Schmigadoon Season 2: Everything We Know So Far
Musicals, like rom-coms, have seen better days at the box office. Luckily, however, they've gained a new lease on life thanks to the streaming market. Last year saw "tick, tick... BOOM!" hit Netflix, ushering in the Andrew Garfield renaissance on its way to landing a well-earned pair of Oscar nods. Not long after that, Disney's "Encanto" did sturdy business in theaters for a pandemic-era release, only to explode in popularity upon hitting Disney+. Then came Steven Spielberg's "West Side Story," which crashed and burned during its theatrical run only to find a much larger audience on streaming.
Hulu is now working on "Up Here," a musical rom-com series based on the 2015 stage project by "Frozen" songwriting duo Kristen Anderson-Lopez and Robert Lopez. It will actually be the second recent show of its kind after "Schmigadoon!," which premiered to critical acclaim on Apple TV+ back in July 2021. And though it's taken a while for the streamer to announce it, "Schmigadoon!" season 2 is now officially in the works, ensuring there will be even more romantic musical merriment to come for all those who were tickled by season 1's playful skewering of, and love letter to, Golden Age musicals.
When and where to watch Schmigadoon season 2
"Schmigadoon!" season 1 centers on Josh (Keegan Michael-Key) and Melissa (Cecily Strong), a surgeon and an OBGYN who go on a backpacking trip in an attempt to improve their faltering relationship, only to wind up in a town like something out of a Golden Age musical called Schmigadoon. The show's title and setup, for those who are not aware, are a direct parody of "Brigadoon," the 1947 stage production-turned 1954 musical movie starring Gene Kelly and Van Johnson. And yes, if you're a sucker for that kind of musical trivia, then you should definitely check out "Schmigadoon!" season 1 if you haven't already.
Like season 1, "Schmigadoon!" season 2 will stream exclusively on Apple TV+. The streamer has yet to reveal how long it will run, but with season 1 spanning six episodes, it's reasonable to assume that will remain the case for season 2 (give or take an episode). For as much as "Schmigadoon!" plays as parody, it also goes the whole nine yards when it comes to slick dance choreography and toe-tapping tunes. (Season 1 even has a one-take musical number.) As such, the show is unlikely to return until the first half of 2023, given the time and effort that goes into making just a single season of musical shenanigans.
What we think Schmigadoon season 2 will be about
The newly-unveiled synopsis reveals "Schmigadoon!" season 2 will find Josh and Melissa visiting yet another magical musical town, this time in the form of "Schmicago, the world of [1960s] and [1970s] musicals." Besides, obviously, "Chicago," that means famous musicals like "A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum," "Fiddler on the Roof," "Grease," "Jesus Christ Superstar," and "The Rocky Horror Picture Show" (among others) are all fair game for some gentle ribbing in season 2.
For as much as I've enjoyed "Schmigadoon!" so far, I will admit that the show's repeating gag in season 1 — having the citizens of Schmigadoon perform their tunes while Josh and Melissa watch from the side, pointing out the problematic or plain ol' weird aspects of their songs — gets a little tedious mid-way through its run. Thankfully, season 1 eases back on that during its second half, even allowing the leads to join the musical frivolity as part of their arcs. My hope is season 2 will build upon that by letting Josh and Melissa get it on the fun earlier on, if only because I really want to see, say, Keegan Michael-Key channel Dr. Frank-N-Furter or Cecily Strong dance in the show's riff on "Cell Block Tango."
What we know about the Schmigadoon season 2 cast and crew
Apple TV+ has confirmed the main cast of "Schmigadoon!" season 1 will be back in season 2. Their ranks include Cecily Strong, Keegan-Michael Key, Ariana DeBose (now an Oscar-winner!), Dove Cameron, Jaime Camil, Kristin Chenoweth, Alan Cumming, Ann Harada, Jane Krakowski, Aaron Tveit, and Martin Short (who briefly showed up in season 1 as a leprechaun in a nod to the character Og from "Finian's Rainbow"). That presumably means that most of the cast, save for Strong and Key, will be playing all-new characters who reside in Schmicago. If so, get ready for lots of "You look familiar..." jokes and variations thereof.
So far, there are two exciting new cast additions for season 2 in the shapes of Titus Andromedon himself, "Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt" alum Tituss Burgess, and "The Gilded Age" star Patrick Page, who originated the roles of Hades in the Broadway musical hit "Hadestown" and, no joke, the Green Goblin in "Spider-Man: Turn Off the Dark." Elsewhere, behind the camera, co-creator Cinco Paul will once again act as showrunner, with Lorne Michaels also back as executive producer. Fingers crossed, the pair and their fellow creatives will learn from what did and didn't work in season 1, and put their extremely-talented ensemble to good use with whatever game plan they've got in mind for season 2.