A couple on a backpacking trip discover a magical town called Schmigadoon which is in a Golden Age musical, and find out they can not leave until they find true love.
Schmigadoon! Debuts on Apple TV+ on July 16.
We meet Melissa (Cecily Strong) and Josh (Keegan-Michael Key), both working their jobs at a hospital, and one day run they into each other at work, and the rest is history. The pair is happy, but their relationship could use some sprucing up, so what better way than to backpack together on the Sacred Heart Love Trail.
Amongst the trail, they are fighting and hear Church bells ringing. They stumble down the path and fall into the land of Schmigadoon! The place is filled with vibrant colors, choreographed music, and outstanding costumes (it is outlandish, as you can imagine). Melissa is quite smitten by the place, but Josh is skeptical and doesn’t want to stay.
While I thoroughly enjoy the chemistry between Keegan/Strong, Aaron Tveit is the best part of this entire pilot. He was funny, charming, and his big scene stole the whole show. He has the perfect amount of charisma and awareness to pull off this eccentric character of Danny Bailey.
I always say world-building is the key to a pilot, and writers Ken Daurio and Cinco Paul do just that. Schmigadoon! is colorful, vibrant, and full of music (including a hilarious break out into song over Corn Pudding), and they also build it around a struggling relationship.
The pilot is solid. While I think this show won’t be for everyone, as it feels like an SNL skit at times, some who enjoy crazy music in the middle of this crazy made-up world will love it. I would definitely continue onto the second episode.
The Music City Drive-In 
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