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Post by oxfordsimon on Jul 16, 2021 16:32:58 GMT
Anyone else caught wind of this new Musical Theatre comedy drama on Apple TV?
Has a lot of big names in the cast.
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Post by Deleted on Jul 16, 2021 16:59:34 GMT
It's had some pretty good reviews. The first two episodes are available so I think I'll try to watch them this weekend.
Fabulous cast though - Alan Cumming, Aaron Tveit, Jane Krakowski, Kristin Chenoweth, Ariana DeBose, Ann Harada and Dove Cameron as well as Keegan-Michael Key and Cecily Strong. Should be good vocals and dancing if nothing else!
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Post by robertb213 on Jul 16, 2021 19:59:19 GMT
Just watched the first one - for anyone who hates musicals, it'll be hell, but it's lovely for the rest of us. It captures the musicals of the Hollywood Golden Age really well. Awesome cast as mentioned above. It could be funnier and it needs a bit of sharpening up, but the ensemble numbers are great and it definitely has potential 👍
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Post by steve10086 on Jul 16, 2021 20:27:26 GMT
And it has “Worlds Sexiest Man” Keegan-Michael Key.
I enjoyed the first two episodes. Perfectly captures 1940’s musicals.
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Post by stuartmcd on Jul 17, 2021 0:18:46 GMT
Oh these first couple of episodes were wonderful. Just the kind of the show that keeps you smiling throughout. Really looking forward to the rest of the season.
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Post by crowblack on Jul 28, 2021 22:15:12 GMT
Anyone else caught wind of this new Musical Theatre comedy drama on Apple TV? Has a lot of big names in the cast. They've just featured it on Celebrity Gogglebox and it looks fun. I hadn't heard of it till now. |
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Post by ThereWillBeSun on Jul 28, 2021 23:29:09 GMT
HOW TO GET APPLE TV?
*GOOGLES*
Love the premise of this!
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Post by robertb213 on Jul 29, 2021 11:43:25 GMT
It's a bit daft but it's just lovely having something theatrical and musical on the telly. Great cast as well. Aaron Tveit has the highest-waisted trousers EVER.
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Post by geertm on Jul 29, 2021 21:55:06 GMT
I just watched the first three episodes. Loved it!
"No, not another song!".
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Post by couldileaveyou on Jul 30, 2021 9:27:23 GMT
It's cute a show. I feel like the songs are too close to the originals to be truly funny by themselves (unlike, for instance, Crazy Ex Girlfriend) but there's a brilliant Do-Re-Mi pastiche in the fourth episode.
Also, suspension of disbelief is important for fiction but the idea that anyone would reject both Keegan-Michael Key AND Aaron Tveit is just too much.
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Post by robertb213 on Jul 30, 2021 11:33:34 GMT
I've got the 4th episode to watch this afternoon with some kind of chocolate 😀
Also Dove Cameron seems to be treating it as a public audition for Glinda in the Wicked movie.... I wouldn't be mad about that casting!
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Post by Deleted on Jul 30, 2021 14:50:01 GMT
Also Dove Cameron seems to be treating it as a public audition for Glinda in the Wicked movie.... I wouldn't be mad about that casting! She's good but a bit young up against most of the likely suspects for Elphaba. Although they are students they probably do need to be cast a bit older. I wouldn't object to a Dove Cameron and Ariana DeBose Glinda/Elphaba combination though! |
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Post by ThereWillBeSun on Jul 30, 2021 16:04:31 GMT
It's cute a show. I feel like the songs are too close to the originals to be truly funny by themselves (unlike, for instance, Crazy Ex Girlfriend) but there's a brilliant Do-Re-Mi pastiche in the fourth episode. Also, suspension of disbelief is important for fiction but the idea that anyone would reject both Keegan-Michael Key AND Aaron Tveit is just too much. I LOVE CRAZY EX GIRLFRIEND.  Bought some lovely art work on Etsy so I can frame. |
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Post by prophet on Jul 30, 2021 16:43:14 GMT
Two episodes in! I think it's really great.
Shame it's only 4 episode...
Aaron Tveit yes please
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Post by couldileaveyou on Jul 30, 2021 16:49:05 GMT
Two episodes in! I think it's really great. Shame it's only 4 episode... Aaron Tveit yes please It's 6 episodes in total |
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Post by prophet on Jul 30, 2021 16:54:02 GMT
Two episodes in! I think it's really great. Shame it's only 4 episode... Aaron Tveit yes please It's 6 episodes in total You made my heart sing! |
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Post by Deleted on Aug 16, 2021 10:54:00 GMT
I watched the remainder of the series over the weekend and overall really enjoyed it.
