# History of the Musical Episode **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [April 22, 2011, 7:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/history-of-the-musical-episode/579393 "2011-04-22T19:28:47Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 17\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Rhythmdvl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/85f322/32.png) [@Rhythmdvl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rhythmdvl)\ **Post date:** [April 22, 2011, 7:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/history-of-the-musical-episode/579393/1 "2011-04-22T19:28:47Z")
Several shows have musical episodes: Buffy, Scrubs (kind of), Lexx, and I think Alley McVeal. But not Cheers, I don’t think Friends did, and certainly not Seinfeld (not that there’s anything wrong with that). Which show was the first to have a mostly-musical episode, one that was out of character with the show as a whole (i.e., Lawence Welk or Fame were musical shows, not shows with musical episodes)? ---
**Author:** ![Sampiro](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/2acd7d/32.png) [@Sampiro](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sampiro)\ **Post date:** [April 22, 2011, 7:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/history-of-the-musical-episode/579393/2 "2011-04-22T19:31:28Z")
Happy Days had a [musical episode](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MZfDPhJ4d9o) in 1981. I’m sure there was one before that but it takes it back to at least 30 years ago. ---
**Author:** ![chrisk](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/6de8d8/32.png) [@chrisk](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/chrisk)\ **Post date:** [April 22, 2011, 7:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/history-of-the-musical-episode/579393/3 "2011-04-22T19:55:51Z")
This list might be useful, though it doesn’t include dates or shows with the links: > **[Category:Musical television episodes](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Category:Musical_television_episodes)** > > Musical episodes of normally non-musical television series. > The following 49 pages are in this category, out of 49 total. This list may not reflect recent changes. ---
**Author:** ![Rhythmdvl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/85f322/32.png) [@Rhythmdvl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rhythmdvl)\ **Post date:** [April 22, 2011, 8:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/history-of-the-musical-episode/579393/4 "2011-04-22T20:08:42Z")
> [@chrisk](#): > > This list might be useful, though it doesn’t include dates or shows with the links: > > [Category:Musical television episodes - Wikipedia](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Category:Musical_television_episodes) Wow, [The Producer](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Producer) is a 1966 Gilligan’s Island episode. There is a 1955 episode of [Producers’ Showcase](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Producers%27_Showcase), but the show’s format is a bit varied to be an anomaly (though I wonder if the GI writers were aware of/making a nod to the show). For the modern wave (it seems like there are a lot more of them now than in the earlier, happier days), Xena’s [The Bitter Suite](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Bitter_Suite#Production) aired in February 1998. Lexx’s [Brigadoom](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brigadoom) aired in April 1999. Buffy’s [Once More with Feeling](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Once_More,_with_Feeling_%28Buffy_the_Vampire_Slayer%29) aired in September 2001, but is ostensibly better known and likelier the trend setter. ---
**Author:** ![Biffy\_the\_Elephant\_Shrew](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/e47c2d/32.png) [@Biffy\_the\_Elephant\_Shrew](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Biffy_the_Elephant_Shrew)\ **Post date:** [April 22, 2011, 8:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/history-of-the-musical-episode/579393/5 "2011-04-22T20:08:47Z")
The first one that came to mind for me was the _Gilligan’s Island_ episode where they stage a musical version of _Hamlet_. I wasn’t sure that would count, but it is included in the above list (“The Producer”). ETA: Whoops, beaten to the punch by **Rhythmdvl**! ---
**Author:** ![robert\_columbia](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/e79b87/32.png) [@robert\_columbia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/robert_columbia)\ **Post date:** [April 22, 2011, 9:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/history-of-the-musical-episode/579393/6 "2011-04-22T21:55:28Z")
I know that South Park did several musical episodes, including It’s Christmas in Canada and Elementary School Musical. ---
**Author:** ![joebuck20](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/74df32/32.png) [@joebuck20](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/joebuck20)\ **Post date:** [April 22, 2011, 10:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/history-of-the-musical-episode/579393/7 "2011-04-22T22:06:59Z")
The Simpsons had one in the late 90s. I don’t recall exactly what happens, just that it starts out with the family watching “Paint Your Wagon,” expecting it to be your standard shoot-em-up western, then becoming horrified when they find out it’s a musical. ---
**Author:** ![Exapno\_Mapcase](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/exapno_mapcase/32/1051_2.png) [@Exapno\_Mapcase](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Exapno_Mapcase)\ **Post date:** [April 22, 2011, 10:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/history-of-the-musical-episode/579393/8 "2011-04-22T22:39:03Z")
Dick van Dyke did several shows with musical numbers, and I’m pretty sure some episodes were essentially musicals. ---
