Apple TV+ Series SCHMIGADOON! - News & Discussion Thread- Page 9

[bear88]

Posted: 4/29/23 at 6:27pm

I think I enjoyed the episode more than some of you, even though it was a set-up for the finale. Tituss Burgess, who has stolen scene after scene this season, was the highlight with “Famous as Hell.” The “Melllisssaaa!” yell was hysterical, but the multiple Jesus Christ Superstar parodies - which continue later in the episode - and the elaborate effort made to incorporate every character was fantastic. Cecily Strong’s song was lovely as well.

[rattleNwoolypenguin]

Posted: 4/29/23 at 11:27pm

Here’s the thing. The Easter eggs are fun. The parodies this season are fun and inspired

but it just doesn’t really feel like a show. It feels like a parade of musical parodies almost exclusively this time. It doesn’t really have a plot this season. They’re kinda just all running around.

Last season was flawed but there was a larger story at play. I was more excited in the beginning of the season cause I thought our plot was gonna be the murder mystery and framing of Josh but then it veered from that and really got unfocused.

It’s fun. It’s just not really going for anything substantial this time. Or if it is I think it’s getting lost.

[bear88]

Posted: 4/30/23 at 3:36am

That's a fair critique, even though I would argue that the first season's plot was pretty thin too.

But the problem with this season is that it feels much more dependent on the musical parodies and Easter Eggs than the first one. I was probably more disappointed in the previous episode, because it seemed clear that they didn't seem to have much a story to tell once Josh was cleared. 

That said, there's so much to enjoy. Josh's character is infinitely more enjoyable this time around, and his relationship with Melissa is downright sweet. The way he looked at Melissa during "Maybe It's My Turn Now" was that of a man in love with his wife. For all of the silliness with Topher's tribe, Josh seems to be getting something out of this that he might apply back in real life.

Maybe it's an excuse, but the messiness of the story in part reflects the messiness that made the best musicals of the 1960s and '70s so compelling. There's a reason why Chicago has been running forever, and the Sweeney Todd revival is drawing sellouts every night, and Jesus Christ Superstar just keeps touring and touring.

Updated On: 4/30/23 at 03:36 AM

[Kad]

Posted: 4/30/23 at 11:01am

I think it’s telling that this season of Schmigadoon is being submitted in the Scripted Variety Series for the Emmys instead of Comedy Series. 
 

I personally have found the approach of this season to be overall more successful than the first season. 

[Stage Door Sally]

Posted: 4/30/23 at 11:23am

I'm having a blast with this show! The song parodies are super clever and on point. "Good Enough to Eat" is hysterical, and, dare I say brilliant. There, I dared. Jane, Kristin, Alan, Tituss, Dove all phenomenal. And Aaron Tveit has so much more chemistry than he did in Moulin Rouge. I would love to see them sneak a little Urinetown in there.

[Rentaholic2]

Posted: 4/30/23 at 4:46pm

Stage Door Sally said: "I'm having a blast with this show! The song parodies are super clever and on point. "Good Enough to Eat" is hysterical, and, dare I say brilliant. There, I dared. Jane, Kristin, Alan, Tituss, Dove all phenomenal. And Aaron Tveit has so much more chemistry than he did in Moulin Rouge. I would love to see them sneak a little Urinetown in there."

Urinetown?  You do understand the central conceit of the show, yeah?

 

Good for them for submitting in the Scripted Variety Series, where they would seemingly have a much better chance of winning.  I'm not sure I understand how that works, though - in what world is this more like a variety show than a scripted comedy?

[Wayman_Wong]

Posted: 4/30/23 at 5:19pm

''I think it’s telling that this season of Schmigadoon is being submitted in the Scripted Variety Series for the Emmys instead of Comedy Series.''

It's a smart and savvy move, and frankly, a realistic acknowledgment that a 6-episode series from Apple was never gonna crack an Uber-competitive Comedy category that is full of better-established shows with many more episodes (i.e., ''Ted Lasso,'' ''Marvelous Mrs. Maisel,'' ''Barry,'' ''Only Murders in the Building,'' etc. ). 

