Product Code Database
Galavant is an American Musical film fantasy comedy television series, created and written by Dan Fogelman, with music and lyrics by Alan Menken and Glenn Slater. Fogelman, Menken and Slater also serve as executive producers alongside Chris Koch, Kat Likkel and John Hoberg. Joshua Sasse stars as the titular character, and is joined by principal cast members Timothy Omundson, Vinnie Jones, Mallory Jansen, Karen David, and Luke Youngblood. Jansen described Galavant as "the bastard child of Monty Python and The Princess Bride."
The series premiered on January 4, 2015, with its first season consisting of eight episodes which aired over four weeks. The series was renewed for a second season of ten episodes on May 7, 2015, which premiered on January 3, 2016, following the same airing scheme as the first season. On May 12, 2016, the series was canceled after two seasons.
In the second season, Richard attempts to find a new role for himself in life, and he falls in love with Roberta Steinglass, a childhood friend. Galavant goes to great lengths to recruit an army to help him on his quest. Richard also adopts a lizard, believing it will grow into a dragon and draws a sword that he does not know can only be drawn by the "one true king to unite them all." At the same time, Chester Wormwood, an evil sorcerer who doubles as a wedding planner, has taken control of Isabella's mind so she is now accepting being married to her cousin. When his plan eventually backfires, Isabella exiles him, and he flees to Valencia, where he encourages Gareth and Madalena to start an unplanned war with Hortensia. Wormwood also offers to teach them his "Dark Dark Evil Way" (abbreviated as D'DEW) of sorcery, which Gareth rejects but Madalena secretly accepts. All the episodes lead up to the finale, a huge battle between three armies, including the Valencians, the Hortensians, and a swarm of zombies led by Galavant and Richard.
Other filming locations include Caldicot Castle and Caerphilly Castle in Wales, Southern Down on the Bristol Channel, Berkeley Castle, Cosmeston Medieval Village, and Wells Cathedral.
On May 7, 2015, the series was renewed for a 10-episode second season. The title of the second-season premiere, "A New Season aka Suck It Cancellation Bear", mocks the predicted cancellation by the ratings website TV by the Numbers after the first season.
The series was cancelled on May 12, 2016. Upon cancellation, composer Menken expressed interest in continuing the series on stage.
The following songs featured on Galavant are performed by the Galavant cast.
| 1 | "Pilot" | "Galavant" |
| "Galavant Rides" | ||
| "Galavant (Isabella Reprise)" | ||
| "She'll Be Mine" | ||
| "Galavant Wrap-Up" | ||
| 2 | "Joust Friends" | "Hero's Journey" |
| "Stand Up" | ||
| "Maybe You're Not the Worst Thing Ever" | ||
| 3 | "Two Balls" | "Previously On Galavant" |
| "Oy! What a Knight" | ||
| "Jackass in a Can" | ||
| "Dance Until You Die" | ||
| 4 | "Comedy Gold" | "Togetherness" |
| "Lords of the Sea" | ||
| "Comedy Gold" | ||
| "Togetherness (Reprise)" | ||
| 5 | "Completely Mad...Alena" | "Galavant Gallivants" |
| "No One But You" | ||
| "Hey, Hey, We're the Monks" | ||
| "Hey, Hey, We're the Monks (Reprise)" | ||
| "If I Could Share My Life With You" | ||
| 6 | "Dungeons and Dragon Lady" | "I Love You (As Much As Someone Like Me Can Love Anyone)" |
| "A Day in Richard's Life" | ||
| "Love Is Strange" | ||
| 7 | "My Cousin Izzy" | "Moment in the Sun #1" |
| "Moment in the Sun #2" | ||
| "A Happy Ending For Us" | ||
| "Moment in the Sun #3" | ||
| "Moment in the Sun #4" | ||
| "Moment in the Sun #5" | ||
| 8 | "It's All in the Executions" | "Galavant Finale" |
| "Goodnight My Friend (Short)" | ||
| "Secret Mission" | ||
| "Goodnight My Friend" | ||
| "Goodnight My Friend (Reprise)" |
An official soundtrack for the first season was released on January 19, 2015.
