Nicole Mellion
With the success of shows such as “Glee” and “Crazy Ex-Girlfriend,” it’s no surprise that nonmusical shows have jumped on the bandwagon lately with one-time-only musical episodes.
Though it feels like a newer trend, musical shows have been a thing for some time. Some of the more famous ones occurred in shows such as “Buffy the Vampire Slayer” and “That ‘70s Show.” Though they make for a great one-off episode, they don’t always go as planned. “Grey’s Anatomy” has one of the least popular musical episodes, which is unsurprising considering the general topics the show covers. It was also insanely creepy to watch the cast sing The Fray’s “How to Save a Life” while operating.
Though these experimental episodes are usually very make-or-break, there are definitely some shows out there that could have an amazing musical episode, such as the following 10 shows:
1. ‘The Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt’
Yes, this show isn’t too much of a leap, since Titus has at least one amazing musical number every season. But imagine an entire episode of singing! Though Season 3 saw an episode filled with Titus covering Beyonce, Kimmy also deserves some musical screen time, and Lillian and Jacqueline would crush a quirky duet. Though it’s not yet confirmed, if Daveed Diggs reprises his current role in Season 4, this definitely has to happen.
2. ‘Doctor Who’
This definitely could have been more fun in David Tennant’s era with Billie Piper and John Barrowman on board, but who’s to say there’s no chance for a “Doctor Who” musical episode? Though Peter Capaldi has proven his guitar skills as the Doctor, he is on his way out. SO maybe the next doctor can sing and dance around the Tardis. Stranger things have definitely happened on this show.
3. ‘Jane the Virgin’
This show seems like an obvious choice for a great musical episode. With Xiomara and Rogelio already showing off their singing skills, along with Jane’s “Sweet Lady Jane” alter ego, nothing could go wrong! This could only happen with a full-on dream sequence or a new approach to a novel for Jane. All the musical telenovela drama that would ensue would be amazing.
4. ‘American Horror Story’
This one may be tricky, but still doable. With “Glee” showrunner Ryan Murphy at the helm of this horror anthology, something tells us this could definitely be worked out. Enough singers have graced this show, such as Darren Criss or Lady Gaga. They could definitely work out a delusional dream sequence episode to make this work. Just look how well the scene above worked in Season 2. Of course, this all relies on the theme for the season, but let’s just hope it’s not in the next election-themed season.
5. ‘The Mindy Project’
No, Mindy Kaling has not particularly shown off her musical skills on this show, though there were a ton of “Hamilton” references last season. This show is known for its quirky lead and great ensemble cast. What this show also does best is have great one-off experimental episodes. Last season saw Mindy wake up and live as a white man for a day, and another episode had her reliving the same day over and over again. With the next season being its last, why not have a musical episode? We can only imagine Morgan’s solo number.
6. ‘Modern Family’
Does this show need a musical episode? No. Would it be one of the greatest things to happen on television ever? Yes. Sarah Hyland has recently shown she can really sing, and then there’s Jesse Tyler Ferguson, of course. Everyone could join in on the action and make it one hilarious episode. And, even if Sofia Vergara can’t sing, that can only make it funnier.
7. ‘Black Mirror’
This sci-fi show has gained a lot of momentum since it transferred to Netflix and would be a great platform for a musical episode. Set in the near (or distant?) future, many of the episodes are bizarre and put the characters in extreme realities. Borrowing from its Season 3 episode, this show could totally pull off a sing-to-survive dilemma.
8. ‘Will and Grace’
Of course, there are plenty of shows that could make this list that are no longer running. Fortunately, this hit comedy will return this fall! There has already been some speculation about a musical episode, which is no surprise given the core cast. Just take a look at this trailer for the upcoming revival to see what a musical episode could look like.