To me, one tricky element might affect Christopher Gattelli's Emmy chances. For Season 1, he was nominated for Choreography for Scripted Programming. I imagine the Emmy switch means his Season 2 work is submitted in Choreography for Variety or Reality Programming, where his competition could include the Oscars and flashier, more dance-centric shows, like ''Dancing With the Stars.''

Updated On: 4/30/23 at 05:19 PM

[Wayman_Wong]

Posted: 5/2/23 at 5:38pm

Marc Bonanni of Broadway by Ghostlight has posted his latest dance breakdown with Chris Gattelli, of Episode 3: ''Bells and Whistles.'' If you're a fan of Jane Krakowski's title showstopping number, this is a must-see. 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=90oMsUJu4Iw

Updated On: 5/2/23 at 05:38 PM

[Kad]

Posted: 5/3/23 at 10:38am

Both the finale and the soundtrack (finally!) are out today. 
 

I thought it was a very sweet ending to a pretty great season. Loved all the nods to the next era of musicals, which made me want to see what a season 3 would look like, but it also serves as a satisfying series finale if there won’t be a third.

DeBose’s solo was especially wonderful. 

[singer234]

Posted: 5/3/23 at 10:44am

If there is a season 3, I would love for it to jump forward to Josh and Melissa successfully having a daughter who is now a teen, and who enters a “Schmeathers” type universe that’s a send up of contemporary shows teens love, like Mean Girls, Be More Chill, Heathers, Legally Blonde, Dear Evan Hansen, etc. There’s so much ripe for parody in that genre.

[SporkGoddess]

Posted: 5/3/23 at 2:54pm

Yeah, I recently rewatched some eps from season 1 and I wish there had been more continuity between the two seasons. Like, what happened to Schmigadoon? Are they still the same people or do they just happen to look the same? I find the loss of those characters, to whom I had grown rather attached, rather sad. Season 2 paid some lip service to that but never really showed it any consequence.

Also Schmicago just doesn't feel like a town that would really exist outside of Melissa and Josh, whereas I did not feel that way about Schmigadoon.

That being said, I enjoyed the easter eggs and the musical numbers. I just agree that it wasn't as meaningful or cohesive as a narrative. I also think that the decision to show that Melissa did actually conceive undermined the message--wish it had been left open ended.

[EDSOSLO858]

Posted: 5/3/23 at 3:00pm

The chandelier crash in the season finale made me laugh for a good minute. 

Beautifully done season all!

[nativenewyorker2]

Posted: 5/3/23 at 4:07pm

I do think that was series finale. Next season theoretically would have been 80’s blockbusters but that was most of the final episode…chandelier crashing, kidnapped and forced to wear a wedding dress etc 

[Wayman_Wong]

Posted: 5/3/23 at 5:27pm

Congrats to ''Schmigadoon!'' on Season 2! Kudos to Cinco Paul and the incredible cast and dynamic design and musical team. I hope they're showered with lotsa Emmys. That said, I wonder if the time jump in Episode 6 signals that this is truly the series finale. Season 2 has been all about musicals of the '60 and '70s, but now it includes a couple of iconic shows of the '80s? (If there were a Season 3, I assumed it would be about the British hits of the late '80s, like ''Phantom'' and ''Les Miz.'' )

If Season 1 ever had any hesitancy about being too inside musical-theater, Season 2 smashed that idea to bits. It really leaned in, and the parodies were even more specific, sometimes only slightly off, note-for-note of the original showtunes they're spoofing. Which was great fun for us theater-obsessed fans, but I wonder how it played with more general audiences. The hardworking cast seemed to do a lot more promotion this time around, but I wonder what the ratings were like. 

At Rotten Tomatoes, Season 1 rated 89% positive with the critics and 82% with the audience score. Season 2 rated 97% with the critics and 88% with the audience score. So the folks who watched Season 2 might've loved it even more. But there were half as many critics' reviews and audience ratings. Which could mean there was a drop in press and general viewership. Anyone know anything more?

