Why You Should Watch … Galavant · 6:18pm Aug 23rd, 2019
Today’s post doesn’t have much to do with reading. The title, admittedly, gives that away, but I’ve been around long enough to know that sometimes even I skim over a title in my haste to read the article (and surely, I can’t be the only one?) so … Yeah, today’s post isn’t about a book. Or a series of articles.
Today’s post is about a TV show.
Now look, I promise I won’t do this often. Mine is a site dedicated first and foremost to writing and fiction.
But … sands and storms did this show never get the credit it deserved. At all. Personally, I think it had somewhat to do with the medium. Premiering on a cable network that likely had no idea what to make of it, it seemed a hard sell on an audience that is shrinking by the year (cable TV). I suspect that had Galavant shown up on some other network, like Amazon or Netflix, right off of the bat, we might have seen three, four, or even five seasons rather than the meager two it ran on ABC.
Why? Well, personally, I’m not sure execs knew what to make of Galavant. Or the general television audience. It’s … not a normal show. It’s a show that would stand out perfectly on Netflix or Amazon as a show that’s made for an audience that’s always looking forward. But for a more traditional, status-quo seeking cable network audience? It’s kind of a hard sell.
Okay, enough beating around the bush. What is Galavant? Well … are you ready? Galavant, as I would describe, is:
*Inhales* A musical, meta, fourth-wall aware, fantasy comedy. And yes, I mean musical in the sense that everyone breaks out into song and dance with astonishing regularity. Several times per episode, actually. And they’re aware they do it (see the “meta” tag). Sometimes they’re even aware that there’s been a commercial break, or that most viewers only Tivo the show for later and aren’t watching it live (fourth-wall what?).
I checked for years for a DVD release, and a soundtrack release, and was ecstatic when they finally happened. I would actually say that the second season isn't quite as funny as the first, but only because the writers had gotten more emotionally invested in their characters and weren't quite as willing to laugh at them.
I remember watching this show as it came out. It was so absolutely, fantastically bizzare that I'm smiling a bit just trying to remember all that I can of it. Richard was easily my favorite of an amazing cast. Then there's the reoccuring peasant children who basically just hoped they got a chance to live before dying young and forgotten or something like that..
Plus a million other things I forget because it's been a couple years. I second this recommendation.
I haven't seen it since it came out, so if it's on Netflix I might give it another watch.