Schmigadoon!

Bright, colorful, and lots of surreal fun, this series spoofing creaky old musicals both satirizes the conventions of the genre and gives us a central story to hold onto. Josh and Melissa have a classic meet-cute in the break room of the hospital where they both work, but in typical cinematic fashion, the course of their love doesn't run smoothly. The schism between them is made painfully clear when they land in magical Schmigadoon, where Melissa is charmed by the singing, dancing locals -- she thinks it's a show, like Williamsburg, for tourists, and when she attempts to join in on a verse, finds she knows exactly what to sing -- while Josh is decidedly not so. And so, dejected to find that the love between them isn't true enough to earn them a release from Schmigadoon, the two are forced to join in on local antics, and the audience gets to spend more time in this colorful little town.

For those who appreciate life lessons shared through song, flouncy dresses, and rampant harmonizing, Schmigadoon! sure is a treat, and musical fans will recognize conceits and musical numbers lifted directly from such favorites as The Sound of Music (whose anthem "Do-Re-Mi" is turned into a hysterical number in which Melissa explains the details of human reproduction in clinical terms) and vintage stage shows like Oklahoma! and Carousel. With old stage pros like Kristen Chenoweth and Alan Cumming on board, the Schmigadoon! cast is a delight (who knew Strong could sing?), and there are plenty of sharp jabs at the sexism, racism, and other -isms of the musical theater genre. Even for viewers who don't really care for hoary old song-and-dance numbers, there's plenty to enjoy, and the short episodes pass like a candy-colored dream. Musical fans, though, will be in raptures over the knowing yet affectionate mockery, and are likely to crown this a new TV fave to stand in the company of modern cult classics like Pushing Daisies and Crazy Ex-Girlfriend. Enjoy, stage nerds! This one is for you.