Updated On: 5/3/23 at 05:27 PM

[BentleyB]

Posted: 5/3/23 at 5:46pm

Regarding the ratings.  Currently it is ranked as 5th among all programs on Apple+.  It shows that when you open the app.  It has stayed there since the first episode of Season 2. 

[Mr. Wormwood]

Posted: 5/3/23 at 8:27pm

I loved this season and I also loved Season 1. I'm not sure which one I liked more, I thought they were both very true to the eras they were set in. I know the plot meandered some and there were some obvious references but it just brought so much joy. The production design & performances were wonderful. Tituss was a great addition.

I'm really hoping for a S3! It definitely seems to have been a little more in the public consciousness (outside of diehard Broadway fans) than S1.

[Wayman_Wong]

Posted: 5/4/23 at 11:24pm

Update: Variety is reporting that the Emmys have turned down Apple TV's petition to move ''Schmigadoon!'' from Comedy Series to Scripted Variety.

https://variety.com/2023/tv/awards/schmigadoon-emmys-denied-variety-scripted-apple-1235604095/

[Wayman_Wong]

Posted: 5/16/23 at 3:44pm

Marc Bonanni of Broadway by Ghostlight brings back Tony-winning choreographer Chris Gattelli with delicious dish about Episode 4, namely ''Good Enough to Eat'' (and ''Talk to Daddy'' ). The dedication and detail that go into each number, from the performers to the props, is amazing.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z2XyV2GxFdA

Updated On: 5/16/23 at 03:44 PM

[Wayman_Wong]

Posted: 7/12/23 at 9:51pm

Apple TV+'s ''Schmigadoon!'' got 3 Emmy nominations for Choreography, Cinematography and Production Design, but it deserved many more.. I'm surprised that Cinco Paul, who won last year's Emmy for Original Music and Lyrics for Season 1, didn't get nominated this time. And I'm disappointed that Jane Krakowski didn't score an Emmy nomination for Supporting Actress in a Comedy, but her musical tour de force, ''Bells and Whistles,'' was one of the three numbers cited in Chris Gattelli's choreography nomination. (The other two were ''Bustin' Out'' and ''Good Enough to Eat,'' the brilliant ''Sweeney Todd'' spoof.)

Updated On: 7/12/23 at 09:51 PM

[EDSOSLO858]

Posted: 1/18/24 at 1:10pm

The series has just been cancelled after two seasons. 

https://www.broadwayworld.com/article/SCHMIGADOON-Canceled-at-Apple-TV-After-Season-Three-Was-Written-20240118

[inception]

Posted: 1/18/24 at 1:28pm

We will probably see more cut backs at streaming services as their financial model proves to be unsustainable. 

[Kad]

Posted: 1/18/24 at 1:30pm

Bummer, I loved season 2. But the show never seemed to break through to a wide audience. 

[ErmengardeStopSniveling]

Posted: 1/18/24 at 1:40pm

I'm shocked it got a second season! Lucky them that it lasted as long as it did.

The creators/producers probably have the option to shop it to another network/streamer, though I can't imagine there would be a huge appetite for something this niche.

The songs were the real problem for me. The lyrics aren't witty or clever enough, and the melodies are way too similar to the things they were parodying for it to be interesting. 

[dramamama611]

Posted: 1/18/24 at 1:45pm

Awww...this makes me sad, I was lukewarm to season one, but after hearing all the accolades for S2, I tried it again and really loved S2.  

 

Maybe it'll be picked up.

[Jonathan Cohen]

Posted: 1/18/24 at 2:28pm

I just canceled my Apple TV+ subscription after hearing the news.

Schmigadoon! was always narratively flimsy, but when a song like Corn Puddin' or Bells and Whistles connected, it was a huge amount of fun. 

Assuming a different streaming service doesn't green light season #3, I'd love to see the already written scripts and songs repurposed as an audio only series on a platform like Audible. 

Updated On: 1/18/24 at 02:28 PM