| 1 | "A New Season aka Suck It Cancellation Bear" | "A New Season" |
| "Off With His Shirt" | ||
| "A New Season (Reprise)" | ||
| 2 | "World's Best Kiss" | "World's Best Kiss" |
| "Let's Agree to Disagree" | ||
| "World's Best Kiss (Reprise)" | ||
| 3 | "Aw, Hell, the King" | "Build a New Tomorrow" |
| "If I Were a Jolly Blacksmith" | ||
| "The Happiest Day of Your Life" | ||
| 4 | "Bewitched, Bothered and Belittled" | "As Good as it Gets" |
| "Serenade (Maybe You Won't Die Alone)" | ||
| "What Am I Feeling" | ||
| 5 | "Giants vs. Dwarves" | "My Dragon Pal and Me" |
| "Different Kind of Princess" | ||
| "Dwarves Vs Giants" | ||
| "My Dragon Pal and Me (Reprise)" | ||
| 6 | "About Last Knight" | "Today We Rise" |
| "He Was There" | ||
| "He Was There (Reprise)" | ||
| 7 | "Love and Death" | "Time is of the Essence" |
| "Love Makes the World Brand New" | ||
| "Goodbye" | ||
| 8 | "Do the D'DEW" | "I Don't Like You" |
| "Finally" | ||
| "A Dark Season" | ||
| 9 | "Battle of the Three Armies" | "Galavant Recap" |
| "A Good Day to Die" | ||
| "Do the D'Dew" | ||
| "A Good Day to Die (Reprise)" | ||
| 10 | "The One True King (To Unite Them All)" | "Will My Day Ever Come" |
| "A Real Life, Happily Ever After" | ||
| "Season 2 Finale" |
An official soundtrack for the second season was released on January 29, 2016.
Brian Lowry of Variety praised Galavant for its spirited and cheeky take on the TV musical genre, observing that the show addresses the typical challenges of TV musicals by utilizing a half-hour format, which, as stated, condenses the "need to create songs into a manageable task." Lowry highlighted the influences of the show, saying that Galavant "draws a strong debt to Monty Python and a lesser one to spoofs like When Things Were Rotten," and commended the series, featuring music by Alan Menken and lyrics by Glenn Slater, for its "rambunctious energy" and "cheeky lyrics". The show's blend of serialized storytelling and comedic elements, such as landlocked pirates and anachronistic jokes, also earned Lowry's approval. Matt Mitovich of TVLine said they were initially approaching Galavant with some hesitation but were unexpectedly drawn into the show, even binge-watching the six episodes available. They acknowledged that the plot progression can feel slow due to the inclusion of song-and-dance numbers and the antics of the more colorful characters, such as the king. Mitovich remarked, "ABC is smart to double-pump episodes," suggesting that viewers will feel more satisfied watching two episodes at a time. Mitovich likened Galavant to , noting its musical elements and higher production values, with a hint of The Princess Bride in its tone. They found the title track catchy, though they mentioned that while the other tunes might not be as memorable, the lyrics are often clever. Mitovich also highlighted some humorous lines, and praised Timothy Omundson for his portrayal of the clueless monarch.
Neil Genzlinger of The New York Times said Galavant is a playful yet inconsistent attempt at blending musical theater with television, stating that while the series, featuring Joshua Sasse as the titular hero, aims for a whimsical tone reminiscent of The Princess Bride and Monty Python's Spamalot, it often feels labored and doesn't fully capture the magic of live theater, though it earns points for trying something different. Nevertheless, it was recognized by Genzlinger for its inventive approach to the genre. Alan Sepinwall of HitFix, however, was more negative, writing, "...the whole is less than the sum of its comic and musical parts."
The second season was met with equally positive critical response: On Rotten Tomatoes, it has a 100% rating, based on 11 reviews, with an average rating of 7.80/10. The consensus reads: "The surprise second season of Galavant sends its cast in many directions, but keeps the fun and music that made it a hit firmly at its center." On Metacritic, it has a score of 77 out of 100, based on reviews from 4 critics, indicating "generally favorable reviews".
|
|
