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Cinco Paul
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Will There Be a ‘Schmigadoon!’ Season 2 on Apple TV+?
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How Dove Cameron Found the Balance Between Sexy and Sweet in ‘Schmigadoon!’
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Cecily Strong is a Hilarious Revelation in Apple TV+’s ‘Schmigadoon!’
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‘Schmigadoon!’: How a Bunch of Musical Theatre Nerds (and One Hater) Made Apple TV’s Next Comedy Hit Come to Life
Right now, Apple TV+ is being a sour, dour, almond-flour sour macaroon. The streamer officially pulled the plug on Cinco Paul‘s musical comedy series Schmigadoon! on January 18, 2024.
Starring Cecily Strong, Keegan-Michael Key, Jane Krakowski, and an abundance of theater talent, including Broadway Boy Aaron Tveit and Kristin Chenoweth, the series premiered on July 16, 2021 and was renewed the following year.
The second season — which moved from the Golden Age of musicals in the 1940s to the darker, moody vibes of the 1960s and 1970s — began airing in April 2023.
The show became manna for theater fans, spoofing hit musicals like The Music Man, Sweeney Todd, Chicago, and Cabaret, but now Paul has taken to social media to share the news of the devastating cancellation. He wrote, “I am sad to share that Apple will not be moving forward with season 3 of Schmigadoon!”
The screenwriter, who co-created the show with his frequent collaborator Ken Daurio, went on to reveal that the season is already entirely written — including 25 new songs.
“The fact that you connected with our show, that it brought you some joy, means the world to me. This was tough news to get, but the optimist in me is convinced it’s not the end of Schmigadoon… and maybe it’s even a happy ending,” Paul continued.
Well, the show must go on! Isn’t that what we say in the biz? In this case, we mean it literally. During its short time on air, Schmigadoon managed to both capture a passionate cult fandom and receive high praise from critics, clocking in at 93% on Rotten Tomatoes. This means another streamer has the perfect opportunity to step in and save this show, and we would love for Netflix to swoop in and become the ultimate streaming service for musical theater fans.
In 2022, the platform saved Meredith Scardino’s Girls5eva when it canceled by Peacock after its second season. Like Schmigadoon, that show is a musical comedy starring a daring mix of screen actors and stage veterans, including Sara Bareilles, Renée Elise Goldsberry, and Andrew Rannells. The third season is set to air on Netflix in 2024. Why not do the same with Schmigadoon? Especially since Apple TV+ clearly strung along the creative team long enough for them to pen 24 new songs.
Another argument for Netflix to invest in the series is that it already houses the Ryan Murphy-verse, which includes the stage to movie adaptations of The Boys in the Band and The Prom, and his future, long-awaited 10-part limited series remake of A Chorus Line.
With theater-specific streaming platforms like BroadwayHD struggling to break into the zeitgeist — no matter how fabulous their catalogue is — and Waitress: The Musical completely missing the mark with the television and movie community due to lack of exposure, Netflix has access to a desperate and passionate fanbase that they’re only partially tapping into.
The information has been laid out. It’s your turn to make a movie, Ted Sarandos!
