| 1 | [[quoteright:325:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/shcmigadoon.png]] |
| 2 | [[caption-width-right:325:''"Romance in musicals isn't always logical. That's why they usually let the songs do the heavy lifting."'']] |
| 3 | %% |
| 4 | ->''"Once ye have entered Schmigadoon\ |
| 5 | 'Tis true, ye won't be leaving soon\ |
| 6 | Within its borders ye are bound\ |
| 7 | Until at last true love ye found\ |
| 8 | But till ye find it, ye must stay\ |
| 9 | Where's life's a musical every day!"'' |
| 10 | -->-- '''Oscar the Leprechaun''', "Leprechaun Song" |
| 11 | |
| 12 | ''[[WordSchmord Schmigadoon!]]'' is a musical-comedy series developed by Cinco Paul and Creator/KenDaurio for Creator/AppleTVPlus. Creator/BarrySonnenfeld directed the first season and executive produces. Alice Mathias and Robert Luketic directed the second season. |
| 13 | |
| 14 | The show premiered in July 2021. Doctors Josh Skinner (Creator/KeeganMichaelKey) and Melissa Gimble (Creator/CecilyStrong)'s four-year-long relationship is faltering. While on a hike, they stumble upon the mysterious town of Schmigadoon, which appears to be in a perpetual Golden Age musical production[[note]](think Creator/RodgersAndHammerstein or Creator/LernerAndLoewe)[[/note]]. While there, they meet a host of colorful theatrical archetypes -- the friendly mayor Aloysius Menlove (Creator/AlanCumming), the hapless reverend Howard Layton (Creator/FredArmisen) and his imperious wife Mildred (Creator/KristinChenoweth), local "bad boy" Danny Bailey (Creator/AaronTveit), perky FarmersDaughter Betsy (Creator/DoveCameron), gentle {{schoolmarm}} Emma Tate (Creator/ArianaDeBose), and intelligent but old-fashioned Doc Lopez (Creator/JaimeCamil). However, they're soon informed by a {{Leprechaun}} (Creator/MartinShort) that they cannot leave Schmigadoon until they find true love... |
| 15 | |
| 16 | Season 2 premiered in April 2023. Josh and Melissa, seeking another type of fulfillment, now find themselves in the world of Schmicago, the time of 60s and 70s-era musicals. The population includes a LemonyNarrator (Creator/TitussBurgess), the perverted business owner Octavius Kratt (Creator/PatrickPage), and most of the first season's principals in roles that reflect the new setting. After Josh and Mel stumble into a murder mystery, a familiar Leprechaun requires them to achieve a happy ending in order to escape Schmicago. |
| 17 | |
| 18 | In January 2024 it was [[https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/tv/tv-news/schmigadoon-canceled-apple-1235791955/ announced]] that Schmigadoon was not renewed for a third season, though all the episodes and songs were written. |
| 19 | |
| 20 | ---- |
| 21 | !!''Schmigadoon!'' provides examples of: |
| 22 | |
| 23 | * ActorAllusion: |
| 24 | ** In the sixth episode, Emma calls New York "the greatest city in the world" like ''Theatre/{{Hamilton}}'' does. Her actress, Ariana [=DeBose=], was a member of the original ensemble. |
| 25 | ** Cecily Strong gets to do her popular drunk act seen with several of her characters on ''Series/SaturdayNightLive''. |
| 26 | ** A red-and-gold "xylophone" vest akin to [[Theatre/LesMiserables Enjolras]]'s is seen in the background of some shots of Topher (Creator/AaronTveit), calling to mind [[Film/LesMiserables2012 the film Tveit played him in]]. |
| 27 | ** In the second season premiere, Josh complains that there are too many people singing at the same time. Keegan-Michael Key made the same complaint parodying Javert and "One Day More" on [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=__d2FMCtgi4 his own sketch show.]] |
| 28 | ** Alan Cumming and Kristen Chenoweth portraying a couple who WouldHurtAChild in an ''Theatre/{{Annie}}'' parody could remind some viewers of ''[[Series/WaltDisneyPresents The Wonderful World of Disney]]'''s ''Film/Annie1999'', in which Cumming and Chenoweth portrayed Miss Hannigan's co-conspirators, Rooster and Lily. |
| 29 | * AcquiredSituationalNarcissism: Josh takes Topher's place as leader to a band of hippies while Melissa takes Jenny's spot performing at the Kratt Klub. The attention distracts them from their plans to escape Schmicago. |
| 30 | * ArtisticLicenseChildLaborLaws: Justified. Who's going stop the orphans from bartending at the orphanage? Miss Codwell actively discourages potential parents from adopting, and makes them sleep in cages, so this is just another unregulated misdeed. |
| 31 | * AffectionateParody: Not for nothing is the show called "A musical parody made by people who love musicals." There's plenty of ribbing to be had, but the massive love of the genre clearly shines through. |
