ABC’s new musical comedy fairytale, “Galavant,” promises loads of laughter, whimsy, action, adventure, and catchy tunes. If you enjoy modern classics like “The Princess Bride,” “Robin Hood: Men in Tights,” “The Pirates of the Caribbean,” and Disney’s most beloved animated feature films, then ‘Galavant’ is the perfect show for you.
Before you get too excited, you should know that “Galavant” will air as a mid-season series during “Once Upon A Time’s” winter hiatus in early 2015. Sure, it may sound like a bummer now, but after ABC’s epic fail with last season’s poorly timed “Once Upon A Time in Wonderland,” saving a gem like “Galavant” for just the right time is a smart move. Judging from the captivating first trailer (embedded), it is easy to see why this show will be worth the wait.
Broadway World provides a detailed synopsis of “Galavant” and a very hilarious extended trailer featuring the first of many comedic musical numbers with surprisingly twisted lyrics that will make you laugh out loud. Bottom line: This is a fairytale for adults and kiddies alike.
Here is the official description for the highly entertaining “Galavant”:
“Screenwriter and executive producer Dan Fogelman (“Crazy, Stupid, Love,” “Tangled,” “Cars”) teams up with Broadway and Hollywood award-winning musical team-composer Alan Menken (“The Little Mermaid,” “Aladdin,” “Beauty and the Beast”) and lyricist Glenn Slater (“The Little Mermaid,” “Tangled”)-for a musical comedy fairytale of epic proportions.
Once upon a time, there was a dashing hero Galavant (Joshua Sasse), a slayer of dragons, protector of the innocent, and defender of the less fortunate. But one day, the evil King Richard (Timothy Omundson) fell for Galavant’s ladylove Madalena and kidnapped her. On Madalena and King Richard’s wedding day, Galavant courageously fought his way back to the palace to rescue his love. And while this is where most fairytales end happily ever after, it’s where the tale of GALAVANT truly begins. Madalena stuns Galavant when she announces that she chooses fame, fortune, and the crown over Galavant and breaks his heart. Five years later we rejoin Galavant, heartbroken and drowning his sorrows in drink. Having given up on heroics, he’s a bit out of shape and flat broke. But his faithful squire Sid sees a momentous opportunity when Princess Isabella of Valenciaarrives in search of “The Great Galavant.” She asks him to save her kingdom from its evil invader… none other than King Richard himself. Galavant must get back in the saddle, literally and figuratively, to take revenge on his nemesis, win back Madalena, and restore his “happily ever after.” But our fallen hero doesn’t realize that Isabella might not be revealing the whole story… Our hero’s quest for redemption will have many twists and turns along the way. And as one of the songs from Menken and Slater proclaims: “Huzzah And Tally-Ho! Sit Back And Here We Go!”
“Galavant” was written by Dan Fogelman, who also serves as executive producer. Executive producers are Alan Menken, Glenn Slater and Chris Koch. “Galavant” was directed by Chris Koch. Abbey C Studios Ltd. produces “Galavant” forABC Studios.”
Watch the uproarious extended trailer HERE.
Nay-sayers may believe the show seems campy or just plain silly, but this trailer proves otherwise. The charismatic cast lends a charming sensibility to the show. “Psych’s” Timothy Omundson was born to play King Richard and will surely bring a loyal following to his new series. If you loved him as Lassie, then you won’t be able to get enough of him as the deliciously evil King (#KingsBeard!). Newcomer Joshua Sasse shows a lot of promise as the titular character. Although this is a comedy, we still need to get a sense of real emotion and high stakes. Galavant’s journey will seem trivial and superficial if it is simply played for laughs. The trailer shows us that Sasse will bring a true sense of heart to his scorned and despairing hero striving to make a comeback. As for the show’s leading ladies, it certainly looks as though these damsels are in no distress. Mallory Jensen’s Madalena chooses wealth and power over love (much like ‘Once Upon A Time in Wonderland’s’ Anastasia aka the Red Queen.) Devastated by this bad romance, Galavant pathetically wallows in despair until another woman whips him back into shape. Karen David’s Princess Isabella reaches out to Galavant for help, but she still seems like a strong woman who is desperately trying to protect her kingdom. So it is safe to say ‘Galavant’ will follow in ‘Once Upon A Time’s’ footsteps and deliver a dose of girl power to some fairytale clichés. In addition to the relative newcomers we will get to know on the show, ABC has already snagged some impressive guest stars to add to the burgeoning anticipation.
On July 31, TVLine teased John Stamos’ upcoming appearance:
“Stamos will guest-star on the upcoming musical comedy seriesGalavant, reports ABC News, as a rival for the show’s titular character, played by Joshua Sasse. Though he’s only scheduled to film one episode next month in England, there’s a chance Stamos’ character will recur.
“We are absolutely thrilled that John Stamos is joining us on the series as Galavant’s longtime rival — a dashing knight who squares off against him once more in a local joust,” says executive producer Dan Fogelman. “We’ve wanted John to do an arc on this show since inception.””
Yay! Who doesn’t love a good joust? Perhaps they’ll take a cue from “A Knight’s Tale” and add a little classic rock to their musical repertoire. Either way, seeing Uncle Jesse as a jousting knight in shining armor will be priceless. But wait, there’s more!
On August 4, TVLine exclusively broke the news that “Downton Abbey’s” Hugh Bonneville will play “Peter the Pillager, a Pirate King who Galavant and Co. encounter on their journey.”
Will Bonneville’s pirate cause trouble for Galavant or will he help our hero fight the evil King? We will just have to wait and see.
‘Galavant’ is currently filming and the series stars and show-runners have been sharing their experiences on Twitter by posting some sweet and hilarious behind the scenes photos. To stay up-to-date on all the fun, follow the writers, composers and cast:
‘Galavant’ creator and writer: @Dan_Fogelman
Composer: @AIMenken
Galavant: @joshuasasse
Madalena: @MalloryJansen
Isabella: @KarenDavid
King Richard: @Omundson
Sid: @luke_youngblood
Guest stars: @JohnStamos and @hughbon
Lucky for us, on August 31 SpoilerTV posted an updated compilation of entertaining behind the scenes tweets. Click HERE and HERE for images of the cast, including a sneak peek of Stamos all decked out as a knight in shining armor.
Are you excited to see “Galavant”? Did the trailer and that clever song get you hooked? What other guest stars do you hope to see on the show? It would be amazing if “The Princess Bride’s” Cary Elwes had a guest starring arc on “Galavant.” He’d be perfect fit for the show and it would be so fun to watch him work with Omundson again. What do you think, Galavanters?
UPDATE: “Galavant” premieres January 4 at 8 p.m. on ABC.
Share your thoughts below and stay tuned for more scoop!
