Schmigadoon!

Schmigadoon! is a musical comedy television series for Apple TV+, created by Cinco Paul and Ken Daurio. Paul wrote all the songs and acted as showrunner. The show debuted on July 16, 2021, with an ensemble cast headed by Cecily Strong and Keegan-Michael Key. It follows a pair of New York doctors who get stuck in magical musical-theater worlds and pick up insights about love and happiness. The series mixes satire with tribute, referencing many musicals through pastiche plots and song styles.

The first season takes place in the idyllic small town of Schmigadoon and draws on Golden Age musicals from the 1940s and 1950s. The second season moves to the gritty city of Schmicago, borrowing the darker, edgier tone of 1960s and 1970s musicals. Barry Sonnenfeld directed season one, with choreography by Christopher Gattelli. Cinco Paul was nominated for a Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Original Music and Lyrics for the song "Corn Puddin'" from the pilot, but did not win. Season two premiered on April 5, 2023, directed by Alice Mathias and Robert Luketic, with Gattelli again handling choreography. The series was not renewed for a third season.

The idea for the show came to Paul more than 20 years before it aired. He thought it would be funny if two backpackers, like those in *An American Werewolf in London*, stumbled into a musical instead of a horror story. Paul said the concept clicked when he changed it to a couple stuck in a musical until they find true love. Although season one’s musical style, characters, and satire are mostly based on 1940s and 1950s musicals, the sets and costumes reflect 1910s America, similar to the setting of *The Music Man*.

In season one, New York doctors Melissa and Josh go backpacking to fix their failing relationship but keep arguing. Lost, they discover the magical town of Schmigadoon, forever trapped in a Golden Age–style musical, and learn they cannot leave until they find true love. The title and concept parody the 1947 musical *Brigadoon*. In season two, now married, Melissa and Josh find their lives dull as New York doctors. They look for Schmigadoon but end up in Schmicago, a world satirizing sexy, dark 1960s and 1970s musicals. To escape, they must reach a happy ending.