| 32 | ** Season 1 covers classic midcentury musicals, particularly those about small towns (''Theatre/{{Oklahoma}}'', ''Theatre/{{Carousel}}'', ''Theatre/TheMusicMan'' and, its most notable inspiration, ''Theatre/{{Brigadoon}}'') but also taking inspiration from works like ''Film/TheWizardOfOz'', ''Theatre/GuysAndDolls'', ''Theatre/TheSoundOfMusic'' and and ''Theatre/HowToSucceedInBusinessWithoutReallyTrying''. Schmigadoon parodies and plays straight many common Golden Age tropes, while Josh and Melissa are the modern {{Audience Surrogate}}s whose reactions to the goings-on provide commentary on the works' outdated politics, hokey song topics, and earnest emotion. |
| 33 | ** Season 2 covers 60’s and 70’s musicals, with characters, plot, and musical numbers based on ''Theatre/{{Chicago}}'', ''Theatre/{{Pippin}}'', ''Theatre/{{Cabaret}}'', ''Theatre/SweeneyTodd'', ''Theatre/{{Hair}}'', ''Theatre/SweetCharity'', ''Theatre/{{Annie}}'', ''Theatre/AChorusLine'', ''Music/JesusChristSuperstar'', ''Theatre/PromisesPromises'', and ''Theatre/{{Dreamgirls}}''. |
| 34 | * AmbiguousEnding: While we do see Josh and Melissa crossing the bridge in the first season finale, we don't exactly find out if they found true love or if they even made it back to the woods. The Season 2 trailer and premiere both reveal that they did. |
| 35 | * AmbiguousTimePeriod: Schmigadoon resembles early 1900's small town America similar to ''Theatre/{{Carousel}}'' and ''Theatre/TheMusicMan'' but features The Baroness sporting a 1940's car and outift. Schmicago is definitely more modern, but somehow hosts characters based on ''Theatre/SweeneyTodd'' and ''Theatre/{{Hair}}'', which are set around a hundred and twenty years apart. Lampshaded when Josh suggests that they [[HitlersTimeTravelExemptionAct kill baby Hitler]] while they're in Schmicago. |
| 36 | -->'''Melissa:''' What year do you think this would even be?\ |
| 37 | '''Josh:''' I don't know. It's very unclear. |
| 38 | * AndThereWasMuchRejoicing: [[spoiler:Kratt's death is celebrated with a musical number.]] |
| 39 | * ArmorPiercingQuestion: In a quiet moment in the middle of "Lover's Spat" Melissa asks Josh if he believes they are in true love. His attempt at dodging the question convinces her that he doesn't. |
| 40 | * ArsonMurderAndJaywalking: Melissa describes '60s and '70s as "darker, with more sex and violence and imperfect rhymes" compared to the Golden Age ones. Josh gets hung up on the "imperfect rhymes" part, commenting that it doesn't really matter. |
| 41 | * AsTheGoodBookSays: Howard, being the town reverend, uses a Bible quote to give Josh advice about love. |
| 42 | * AudienceMurmurs: The ensemble in "Welcome to Schmicago" uses "peas and carrots, peas and carrots..." to simulate the sound of a whispering crowd. Josh and Melissa complain they can't understand them. |
| 43 | * BabiesEverAfter: "A Happy Beginning" briefly shows [[spoiler:a pregnant Melissa and Josh excitedly watching an ultrasound reading of their imminent first baby]]. |
| 44 | * BadGuysDoTheDirtyWork: Josh and Melissa debate over sending Dooley after Kratt, realizing it will end up in violence. [[spoiler: Subverted when Dooley fails two separate times. Double Subverted when Kratt pulls a gun and Miss Codwell gleefully crushes him with a chandelier.]] |
| 45 | * BaitAndSwitch: Along with Melissa, the audience briefly meets Doc Lopez (the elderly small-town doctor) in the opening song. Out of options in the fourth episode, Melissa trudges along to his practice, resigned to how after all her education, she's just going to wind up as his nurse. The old man opens the door, then reveals that the Doc Lopez hiring a nurse is his handsome son Jorge. |
| 46 | * TheBigRottenApple: Emma's opinion of New York, where Josh and Melissa are from. |
| 47 | -->'''Josh''': I really need to get back to New York.\ |
| 48 | '''Emma''': But you can't! I mean, it isn't safe. It's filled with gambling and crime and poor souls who've tried to make it big but can't go back home because of foolish pride.\ |
| 49 | '''Josh''': See, that's what I love about New York. |
| 50 | * BirthDeathJuxtaposition: Shortly after Melissa delivers a baby, she encourages Doc Lopez's father to have wilder sex with his wife. SmashCut to the old man's funeral. |
| 51 | * BoredomMontage: After the second season premiere returns Josh and Melissa to their own world, they suffer two years of monotony with their respective jobs and Mel's failed pregnancy tests, until the couple begins wondering if they can willingly visit Schmigadoon again. |
| 52 | * BoyfriendBlockingDad: Farmer [=McDonough=] is introduced surrounded by his multiple lovely daughters and threatening people with his shotgun. {{Deconstructed}} by Emma, who points out that in doing so he does not give his daughters any agency. |
| 53 | * BreakUpMakeUpScenario: Josh and Melissa break up in the second episode then go on to have parallel romantic journeys: [[spoiler:they first try to move on with people based on attraction (Betsy and Danny respectively), then form deeper, more intellectual and emotional connections with Emma and Jorge. But at the last minute, they realize what they really want to do is work on their relationship, and try to cross the bridge together.]] |
