‘Schmigadoon!’ review: Apple TV+ musical series falls into the very trap it consciously makes fun of

The musical comedy series starring Keegan-Michael Key and Cecily Strong falls flat, despite a strong cast

First off, I should confess that I am a huge fan of musicals. So, when Apple TV+ that currently holds a good roster of content under its belt, announced Schmigadoon!, a six-episode musical comedy series, I was hopeful. And, with one of my favourite comedians Keegan-Michael Key helming the cast along with SNL favourite Cecily Strong, I thought nothing could possibly go wrong. But there is little that went right. . Observe the title: Schmigadoon! The exclamation point at the end rightly captures the show’s mood. It’s over-the-top, bright and loud; with a persistent, almost annoying need to be happy and cheerful. So, the story goes thus: Doctor-couple Melissa and Josh from New York City go on a hike to redeem their four-year-long, now rocky relationship, but they lose their way and find themselves in Schmigadoon, a town stuck in a 1940s musical. They are trapped in this town until they find “true love” or “whatever Schmigadoon thinks is true love”, as Josh puts it. The plot as a one liner is very intriguing, but the idea deflates as episodes go by. The series is loosely based on a 1947 Broadway production titled Brigadoon.