I don’t think it’s hard to believe that we are a music-loving household. I mean, Penn writes parodies for a living! We have a piano in our living room and we love a good Broadway musical. So it should come as no surprise that TV shows that have music as a central part of their plot are winners in our book.
Here are our Top 5 music-based TV shows that we love and recommend:
1. Crazy Ex-Girlfriend
Glee may have brought “breaking out into song” into the mainstream…but Crazy Ex-Girlfriend perfected it. This show was written, directed, and starred Rachel Bloom as a high-powered New York City lawyer who puts her life on hold to chase after a guy she briefly dated as a teenager. She packs up and moves to West Covina, California and the show pilot has a song dedicated to the small town. Though the show is filled with song and dance, later episodes tackle some really heavy (but important) mental health issues.
2. Girls5Eva
If you loved 90s girl group pop, you will probably adore Girls5Eva. This show stars Sara Bareilles (of Love Song fame), Renne Elise Goldsberry (of Hamilton fame), Busy Philipps (Freaks and Geeks anyone), and Paula Pell (former SNL writer and my favorite part of the show) as former girl group members. The show is all about the one-hit wonders trying to find their way back to fame after getting sampled by an up-and-coming rapper. While the first two seasons premiered on Peacock, Netflix grabbed it for its third season. The music is actually so good and I consistently listen to it to pump me up in the car.
3. Daisy Jones & The Six
Now I haven’t watched this one but I hear it’s incredible. Based on the book by Taylor Jenkins Reid, the series follows a 1970s rock band in the LA music scene. The music and overall vibe of the show (and book) is reminiscent of Fleetwood Mac. Plus, its main star is Riley Keough— granddaughter of Elvis Presley. The music was so popular on the show that Atlantic Records released a full-length album, Aurora. This is a one-season show so if you are looking for a new but quick watch, turn it up!
4. Zoey’s Extraordinary Playlist
This show starts with an off-the-wall premise – main character Zoey Clarke discovers she can hear people’s innermost thoughts as songs…after an earthquake interrupts her MRI. Different from the shows above, the music featured on the show is already popular radio hits. While the premise may be cheesy and the show only lasted two seasons, the show has a lot of heart as Zoey’s gift allows her to hear from her father who recently lost his ability to speak due to a neurological disorder. If you are a fan of the Pitch Perfect movie series, this show may be for you.
5. Schmigadoon!
The plots are getting crazier, people! Schmigadoon! stars Cecily Strong and Keegan-Michael Key as a couple from New York, who go on a hike and become trapped in a magical musical theatre setting and can’t leave until they find true love. Some of the show’s incredible side characters include Fred Armisen, Kristin Chenoweth, Alan Cumming, Ariana Debose, and Jane Krakowski. The second season relocates the action to the gritty city of Schmicago. While a third season was not picked up, a stage adaptation is planned to premiere at the Kennedy Center in early 2025.
Bonus Show from Penn!: Flight of the Conchords
Penn here. You will probably know within a few minutes if this show is for you. If you aren’t feeling it, keep calm and carry on. It’s not for anyone, but the wry, deprecating humor, to me, was delightful. Bret and Jemaine are dirt poor New Zealand musicians who document their bohemian lives in New York city with simple but hilarious anthems. “Business Time” may be one of the funniest songs ever written.
While there are way more than 5-6 great music-based TV shows (special shout-out to Smash, Atlanta, and Dropout’s Play It By Ear), I have to cut it off somewhere. Have you seen any of the shows above? Any winners you think I missed?