| 54 | * ButtMonkey: Pete the Milkman is the perennial offscreen victim of projectiles, with characters yelling [[PhraseCatcher "Sorry, Pete!"]] when they see that they've hit/shot him. |
| 55 | * TheCameo: |
| 56 | ** [[spoiler: Creator/MartinShort]] appears in the premiere as the magical leprechaun who finally convinces Josh and Melissa they're in a musical world. |
| 57 | ** {{Creator/Peppermint}} appears briefly in the opening number as a fortune teller. |
| 58 | * ClickHello: The second episode ends with Farmer [=McDonough=] crashing his daughter Betsy's picnic with Josh and pulling his gun at him after catching them kissing: |
| 59 | -->You better start proposing, son. |
| 60 | * ColorblindCasting: [[LampshadeHanging Lampshaded]]; Melissa points out that the musical theater ensemble is populated by people of color as evidence that Schmigadoon is semi-modern. |
| 61 | * ContrastingSequelSetting: Season 1's town, Schmigadoon, is a midcentury SugarBowl with bright colors, friendly townsfolk, and pleasant surroundings. Season 2's town, Schmicago, is a dark ViceCity populated with shady archetypes. Melissa, who had adored Schmigadoon, is less comfortable in Schmicago; Josh, who had disliked Schmigadoon, finds that Schmicago is more up his alley (at least until he's accused of murder). |
| 62 | * CoverInnocentEyesAndEars: Dooley Blight covers Vince's ears when Miss Codwell threaten to [[spoiler:slice meat right off of his-while pointing to Vince's bottom. They do sing about making the children into meat without anyone looking perturbed. Not even the children.]] |
| 63 | * CrowdSong: |
| 64 | ** "Schmigadoon!", the WelcomingSong sung by the town ensemble. |
| 65 | ** "Corn Puddin'", a CallAndResponseSong between the town men and women about their love for corn pudding. |
| 66 | ** "Lover's Spat", where the townspeople discuss lovers' quarrels through verses and choreography. |
| 67 | ** "Cross that Bridge", where all the single women in the town sing about the importance of getting married quickly and cross the bridge with Josh in his effort to find true love and leave Schmigadoon. |
| 68 | ** "How We Change/Finale", the finale number where the Schmigadoonians [[spoiler:resolve to be more open about themselves. This is signified by a more modern style -- instead of the midcentury numbers they've been singing all season, this one is more in the vein of late-century numbers by Creator/StephenSondheim and Creator/StephenSchwartz]]. |
| 69 | * DanceOfRomance: "Suddenly", a love number where Emma dances with Josh and Doc Lopez dances with Melissa. The number incorporates elements of the Ländler in its choreography as a visual nod to a romantic dance in ''Theatre/TheSoundOfMusic''. |
| 70 | * DeadSparks: At the beginning of the show, Josh and Melissa have been dating for four years and their relationship is in a rut. |
| 71 | * DeliberateValuesDissonance: |
| 72 | ** Josh and Melissa are modern doctors from the "real world" who are at odds with Schmigadoon's patriarchal, old-timey values (eg. reacting negatively to the suggestion a man should smack his girlfriend if they are fighting). The villainous Mildred Layton keeps a stern eye on any deviations from the puritan handbook (even destroying books). |
| 73 | ** Due to outdated gender roles no one believes Melissa is a doctor in Schmigadoon or Schmicago. |
| 74 | ** Melissa, being an OB-GYN, often finds herself in conflict with the town's outdated views on gender and sexuality. She makes a scene at a picnic basket auction (really a front for buying a date with a girl) and nudges the mayor to come out of the closet. Against Doc Lopez's orders, she delivers a baby conceived out of wedlock (even giving them a sex education lesson in the process) and encourages his elderly parents to have sex. |
| 75 | ** Season 2's DarkerAndEdgier setting, Schmicago, shows that despite sex, violence, and general iniquity being commonplace, attitudes haven't progressed all that much. "Do We Shock You?" tries to push the envelope with scantily-clad ladies singing about crossdressing, light BDSM, tattoos, and the fact that one of the dancers has had a female orgasm. Josh and Melissa are unimpressed. |
| 76 | ** Schmicago has a female lawyer in Bobbie Flanagan, but Bobbie is dismissive of any woman becoming a judge. |
| 77 | * DiagonalBilling: Keegan Michael-Key and Cecily Strong receive this treatment in the second season's end credits reel. |
| 78 | * DisarmDisassembleDestroy: In episode four, Farmer [=McDonough=] pulls a gun on Josh to [[ShotgunWedding force him to marry his daughter Betsy]]. [[{{Schoolmarm}} Emma Tate]] simply snatches the weapon from him and disassembles it. She then proceeds to tell off the farmer for trying to force men into marrying his daughter and how this actually shows a lack of belief in his daughter's worth in his eyes. |
| 79 | * DisposableSexWorker: Season 2's plot is kicked off by the muder of Elsie Vale, a dancer at the seedy Kratt Klub/brothel. |