I've been a huge fan for a long time so I am probably biased, but I thought Ariana DeBose stole the show completely in the last 3 episodes. She was the only one who really gave her character much depth at all (though I know that wasn't really the point, but her face did more work than anyone else's and it did make a difference) and her song was the best of the entire show for me and the only one I keep humming aside from the ending. Her character's relationship with Keegan Michael Key was more believable than any of the others too. Looking forward to her Anita even more now.
Loved Jane Krakowski's cameo, even if it was too close to the Sound of Music for the dialogue to really be funny, it only worked when she started to sing. Alan Cumming and Ann Harada were great and Dove Cameron will make a great Glinda if the rumours are true.
I didn't much like Jamie Camill at all (though I can see the physical attraction!) and to my surprise I hated Kristin Chenoweth's solo number - overlong, not funny and it would have been better without one long take so it didn't seem like she was about to lose it several times. I really like her and thought she was great as the character, but the song didn't work.
My main problem with the show was that Keegan Michael Key and Cecily Strong for me just didn't have much chemistry. I didn't care whether they got back together and thought Keegan's character would have been better off with the schoolmarm. It does distract from a show when the main couple have no chemistry, but still an enjoyable watch overall with a few standout moments.
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Post by n1david on Aug 16, 2021 18:21:18 GMT
I enjoyed it but it wasn't quite as sharp as I'd hoped. The songs were warm pastiches but I'd have liked a bit more edge. It was more of an homage to the golden age of musicals and poked only gentle fun at the genre, unlike for example Crazy Ex-Girlfriend which was more satirical. Agree that Ariana DeBose was superb, loved the character and loved the performance. All the performances were broad to some extent but her part seemed to have more character to it. Having said that it was a feel-good series for me, the series was crafted very well and I do wonder if they are hoping for a second series - after all, we didn't actually see them go over the bridge. In a sense I hope not because there's a question of what else to say, but I thought the ending was deliberately ambiguous |
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Post by olliebean on Aug 16, 2021 18:24:50 GMT
I wondered if they'd originally planned for more episodes, as narratively it seemed somewhat rushed at the end towards story resolutions that didn't feel entirely earned. Still enjoyed the songs, though.
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Post by Mark on Aug 16, 2021 18:55:22 GMT
I thought the same, very rushed at the end. You can't really do much with 6 30 minute episodes.
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Post by Deleted on Aug 16, 2021 21:17:37 GMT
I suppose 6x30 minute episodes is the length of Les Mis, but this was really trying to be more than one musical (plus it lost time with the opening and credits each time so it's probably 2.5 hours overall). I wonder if they didn't get as much latitude as they hoped for from Apple TV.
I'd be surprised if it gets renewed but I'd watch it if it does. Not sure where they would go with it though.
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Post by dlevi on Aug 17, 2021 12:03:51 GMT
I loved it from start to finish. Very affectionate about musicals but also smart enough to just relax and have fun. Did anyone else notice who the parent teach conferences were with on the schoolhouse blackboard? Delightful.
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Post by stuartmcd on Aug 17, 2021 16:45:16 GMT
Cinco Paul has done a bit of a Q&A on Twitter and said that the original plan was to have 8 episodes but for various reasons it had to be cut down to 6. He also noted that they had scheduling issues with Jane Krakowski made worse by the pandemic so I’m guessing the pandemic may have led to the loss of episodes.
He also wrote that his concept for the show involved more than one season but that’s all he can say for now. I’m sure we will see another season of this in future.
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Post by mrbarnaby on Aug 17, 2021 23:21:05 GMT
Why would they do a second season? They couldn’t drag the idea out for one.
The whole thing was deeply unsatisfying. Only one or two good songs and a waste of a brilliant cast. Also the lead couple were so awful (as characters- not actors) that who cared if they stayed together or not.
This is way too niche to have a big audience.
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Post by oxfordsimon on Aug 22, 2021 23:35:41 GMT
The only thing stopping this from being a real breakout hit is the lack of MT knowledge in the broader audience.
It is fab if you can spot all the Golden Era parodies. But if your love of musicals started with Wicked and now extends as far as Six, then this will feel utterly alien to you.
I loved it and binged it in one session but it only really works if you know the shows that inspired it.
I am sure they will want to build on it with a second season. But it will feel forced. Musical sequels rarely thrive.
Let it be this quirky curio that is loved by those that get it.
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