“Off with his shirt!” a medieval princess belts as a group of men rip off the knight’s shirt. You may have heard this a few times while waiting for the ball to drop on New Years. That’s because the creators of "Galavant," the ABC musical comedy about a knight trying to rescue his one true love, tried to strongly promote its second season. Rightfully so.
For some strange reason that I do not understand, musical shows have not fared well on primetime television. Considering the first episode of the second season is titled “A New Season (aka Suck It Cancellation),” and includes lyrics such as “you know Hell’s freezing if we get decent ratings,” they know. It’s a shame, since "Galavant" is so original and uplifting; it's lighthearted and silly, while maintaining structure.
Galavant himself is an arrogant, yet lovable knight who, as he claims, has “a face most chicks have a thing about.” The characters are all extremely likable, a key component to any enjoyable show, and they each have their own laugh-inducing quirks. Although there’s a special place in my heart for the smooth and snarky Chef and his adorable relationship with Gwenndolyn, King Richard, played by Timothy Omundson, shines the most. Even though he kidnapped Madelena and basically created everyone’s problems, you love him and want him to find his true purpose. He’s also endlessly hilarious.
The songs are all written by Glenn Slater and Alan Menkin, the man who wrote the songs for "The Little Mermaid" and "Aladdin." That alone should be enough reason to give it a go. Many of the lyrics are either tongue-in-cheek or gruesome ("Served and each blue blood, will die as they spew blood! A happy ending for us!"), but the songs are so peppy you just want to sing along.
My favorite thing about "Galavant"is that it pokes fun at cliched movie moments. For instance, the Pirate King grabs a sword out of Galavant's hand when he decides to help them and finally unite. However, the scene ends with, “Did I cut your hand?” “Yes, very badly.” It’s extremely aware of both itself and television in general.
I watched the first season in a night, and I rarely “binge watch” shows. Granted, there are only eight half-hour episodes in the first season, but those four hours were filled with constant jubilation. It’s hilarious and the songs are catchy. What’s not to love? The season finale of the second season airs Sunday at 8 p.m. on ABC, so there’s just enough time to catch up. Everything doesn’t have to be thought provoking and life changing. Sometimes you just need let yourself feel joy and burst out into song.