| 80 | * DistantDuet: "Suddenly", sung by Emma (at the school) and Doc Lopez (outside his practice) to Josh and Melissa respectively. At one point SplitScreen is used so the couples can dance together. |
| 81 | * DoppelgangerGetsSameSentiment: In season 2, Josh and Melissa can't help but react with familiarity to the Schmicagoan characters because they so strongly resemble the Schmigadoonians (out-of-universe, are played by the same actors) they befriended in season 1. |
| 82 | ** On seeing angry butcher [[Creator/AlanCumming Dooley Blight]]: |
| 83 | --->'''Josh:''' It's the mayor. Hey, Mr. Mayor!\ |
| 84 | '''Melissa:'''...I don't think that's the mayor. |
| 85 | ** Inverted when Melissa has to point out [[Creator/DoveCameron Jenny]] looks like Betsy, whom Josh was forcibly engaged to in Schmigadoon. |
| 86 | ** Lampshaded with [[Creator/KristinChenoweth Miss Codwell]]: |
| 87 | --->'''Melissa:''' Very different, yet, somehow, still mean. |
| 88 | * DreamBallet: Defied. Melissa is by herself in the wilderness and about to have a formative moment, when the lighting turns purple and a similarly dressed dancer approaches her. She then puts a stop to the whole affair, disparaging dream ballets and saying she has no time for them. The lighting reverts and the dancer walks away. |
| 89 | * DrivingADesk: Countess Von Blerkom [[StylisticSuck drives an obviously stationary vehicle over an obviously projected background]]. She even takes a break from driving during her musical number! |
| 90 | * DunceCap: Emma, the schoolteacher, puts a red dunce cap on Josh during "With All of Your Heart" (a number about how he shouldn't give up so easily). |
| 91 | * EarnYourHappyEnding: Pretty much the entire plot revolves around this concept, particularly Season 2, where Josh and Melissa’s quest is to bring happiness to the residents of Schmicago in order to return home. |
| 92 | * EverythingExceptMostThings: When Josh is in a panic over Farmer [=McDonough=] trying to kill him after breaking off his engagement to Betsy (which the farmer had forced at gunpoint in the first place), Melissa tries to reassure him telling him that "nobody gets killed in a musical"... only to immediately defeat her own point by citing ''four'' well-known musicals in which someone ''does'' get killed. An even more alarmed Josh replies, "that sounds like ''all the musicals''!" |
| 93 | * FallingChandelierOfDoom: In the final episode of season 2, [[spoiler:Kratt is offed when Miss Codwell cuts the rope on the chandelier hanging above his forced marriage ceremony to Melissa]]. |
| 94 | * FamilyRelationshipSwitcheroo: [[spoiler:Carson is Emma's illegitimate son, not her much younger brother. Nobody in the town knows, not even Carson himself.]] |
| 95 | * {{Foreshadowing}}: |
| 96 | ** During the town bake sale, Aloysius buys some of Howard's rhubarb squares and shares them with him, to the latter's delight. [[spoiler:Howard is in love with him.]] |
| 97 | ** During "Tribulation": |
| 98 | *** Mildred includes "wanton women having children out of wedlock, rowdy men using filthy language" as one of the things going to ruin Schmigadoon. The finale reveals that [[spoiler:Nancy, the woman pregnant out of wedlock because her family didn't approve of the way her sailor boyfriend swore, is secretly her daughter.]] |
| 99 | *** In the same song, Mildred also warns of how the current changes will lead to "neon signs, smoke-filled rooms / Billiard parlors and painted ladies"; Season 2 of the show takes places in "Schmicago", which indeed contains all these things. |
| 100 | ** Codwell's number "The Worst Brats In Town" uses "brats" to refer to the plucky orphans who populate Schmicago. Dooley's reprise of it uses "the worst brats in town" to refer to his sausages. Initially just a bit of clever wordplay, but [[spoiler:as this is the ''Theatre/SweeneyTodd''-esque plotline, they realize that they can [[TheSecretToLongPorkPies refer to the same thing]].]] |
| 101 | %%* ForcedPerspective: The leprechaun's brief scene is shot like this. |
| 102 | * FirefighterArsonist: PlayedForLaughs in "How We Change," the last episode of the first season. During a scene where the townsfolk are confessing secrets and revealing HiddenDepths (and being congratulated by the protagonists), the town firefighter confesses to being an arsonist. |
| 103 | * FixFic: Josh and Melissa must create a happy ending in to escape Schmicago. Melissa points out that these musucals typicaly don't have happy endings, so they've essentially been assigned to create one of these from the inside out. |
| 104 | * GilliganCut: |
| 105 | ** At the beginning, the managers of the retreat that Melissa and Josh are attending warn them not to wander too far and reassure them that the weather will clear up soon. Cut to Josh and Melissa being lost for hours as rain pours around them. |