**Author:** ![Barrett\_Bonden](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/5e9695/32.png) [@Barrett\_Bonden](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Barrett_Bonden)\ **Post date:** [April 22, 2011, 11:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/history-of-the-musical-episode/579393/9 "2011-04-22T23:51:36Z")
> [@joebuck20](#): > > The Simpsons had one in the late 90s. I don’t recall exactly what happens, just that it starts out with the family watching “Paint Your Wagon,” expecting it to be your standard shoot-em-up western, then becoming horrified when they find out it’s a musical. **Apu** : Who needs the Quickie Mart? I doooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo! **Homer** : Hey, he’s not happy at all! He lied to us through song! I HATE when people do that! ---
**Author:** ![Mahaloth](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mahaloth/32/1079_2.png) [@Mahaloth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mahaloth)\ **Post date:** [April 23, 2011, 12:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/history-of-the-musical-episode/579393/10 "2011-04-23T00:17:12Z")
> [@joebuck20](#): > > The Simpsons had one in the late 90s. I don’t recall exactly what happens, just that it starts out with the family watching “Paint Your Wagon,” expecting it to be your standard shoot-em-up western, then becoming horrified when they find out it’s a musical. That’s a clip show, though, not an original musical episode. ---
**Author:** ![Markxxx](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/5daacb/32.png) [@Markxxx](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Markxxx)\ **Post date:** [April 23, 2011, 1:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/history-of-the-musical-episode/579393/11 "2011-04-23T01:36:31Z")
_I Love Lucy_ had an episode where they were in Europe, Scotland specifically and Lucy falls asleep and has a dream in the beginning and the rest of the episode is basically a musical. ---
**Author:** ![Kent\_Clark](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kent_clark/32/105_2.png) [@Kent\_Clark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kent_Clark)\ **Post date:** [April 23, 2011, 3:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/history-of-the-musical-episode/579393/12 "2011-04-23T03:19:20Z")
Back in the 50’s, both \*I Love Lucy \*and _The Danny Thomas Show_ both had characters with nightclub acts, so they frequently dropped musical numbers into episodes, had guest stars who were pretty much there to sing, etc. Particularly in the early seasons, Andy Griffith found a lot of opportunities to sing along with the Darling family (who were played by The Dillards, an actual bluegrass group.) \*The Adventures of Ozzie and Harriet \* had several episodes that managed to point out that Ozzie had been a bandleader, Harriet a singer – and of course, managing to shoehorn a song by Ricky in there, as well. I even recall an episode of \*I Dream of Jeannie \*that managed, somehow, to include a number by the singer-songwriter duo of Boyce and Hart. And, of course, there were shows like _The Monkees_, _The Partridge Family_ and some less successful efforts. It’s not really as rare as you might think. ---
**Author:** ![BigT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bigt/32/12044_2.png) [@BigT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BigT)\ **Post date:** [April 23, 2011, 3:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/history-of-the-musical-episode/579393/13 "2011-04-23T15:11:00Z")
> [@robert\_columbia](#): > > I know that South Park did several musical episodes, including It’s Christmas in Canada and Elementary School Musical. They even did a whole musical movie. ---
**Author:** ![Kim\_o\_the\_Concrete\_Jungle](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/ee7513/32.png) [@Kim\_o\_the\_Concrete\_Jungle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kim_o_the_Concrete_Jungle)\ **Post date:** [April 23, 2011, 3:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/history-of-the-musical-episode/579393/14 "2011-04-23T15:25:30Z")
The Goodies (a BBC program) had a music episode where they did silly comedy songs. That would have been in the mid seventies. ---
**Author:** ![hajario](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hajario/32/171_2.png) [@hajario](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/hajario)\ **Post date:** [April 23, 2011, 3:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/history-of-the-musical-episode/579393/15 "2011-04-23T15:35:47Z")
Head of the Class did a musical episode every season in the mid 80’s. The show was a about a group of High School students so it was framed as them doing a musical for the school. ---
**Author:** ![panamajack](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/47e85d/32.png) [@panamajack](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/panamajack)\ **Post date:** [April 23, 2011, 4:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/history-of-the-musical-episode/579393/16 "2011-04-23T16:04:57Z")
The Drew Carey Show did a musical episode, or at least one with a musical production in it (Time Warp vs Priscilla) in the late 90’s. ---
**Author:** ![Sampiro](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/2acd7d/32.png) [@Sampiro](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sampiro)\ **Post date:** [April 23, 2011, 4:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/history-of-the-musical-episode/579393/17 "2011-04-23T16:13:20Z")
Happy Days did a [Valentine musical episode](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QBs6EEtztxg)in 1978. While it’s not rare to have a lot of music in an episode, I mention the Happy Days eps because, like _Buffy_ and _Scrubs_, it was an actual musical-episode, i.e. characters bursting into song and choreographed numbers like a Broadway musical and not just “more live music than usual”. _Love Boat_ did at least one of these also. Like Happy Days it was spectacularly bad.