All episodes were directed by Barry Sonnenfeld, whose films include Get Shorty, all three Men in Black movies, Wild Wild West and The Addams Family and its sequel. And the orchestrations are by Doug Besterman, who did the stage musical of The Producers, so they’re rich and full. So, the credentials are top notch, all around. The details and homages are wonderful, especially if you know musicals, but many are broad enough that even if you only know the genre tangentially you'll be able to pick many up. And It’s overflowing with homages. I thought it said that there will be a new episode every Friday, but the first two are posted. I assume that’s just to start things off. (And no, I only watched the first one, but I’ll watch the second episode in a few days.)
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AuthorRobert J. Elisberg is a political commentator, screenwriter, novelist, tech writer and also some other things that I just tend to keep forgetting. Feedspot Badge of Honor
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