| 106 | ** Melissa announces her intention of encouraging Doc Lopez's parents to have sex, ending with "And finally, in spite of you, they are going to truly live!" Cut to [[spoiler: Doc Lopez Sr. in a casket, after [[OutWithABang his heart gives out during sex]].]] |
| 107 | * GirlsBehindBars: The song number "Bustin' Out" features three women singing about leaving a bad boyfriend with sexy prison imagery and choreography: [[InstitutionalApparel black and white striped minidresses]], handcuffs, and chains. |
| 108 | * GracefulLoser: Subverted and [[LampshadeHanging lampshaded]]. Based on her knowledge of musicals, Melissa assumes that Doctor Lopez's fiancé, the Countess Von Blerkom, will gracefully step aside once she realizes that the Doc is in love with someone else. She is wrong and winds up stranded in the middle of nowhere, having been forced out of the car at gunpoint by a determined Countess. |
| 109 | * GreekChorus: The ensemble serves as this during Season 1, as approriate for Golden Age musicals. The main difference being they're explaining things to Josh and Melissa rather than directly to the audience. This causes them to butt in with large, exuberant numbers while the couple is trying to talk. Season 2 replaces them with a LemonyNarrator. |
| 110 | * HappilyMarried: [[spoiler:Josh and Melissa]] achieve this in Season 2, where they share several romantic moments during and after their wedding, and their biggest onscreen tribulations result from circumstances beyond their control (such as [[LawOfInverseFertility their difficulties conceiving a child]]). |
| 111 | * HaveAGayOldTime: |
| 112 | ** After Mayor Aloysius Menlove sings a song that's obviously about loving men, Melissa asks him if he's gay. Being an old-timey musical character, he interprets this as her asking if he's happy, so he responds that he tries to be. |
| 113 | ** Riffing on the same joke, Aloysius's wife Florence, who sings a song about her "queer" husband -- "queer" in the sense of strange, because he's not like the other men in town and is instead kind, gentle, and InTouchWithHisFeminineSide, even if he's not as sexually aggressive as she would like. Throughout the song Melissa's facial expressions show the differences in how she and Florence define "queer". |
| 114 | * HeartwarmingOrphan: All of Miss Codwell's orphans are adorable, making it strange to watch her complain about them everytime she's on screen, especially for things like being sick, and not eating. [[spoiler:They even dance around without complaint when Miss Codwell and Dooley Blight talk about making them into meat to sell to in Mr. Blight's butcher's shop.]] |
| 115 | * HiddenDepths: As it turns out, many of the townspeople are more than their two-dimensional theater roles: for example, Harvey the innkeeper would like to be an actor. [[spoiler:Letting these secrets and facts air out leads to the resolution to be better in the more modern finale number "This is How We Change".]] |
| 116 | * HeelFaceTurn: [[spoiler: The entire town of Schmicago, including TheDragon Seargent Rivera, put aside thier issues and band together to rescue Josh and Melissa from Kratt.]] |
| 117 | * {{Homage}}: |
| 118 | ** The central premise is a homage to ''Theatre/{{Brigadoon}}'' (note the title), about two tourists who chance upon a mysterious, stuck-in-the-past town that only appears every century. Instead of finding Brigadoon through true love, one has to find true love to leave Schmigadoon. |
| 119 | ** The majority of the songs in both seasons are homages to specific songs from classic musicals, which are listed on [[Homage/{{Schmigadoon}} their own page]]. |
| 120 | ** Though it's not referenced in song, the scene in S2 where [[spoiler: Kratt threatens Josh's life to get Melissa to marry him, before being killed by a falling chandelier]] is a clear nod to ''Theatre/ThePhantomOfTheOpera''. |
| 121 | * ImmediateSequel: After "How We Change" ends the first season with Josh and Melissa crossing the bridge out of Schmigadoon, "Welcome to Schmicago" begins the second season with the duo landing back in their own world. |
| 122 | * InherentlyAttractiveProfession: PlayedWith. The [=McDonough=] sisters fawn over the fact that Josh is a doctor, but the townspeople are less impressed whenever Melissa brings up her own medical credentials due to DeliberateValuesDissonance. |
| 123 | * InstantBirthJustAddLabor: Parodied. Melissa and Josh deliver a baby and note that it was an incredibly quick birth and that the baby even [[CleanPrettyChildbirth came out dry]]. They HandWave it to the musical universe they're stuck in. |
| 124 | * InstitutionalApparel: The male prisoners of Schmicago are decked out in black and white striped jumpsuits. |
| 125 | * KazoosMeanSilliness: Following Melissa's advice, Josh tries to progress his story along the lines of ''Theatre/TheMusicMan'', where the protagonist gives his love interest's little brother a trumpet. Instead, the only thing he can pick up on short notice is the inherently more hilarious kazoo, and gives it to Carson. The little boy is delighted and starts blowing out silly kazoo notes. |
