Galavant

Did You Know?

• Galavant was nominated for Outstanding Achievement in Sound Editing – Music Score and Musical for Episodic Short Form Broadcast Media at the 2015 Golden Reel Awards.
• The series was nominated for Outstanding Original Music and Lyrics at the 2016 Primetime Emmy Awards.
• Galavant – The Complete Collection was released on DVD in Region 1 on November 10, 2017.

Plot

Galavant is a dashing knight down on his luck, determined to reclaim his reputation and his happily ever after by going after the evil King Richard, who kidnapped the love of Galavant's life, Madalena. Madalena then decided to stay with Richard for his money and power. Galavant is assisted by his faithful squire, Sid, and Princess Isabella, whose kingdom of Valencia has been conquered by Richard. The malevolent but weak-willed Richard tries to win over the scheming Madalena and seeks help from his henchman, Gareth, and his chef, Vincenzo. The episodes chronicle Galavant's journeys through musical numbers. They participate in a joust, visit Sid's hometown, are captured by pirates, and stop with singing monks before being captured by Richard and Gareth. Madalena does not want to be rescued. Richard is knocked off the throne when his older brother, Kingsley, claims it. Gareth sets everyone free, and Madalena puts Gareth on the throne. Isabella and crew seek shelter with her cousin Harry, and Galavant and Richard set sail with pirates to rescue her.

Cast and characters

Joshua Sasse plays Sir Gary Galavant. Timothy Omundson plays King Richard. Vinnie Jones plays Gareth. Mallory Jansen plays Queen Madalena. Karen David plays Princess Isabella 'Izzy' Maria Lucia Elizabetta of Valencia. Luke Youngblood plays Sidney 'Sid'. Ben Presley plays Steve Mackenzie the Jester, briefly Madalena's lover and later Isabella's confidant. Darren Evans plays Vincenzo, the royal chef. Sophie McShera plays Gwynne, Madalena's maidservant. Stanley Townsend plays the King of Valencia. Genevieve Allenbury plays the Queen of Valencia. Hugh Bonneville plays Peter Pillager, the Pirate King. 'Weird Al' Yankovic plays the Head Monk. Rutger Hauer plays Kingsley in season one. Kemaal Deen-Ellis plays Prince Harry of Hortensia. Robert Lindsay plays Chester Wormwood in season two. Clare Foster plays Roberta Steingass in season two. Muzz Khan plays Barry. Anthony Head and Greg Wise play Arnold Galavant. John Stamos plays Sir Jean Hamm. Ricky Gervais plays Xanax. Kylie Minogue plays the Queen of The Enchanted Forest. Simon Williams plays Uncle Keith. Simon Callow plays Edwin the Magnificent. Matt Lucas plays Peasant John. Nick Frost plays Andre. Eddie Marsan plays Death.

Production

Galavant brought together screenwriter Dan Fogelman, composer Alan Menken, and lyricist Glenn Slater, a team that had previously collaborated on the 2010 animated film Tangled. ABC ordered the pilot in October 2013 and picked it up as a series in May 2014. Filming took place at Bottle Yard Studios in Bristol, UK, with Peter the Pillager's pirate ship shot on a full-scale replica of the Matthew docked in Bristol's Floating Harbour. Additional locations included Caldicot Castle, Caerphilly Castle, Southern Down on the Bristol Channel, Berkeley Castle, Cosmeston Medieval Village, and Wells Cathedral. The show premiered on January 4, 2015, taking over the timeslot of Once Upon a Time and was promoted as a four-week comedy extravaganza. A 10-episode second season was ordered on May 7, 2015, and its premiere title mocked the predicted cancellation by TV by the Numbers. The series was canceled on May 12, 2016, after which Menken expressed interest in continuing the story on stage. Incidental music came from Menken and Christopher Lennertz, while songs by Menken and Slater were self-aware parodies of their own work and classic musicals. The second season's opening song poked fun at limited-run series eventization, the show's timeslot, and its missed Emmy nomination. Official soundtracks were released for both seasons.

Reception

On Rotten Tomatoes, the first season has a 78% approval rating from 40 critics, with an average rating of 6.60/10. The consensus calls it memorably entertaining. On Metacritic, it has a score of 64 out of 100, indicating generally favorable reviews. Brian Lowry of Variety praised the show's spirited and cheeky take on the TV musical genre, noting its half-hour format and rambunctious energy. Lowry highlighted influences from Monty Python and spoofs like When Things Were Rotten. Matt Mitovich of TVLine initially approached the show with hesitation but was drawn in, binge-watching six episodes. Mitovich noted that plot progression can feel slow due to song-and-dance numbers and colorful characters, and likened Galavant to Robin Hood: Men in Tights with higher production values and a hint of The Princess Bride. Mitovich found the title track catchy and praised Timothy Omundson's portrayal of the clueless monarch.