A Modern Comedy of Remarriage(ish)

A review of 'Schmigadoon!' on Apple TV+.

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Schmigadoon! was released at a rather inopportune time. The critically acclaimed comedy boasts a star studded cast—the show is directed by Barry Sonnenfeld and has a strong Saturday Night Live presence; SNL producer Lorne Michaels is an executive producer, SNL cast member Bowen Yang is a writer, SNL alumni Fred Armisen and Martin Short are in supporting roles, and SNL cast member Cecily Strong stars. And yet it had the misfortune of debuting around the same time fellow Apple TV show Ted Lasso returned to the small screen, and, well, how can you compete with what is arguably the most loved show in America? But while in Ted Lasso’s shadow the past few weeks, Schmigadoon! has quietly proved itself to be one of the best things on TV right now.

The show is a musical comedy that follows Melissa Gimble (Strong) and Josh Skinner (Keegan-Michael Key), two doctors from NYC, who find themselves in a bit of a rut after years of dating. In an effort at reconnecting, Melissa convinces Josh to go on a couple’s retreat. They inevitably get lost in the woods during a storm and cross a bridge only to find themselves in a sunny, clear-skied little village called Schmigadoon where the townspeople immediately break into song. Initially, Melissa and Josh think they’ve wandered into some tourist trap but as they spend more time in Schmigadoon they realize it’s far more than that: They’re in an alternate reality where life is a Golden Age musical. And they can’t escape. A leprechaun (Short) informs the couple that until they find true love, no matter how far they walk, no matter which way they go, they will wind up back in Schmigadoon.

The premise alone is fantastic, and Sonnenfeld assembled an incredible cast to bring it to life. As if Key, Strong, and Armisen weren’t enough, the supporting cast is filled with actors and actresses with both film and Broadway chops like Tony winners Kristin Chenoweth, Alan Cummings, and Jane Krakowski. The writing occasionally dips in quality, as the writers seem to rush the action at times to get to the next musical number, but the star power of the cast is more than enough to keep Schmigadoon! a fun and interesting watch.

The show is best enjoyed if you’ve got some familiarity with musicals of the 40s and 50s; it strikes a beguiling balance between parody and homage with songs that wouldn’t be out of place in an earnest musical production. There are also a few songs that are clearly designed to poke fun at the genre, like Melissa’s singalong explanation of sexual reproduction systems to a young expectant couple—which is a very on-the-nose parody of “Do, Re, Mi” from The Sound of Music. The soundtrack features a number of legitimately good songs that musical theater fans will appreciate—“With All Your Heart” and “Suddenly,” both from the fourth episode, stand out—but the parody songs don’t work very well. They’re far too heavy-handed and painfully reminiscent of the broad and uninspired humor so common on SNL.

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  1. Avatar photo
    Paul Britton

    My wife and I watched half of the first episode and were ready to bail. I said we shouldn't give up before at least finishing the episode. We did finish it -- but then neither of us had any interest in going on. Nothing witty or amusing about either the dialogue or the songs. The characters were plastic and robotic.

    And we LOVE the classic musicals.

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    Tricia Stevenson

    I wanted to like Schmigadoon, a lot. I love the movie musicals of the golden era - and it's so fun to spot all the nods to the old plots, characters, dance numbers, and songs. But the overall feel of this show, in my opinion, is quite cynical. It seems that it doesn't really love these old movies, but rather is mocking them (which some rare exceptions). In the opinion of the two "big city folks," all the residents of Schmigadoon are dense, silly, superstitious, ignorant, and to be laughed at, unlike our quick-witted, wise, knowing, and intelligent visitors, Mel and Josh. Yet for all their modern hip-ness and sex positivity, are they happy at all? Clearly not!
    As Alec points out there is SO MUCH TALENT here - and yet to me it is largely wasted and the potential this had to for a great short-run series is unrealized. The most telling point for me is when the show ends, I don't feel uplifted or cheered or happy.

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  3. Ingenero.lux

    I’ve thoroughly enjoyed it thus far (having received a free Apple TV subscription with my last phone). I agree that the parody pieces can be a bit heavy handed, but when simply letting the clash of cultures between Golden Age musicals and 20s sensibilities carry the humor, as it largely does, the show works wonderfully. And it’s nice to see Martin Short in a role that doesn’t annoy the living daylights out of me.

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  4. Avatar photo
    Victor Clairmont

    But I don’t have Apple TV….

    I have books!

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    1. Smokey Bandit

      any non-fiction recommendations?

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  5. Avatar photo
    Kevin C. Smith

    So Alec gives this, it appears, 5 Candy Corns. I agree, but I'm not the critic. The show is excellent, and this review does it, and The Dispatch, justice!

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