| 126 | * LawOfInverseFertility: In contrast to all the unwanted children running around Schmicago, Melissa and Josh are not able to conceive despite trying for some time. |
| 127 | * LiteralMetaphor: Before "Cross that Bridge", Josh spins a yarn to the unmarried women of the town about a family tradition involving crossing a bridge to know that he wants to end up with a woman (really, he's trying to find "true love" to get out of Schmigadoon). The women, who have chalked up being unmarried to "crossing that bridge when they get there", sing that in this case, they are ''literally'' crossing a bridge to get married. |
| 128 | -->''"It's not a metaphor\ |
| 129 | Oh no, it's something more\ |
| 130 | It's a literal bridge!"'' |
| 131 | * LoveTriangle: Between Doc Lopez, Melissa, and Countess Von Blerkom, to whom Doc Lopez is engaged. |
| 132 | * LyricalDissonance: "Good Enough to Eat" is an ''Theatre/{{Annie}}''-esque cheery, upbeat number with a lot of children in the ensemble. The lyrics are about [[spoiler:turning said children into meat for the butcher to sell]]. |
| 133 | * MayDecemberRomance: The elderly Octavius Kratt is having a dalliance with the young performer Jenny Banks. |
| 134 | * MeetCute: The very first scenes depict Josh and Melissa's first meeting. Melissa's chocolate bar got stuck in the hospital vending machine and Josh instructed her to kick it in a certain spot. When she does so, snacks come pouring out of the machine. Sparks fly between them and they proceed to date for many years. |
| 135 | * MidwordRhyme: The number "The Worst Brats In Town": |
| 136 | -->'''Miss Codwell:''' If by chance you're searchin'\ |
| 137 | For an urchin\ |
| 138 | I got your ''merchan''dise right here |
| 139 | * MinorCharacterMajorSong: |
| 140 | ** Lampshaded by [[GenreSavvy musical theater fan Melissa]], who notes that Countess Gabriele Van Blerkom (the [[Theatre/TheSoundOfMusic Baroness]]-esque DisposableFiance character) gets a showstopping number to herself for some reason. |
| 141 | ** The Emcee from Season 2 has very little to do but gets an extended ''{{Theatre/Dreamgirls}}''-style number simply telling the audience the show is almost over. Especially noticeable in a show that already has a seperate narrator who also addresses the audience. |
| 142 | * MoralGuardians: The Mothers Against the Future, who prefer to keep the town old-fashioned and conservative. They dispose of books they consider bad influences, subvert the mayor's authority, and dislike Josh and Melissa's newfangled ideas. |
| 143 | * MusicalWorldHypotheses: A mix of "Alternate Universe", "All in their Heads", and "All-Maestro Cast". The musical numbers only happen in the magical town of Schmigadoon, where Josh and Melissa are trapped. Danny reacts with confusion when Melissa congratulates him on his song, indicating he wasn't physically aware he was performing, but Melissa is conscious of how she makes up verses on the fly. |
| 144 | * MyCarHatesMe: Josh and Melissa's car fails outside Schmicago. When they try to flee a crime scene, it won't start, and they find a leprechaun beseeching them to stay in Schmicago once more. |
| 145 | * TheNameIsBondJamesBond: Octavius Kratt introduces himself with "Kratt, Octavius Kratt". Since he's tall, intimidating, and has a deep voice, Josh and Melissa are sufficiently cowed. |
| 146 | * TheNewRockAndRoll: In a parody of [[Theatre/{{Chicago}} Roxie Hart's press conference scene]]. Bobby can apparently get accused murderers in TheRoaringTwenties themed downtown portion of Schmicago declared innocent by having them say their minds were corrupted by jazz. It appears to work well enough until Josh goes off-script. |
| 147 | * NewSeasonNewName: The second season intro gives the full title ''Schmigadoon!: Schmicago'', although Apple TV+ files all of the episodes under the shorter name. |
| 148 | * NotStayingForBreakfast: After Melissa's one-night stand with Danny, she ends up leaving his house without tasting the breakfast he made when he starts freaking out about how is he going to provide for their child (Melissa tries in vain to tell him she has an IUD, so she's ''very'' unlikely to actually be pregnant). |
| 149 | * NudeNatureDance: PlayedForLaughs. The hippies Josh falls in with express their dismay at the state of Schmicago and say they have to get back to the natural order of things... that is, nudism. A whole musical number about it. |
| 150 | -->'''Topher:''' Ooh, flowers don't wear pants, so why should we...? |
| 151 | * OdeToFood: "Corn Puddin'" is sung by the townsfolk about how much they love the savory dish, with a sprinkle of DoubleEntendre on top. |
| 152 | * OhCrap: Right after mayoral-candidate Mildred lays down a vicious trashing of the town's people, Howard dryly announces that it's time to vote. |
