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Musical episodes of sitcoms

Started by canadagoose, November 21, 2021, 12:08:43 AM

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canadagoose

What is the bloody point of episodes that are written like mock musicals? They're nearly always unbearable. Do people find them funny? I used to bloody hate it when Family Guy would segue into some massive unnecessary musical bit, and I remember Community had some episodes like that. Are there stats on how many people like them? How many of you like them? I'm genuinely curious.

bgmnts

Simpson is filled with musical numbers and they're ace, but to my memory there is one musical episode and it's a compilation so they did it right.

The It's Always Sunny musical episode about being black is quite funny though.

BeardFaceMan

Quote from: bgmnts on November 21, 2021, 12:49:01 AMThe It's Always Sunny musical episode about being black is quite funny one of their worst eps though.

FTFY. The thing that I didn't like about that Sunny episode is that for the most part the songs were played straight, not a lot of humour or jokes going on. The Nightman episode (and subsequent live show) is a far better musical episode.

Small Man Big Horse

Quote from: canadagoose on November 21, 2021, 12:08:43 AMWhat is the bloody point of episodes that are written like mock musicals? They're nearly always unbearable. Do people find them funny? I used to bloody hate it when Family Guy would segue into some massive unnecessary musical bit, and I remember Community had some episodes like that. Are there stats on how many people like them? How many of you like them? I'm genuinely curious.

For anyone following the musicals thread in Deeper Into Movies it'll come as no surprise that I love them. Not all of them work, and if poorly written it can be painful, but if they do it makes me happy and then some.

Quote from: bgmnts on November 21, 2021, 12:49:01 AMSimpson is filled with musical numbers and they're ace, but to my memory there is one musical episode and it's a compilation so they did it right.

They did a new one to kick off the latest season, and weirdly had Marge imagine that when she sang it was with Kristen Bell's voice, an idea which didn't work for me at all.

mjwilson

I remember enjoying one or two of the songs in the Scrub musical, but I imagine they've aged horribly.

Fake edit: yes they have.

bgmnts

Quote from: BeardFaceMan on November 21, 2021, 09:01:12 AMFTFY. The thing that I didn't like about that Sunny episode is that for the most part the songs were played straight, not a lot of humour or jokes going on. The Nightman episode (and subsequent live show) is a far better musical episode.

Is that a musical episode? The music and songs in that are diegetic.

Glebe

Quote from: bgmnts on November 21, 2021, 12:49:01 AMSimpson is filled with musical numbers and they're ace, but to my memory there is one musical episode and it's a compilation so they did it right.

Are you sure about that bgmnts? When I used to watch it semi-regularly, I recall feeling a wave of despondency when it was clear that it was gonna be a musical episode. Not that they seemed all that frequent... but if you're right then I stand corrected.

BeardFaceMan

Quote from: bgmnts on November 21, 2021, 09:15:23 AMIs that a musical episode? The music and songs in that are diegetic.

Not strictly, no, it's more an episode that has songs in it, although they do stage a musical in it.

bgmnts

Quote from: Glebe on November 21, 2021, 09:51:45 AMAre you sure about that bgmnts? When I used to watch it semi-regularly, I recall feeling a wave of despondency when it was clear that it was gonna be a musical episode. Not that they seemed all that frequent... but if you're right then I stand corrected.

I could be wrong. But considering how crap musicals can be, I thought it was funny enough and at least a compilation of songs throughout the series so not as egregious.

dissolute ocelot

The Family Guy musical episodes can be some of the better ones because Seth Macfarlane loves that old Hollywood charm. So it's less nihilistic than usual. Except the Frank Sinatra Jr one which is sycophantic, unfunny, and musically second rate. (And just songs not proper musical storytelling.)

Simpsons tends to have maybe 1 or 2 big songs rather than musical episodes. I know a few people don't like the monorail ep but they're wrong. The whorehouse song is great, and the kids vs old people song, both excellent large-scale musical numbers brilliantly staged.

Doing musical numbers is hard and expensive, which is probably why we don't see more of it.

bgmnts

Just realised I think I love the musical episode of the Simpsons because it has the Paint Your Wagon bit in it, which is one of my favourite bits, the Lee Marvin bit especially.

bigfatheart

Yeah, other than the "All Singing, All Dancing" clip show episode, I don't think the Simpsons did any full-on musical episodes in its prime. Even "Marge Vs the Monorail", which is a spoof of the Music Man, there's only the Monorail song and the brief Flintstones parody at the start, isn't there? Otherwise, it's probably 18-19 of its 22 minutes that aren't musical.

Old Nehamkin

The Mary Poppins episode probably counts.

bigfatheart


DrGreggles

Quote from: dissolute ocelot on November 21, 2021, 10:40:17 AMSimpsons tends to have maybe 1 or 2 big songs rather than musical episodes. I know a few people don't like the monorail ep but they're wrong. The whorehouse song is great, and the kids vs old people song, both excellent large-scale musical numbers brilliantly staged.

Really?!

BeardFaceMan

The South Park movie is basically a musical, they must have come close to doing something similar with a TV show episode, surely?

rue the polywhirl

Futurama - Devils Hands are Idle Playthings.

Would nominate Always Sunny Nightman Cometh as the best musical sitcom episode.

2nd place all the episodes of Flight Of The Conchords?

AsparagusTrevor

Quote from: BeardFaceMan on November 21, 2021, 11:19:28 AMThe South Park movie is basically a musical, they must have come close to doing something similar with a TV show episode, surely?
The first Christmas episode would probably count.

Icehaven

The American Dad musical episodes are pretty dreadful, particularly Steve and his friends' boyband stuff, it's just irritating. There's one where the whole episode is a spoof of Trapped In The Closet and it's mostly Steve wailing away, it's totally unbearable and not remotely funny.

Glebe

Quote from: dissolute ocelot on November 21, 2021, 10:40:17 AMkids vs old people song

If that's the thing I'm thinking of I don't think I could sit through it.