| 153 | -->'''Mildred''': I hope you all die and go straight to hell because that's exactly where you idiots belong! I hate you!\ |
| 154 | '''Howard''': All right. Time for the vote.\ |
| 155 | '''Mildred''': I'd like to explain exactly what I meant by that. |
| 156 | * OldPeopleAreNonsexual: |
| 157 | ** Doc Lopez tells his elderly parents that they are "too old for the act of love" when they try to borrow lube. |
| 158 | ** Averted with Codwell and Dooley, however, as they seem to have a very strong if awkward and creepy attraction once Josh and Melissa get them together. |
| 159 | * OneNightStandPregnancy: Subverted. After Danny and Melissa's night together, Danny starts worrying about how to provide for their potential baby... all the while ignoring Melissa, who's trying to tell him that there won't be a baby because she has an IUD. |
| 160 | * TheOner: The entirely of the number "Tribulation" is shot in one take and is about 3 minutes long as Mildred circles the town square. |
| 161 | * OrphanageOfFear: Miss Codwell has children tend bar, sleep in cages, verbally abuses them, [[spoiler: and when Dooley Blight comes wanting meat, Codwell offers them up to be slaughtered.]] None of it seems to faze them in any way. |
| 162 | * OutWithABang: Melissa defiantly informs Doc Lopez that [[OldPeopleAreNonsexual contrary to his way of thinking]], his parents can and should have sex, and she'll help them expand their sex position knowledge. [[BlackComedy The scene then cuts]] to Old Doc Lopez's funeral as the Reverend gently announces to the congregation that the old man's heart gave out while performing the Egyptian hucklebuck. |
| 163 | * PoliticallyCorrectHistory: Inverted and played with. Schmigadoon appears to be stuck in the late 19th century, with people of different colors who would not be allowed certain positions in real life, (not to mention the mayor being homosexual would have caused a huge scandal) but the magical nature of the town justifies elements of semi-modernity. Melissa chalks it up to ColorblindCasting. |
| 164 | * PracticallyDifferentGenerations: Emma, who is in her late twenties, is schoolteacher to her elementary school-aged brother. [[spoiler:Subverted -- this is a cover story as he is her illegitimate son.]] |
| 165 | * RealAfterAll: Naturally, Josh and Melissa assume this weird town is some huge role-playing tourist attraction. They even play on the "cliches" the townspeople embrace. It's when they can't cross the bridge and, more importantly, a ''leprechaun'' appears and vanishes before them that the pair realize they're stuck in some weird musical world. |
| 166 | * RealIsBrown: |
| 167 | ** Relatively speaking. Flashbacks to Josh and Melissa's relationship in the "real world" are lit darker and without much saturation, in contrast to the bright artificiality of Schmigadoon. |
| 168 | ** In the season 2 finale [[spoiler: the final shot ends with Josh and Melissa turning a corner in New York City and the screen going from desaturated to a more natural color balance signaling their dour state from the beginning of the season is starting to lift in the real world.]] |
| 169 | * RidiculousExchangeRates: Parodied. These are musical versions of the 1910s and 1920s, so Josh and Melissa have more than enough money with anything in their wallets. How two out of towners came to so much money or the viability of 21st century currency is never questioned. Melissa manages to buy the services of a top-level defense attorney for $20. [[spoiler: Kratt]] only pays $10. |
| 170 | -->'''Melissa''': Ten dollars? Girl, be corrupt but have some pride. |
| 171 | * RomanticFalseLead: [[spoiler:Danny and Jorge for Melissa; Betsy and Emma for Josh. All four helped Melissa and Josh realize that they wanted to get back together and work on their relationship.]] |
| 172 | * RunningGag: |
| 173 | ** Someone throwing a projectile will inevitably hit Pete, who will yell "Ow" offscreen, followed by "[[PhraseCatcher Sorry, Pete]]!" |
| 174 | ** Melissa saying "Yee-honk" to surprising developments. |
| 175 | * ShotgunWedding: [[BoyfriendBlockingDad Farmer McDonough]] catches Josh on a picnic with his daughter Betsy and forces him to propose at gunpoint. |
| 176 | * ShoutOut: |
| 177 | ** Melissa asks why an old-timey musical town should be any weirder than [[ComicBook/TheMightyThor Thor summoning Mjolnir]]. |
| 178 | ** Josh describes Schmigadoon as "if ''Series/TheWalkingDead'' [[JustForFun/XMeetsY were also]] ''Series/{{Glee}}''".[[invoked]] |
| 179 | --->'''Melissa:''' You watched ''Glee''?\ |
| 180 | '''Josh:''' I was aware of it, yes. |
| 181 | ** A number of the ''dramatis personae'' of Schmigadoon are inspired by classic musical theater characters: |
| 182 | *** The leprechaun who explains the rules of the premise alludes to [[Theatre/FiniansRainbow Og]]. |
| 183 | *** Farmer [=McDonough=] to [[Theatre/{{Oklahoma}} Andrew Carnes]], as the overprotective father of a flirtatious daughter who forces an outsider to propose to her with the barrel end of his gun. |
| 184 | *** Nancy shares her name with the female lead of ''Theatre/{{Oliver}}'', though she's not as straightforward an homage as the characters listed above. |
| 185 | ** Anytime writing is seen on town signage or on Emma's chalkboard, it's likely a reference to Golden Age composers. Even something like a list of states and their dates of admission into the Union is a shout-out [[note]]([[Theatre/{{Oklahoma}} Oklahoma]], [[Theatre/{{Carousel}} Maine]], [[Theatre/TheMusicMan Iowa, Indiana]] (the latter referencing the song "Gary, Indiana") and [[Main/BigApplesauce New York]])[[/note]]. |
| 186 | ** Josh explains the ''Film/AirBud'' rule to Carson. |
| 187 | ** In season 2, a kidnapped Josh attempts to stall by using ''Air Bud'' as a parable (again) - after apparently doing so with ''Film/TheGoonies''. |
| 188 | ** Melissa complains that their Schmicago room is like a season of ''Series/AmericanHorrorStory''. Notably, ''American Horror Story'' also re-used a ProductionPosse of recurring actors, as Schmigadoon and Schmicago do. |
| 189 | ** This exchange from "Do We Shock You": |
| 190 | --->'''Chorus Girls:''' There's no norm we won't transgress; look, there's a man and he's wearing a dress!\ |
| 191 | '''Melissa:''' I mean, I've seen every season of ''[[Series/RuPaulsDragRace Drag Race]]'' so... |
| 192 | ** Shots of Schmicago exteriors in "Bells and Whistles" show buildings named for some lyricists and composers the season takes its pastiche from: Creator/FredEbb, Creator/JerryHerman, Creator/JohnKander, Creator/StephenSondheim, and Creator/StephenSchwartz. Similarly in season 1 there is a shop called [[Creator/OscarHammerstein Hammerstein's]] frequently seen in the background, and the list of parent-teacher appointments in Emma's classroom includes parents with the names Willson, Berlin, Lerner, Loewe, and other golden-age composers. |
| 193 | * SnowMeansLove: Josh and Melissa first confessed their love to each other in the snow. |
| 194 | * StealthPun: Melissa finds Dooley Blight, season 2's Theatre/{{Sweeney Todd|The Demon Barber of Fleet Street}} parallel, by following a clue to Quick Street. "Quick" is a synonym of "Fleet". |
| 195 | * SustainedMisunderstanding: It turns out Melissa has somehow believed the term "dog eat dog world" is actually "doggy-dog world." Her logic is "dogs don't each other, it makes no sense!" Josh tries to argue how literally no one else on Earth uses that phrase but eventually gives up, even admitting Melissa's version makes more sense, but she still uses it. |
| 196 | * TakeItToTheBridge: The protagonists enter Schmigadoon by crossing a mysterious bridge in the forest. |
| 197 | * ThemeNaming: |
| 198 | ** Some of the townsfolk introduced in the first episode are named for musical theater men: [[Theatre/TheMusicMan Marcellus]], [[Theatre/HelloDolly Barnaby]], [[Theatre/{{Carousel}} Enoch]], and [[Theatre/{{Oklahoma}} Curly]]. |
| 199 | ** Betsy's sisters are all named after classic musical theater ladies: [[Theatre/{{Oklahoma}} Laurey]], [[Theatre/{{Carousel}} Carrie]], [[Theatre/SouthPacific Nellie]], [[Theatre/{{Brigadoon}} Fiona]], [[Theatre/CinderellaRodgersAndHammerstein Cindy]], and [[Film/MeetMeInStLouis Tootie]]. |
| 200 | ** In season 2, the cabaret girls at the Kratt Klub are named after the orphan girls in ''Theatre/{{Annie}}'': Annie, Kate, Molly, Tessie, Duffy, and Pepper. The only [[OddNameOut exception]] is Elsie, who is named after a dead friend of Sally Bowles that is mentioned in the title song of ''Theatre/{{Cabaret}}''. This is because Jenny is based on Sally [[spoiler:and Elsie's murder in the first episode drives the plot.]] |
| 201 | * TonightSomeoneDies: The Narrator sings "And also someone's gonna fry" before flipping a switch on a sparking electric chair. [[spoiler: In the finale, the villain Octavious Kratt is electocuted when a chandelier is dropped on him.]] |
| 202 | * WelcomingSong: |
| 203 | ** The eponymous song, "Schmigadoon!", where the townspeople welcome Josh and Melissa to the town and introduce some of the noteworthy folks. |
| 204 | ** "Welcome To Schmicago", the opening number of season 2. |
| 205 | * WretchedHive: Schmicago is essentially a few different flavors of this held together by a monopolistic energy mogul making it something of a CompanyTown. The most liveable place appears to be a hippie commune that looks like a junkyard. |
| 206 | * UncannyValleyMakeup: Most of the chorus has unnaturally white base and very bright lip color and eye shadow to make them [[SickeninglySweet cute to the point of being offputting]]. Most of the leads and romantic interests are spared this, save for [[ObviouslyEvil Mildred]] and Betsy who are borderline cases. |
| 207 | ---- |
| 208 | -->''"Happy endings don't exist\ |
| 209 | But here's a pearl you may have missed\ |
| 210 | Every day can be a happy beginning."'' |
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