Top 10 Television Musical Episodes by Peatree Bojangles

Rugrats – “Music”

For the episode “Music”, our cute little CREATURES FROM HELL (known as babies) show their appreciation of music by singing for the baby Dil. Phil and Lil’s song is of them arguing over toys – very profound and reflective. Chuckie’s song is about “packing up your troubles” – a phenomenally thoughtful message for someone his age. Angelica comes crashing in and after screaming for a few minutes sings her song about toys and belongings – a very obvious message on the corporation’s hold on society from a young age. Chuckie comes in and astonishes us all with a song about love and caring. His in depth knowledge of the most significant of emotions is, if anything, heartbreaking. The tone of the song makes us aware that this love, like all others, will not last forever.

Scrubs – “My Musical”

I’m not really a fan of Scrubs, but I would bang Zach Braff, so it’s in the top ten. A woman collapses in a park and when she comes to, everyone around her is singing and performing. Which is fucking worrying. Especially since one of the songs is about poop. I fell asleep. I don’t think it matters, there’s still flapping about. Fascinating how Scrubs can make even a musical episode depressing. The message at the end is to stop singing and dancing, surely not BLAH BLAH MOAN WEEP WHINE BLAH.

P.S. Zach, if you see this, call me.

Xena Warrior Princess – “The Bitter Suite” 

HAHAHAHAH I KNOW RIGHT? There are actually two musical episodes, the other is called “Lyre Lyre, Hearts on Fire”. But I chose this one because shut up. SO previously on Xena – BOOBS, BOOBS, SCREAMING, CRYING, FLYING KICK, BOOBS. There’s some bad dubbing, a lot of slow motion and Xena does a back flip. So far, I’m immersed in this story. On a side note, I remember my grandma telling me about 8 years ago how this is her favourite show. I can see why, it’s ACTION PACKED with bad acting. So Xena and some blonde chick fall into a lake and somewhere get transported to a strange world. I’m sorry, but if you’re singing or killing in slow motion, all I see is boobs. This is mental. I’ve stopped it.

Simpsons – “All Singing, All Dancing” 

This show is jam packed with song after song, so choosing one particular episode is hard. Instead, I went for the episode where they look back at previous episodes and show the popular songs. So it’s like I’m cheating but I’m not, because I’m the best. It has all the classics, from “Monorail” to “Who Needs The Kwik-E-Mart”. To add further songiness, the family spends most of the episode singing while they reminisce. SO MUCH SONG.

Oz – “Variety”

When I think of this show, rape comes to mind. Anal rape, to be more specific. Finding out this show has a musical episode is therefore nothing short of bewildering. The title sequence has more horrific scenes than anything I have ever seen in my life. It starts with Sister Peter Marie Reimondo singing longingly into the camera about something lovely… probably BABY MURDER. The story continues as as per usual, with inmates occasionally singing on a stage set up, baring their emotions like the manly men they are. A lot of things happen in between all the delightful tunes, such as drug intake, death threats, gang warfare, a stabbing, obscure dental surgery, an arm is hacked off, a poisoning, blowjobs, arson, rape and a few beatings. All in one episode. You know, no matter what this article is about, just watch Oz.

Community – “Regional Musical Holiday”

This show is loved all over, thanks to the specifically obscure characters in repeatedly odd circumstances. Like almost every single American sitcom I can think of. I was bombarded, mostly on Twitter, by people who adored the show and especially certain characters; namely Troy and Abed. I watched the first season and half of the second, so I gave it everything. I really tried hard but I didn’t enjoy it. Well, I enjoyed it, but I didn’t think it was brilliant. It was average. I know you’re all angry now, but WAIT! I watched the musical episode in Season 3 and it was also average. HA! So, the Glee club is incapacitated and the “group” take their place for the Christmas play. They’re reluctant at first, but through the magic and power of song, each one of them is infected with music. And so on, someone sabotages something blah blah happy ending. Well done.

Futurama – “The Devil’s Hands Are Idle Playthings”

This episode is kind of a continuation of another (when Fry has worms growing inside him, which make his body work efficiently; making him stronger and more intelligent). In that episode, Leela fell for Fry as he played the holophoner (a flute like instrument, that generates a holographic representation of the music), so in this episode Fry attempts to learn it in order to win her heart. His human clumpy hands are rubbish, so he goes to Hell to make a deal with the robot devil, ending in them switching hands. The devil’s hands are wonderfully talented, and he makes it as a musician, playing at theatres and gets his own greatest hits album. One day he is approached to write an opera, which he agrees to do, using Leela as the subject matter. The devil crashes the opera, and everyone jumps on stage to fight him, while singing, and it’s all very very funny.

South Park – “Elementary School Musical” 

This is a classic show. It’s been going on for what feels like forever, and I did stop watching after a while, but when I re-watch any of it, I’m reminded of how much I enjoy it. This episode concentrates on the High School Musical fad, and starts with Wendy, and eventually the whole lunch room, breaking into song. Confused, the boys watch the film to figure out what’s going on. Still baffled, Cartman announces that if this is what is popular, he no longer has a connection with the world, and announces he’s off to go kill himself. It’s these moments guys. These are the moments I want to hug my laptop. Stan feels like he’s losing Wendy and may have to embrace it but no matter what happens, he can’t bring himself to become a ‘fag’. The ‘Zac Efron’ kid in the episode confesses to Stan he doesn’t want to sing and dance, he wants to play basketball. And then it all goes a bit silly.

Daria – “Daria!” 

Not what you expect really, from one of the most realistically sarcastic black comedy animations for my generation. But there we have it. Daria’s parents start the episode by ‘morning’ singing, as they get ready for work. This moves onto Quinn attempting to chose an outfit and then Daria interrupts by sing-talking “Oh what a joy, I didn’t wake up dead”, reassuring us that she still hates everything, she’ll just be singing her hate this episode. So, a hurricane is announced in the town, and everyone goes home to be safe. Daria and Jane go to the roof of the school because it’s ‘pep rally day’, and are unaware of the hurricane warning. Kevin and Britney also go to the roof to make out, and manage to lock everyone up there. I think my favourite song is Daria’s dad and Trent’s duet, because I’m in love with both of them <3

Buffy the Vampire Slayer – “Once More, With Feeling” 

Buffy may have vampires in it, but it is a TV show for men and women, about supernatural occurrences and a team who fight them. It’s about kicking (demonic) ass and doing it right. It’s not about faffing around with glitter and dry humping feet (I’ve never seen Twilight). Buffy, when she has to, kills her vampire boyfriend, she dies when she has to, she kills what she needs to and protects THE WORLD as she does this. When we get to Season 6, half way through, you stumble across the musical episode. Buffy has just been resurrected by her friends, and is ‘not right’, but slowly begins to pretend she is fine. A demon casts a spell on Sunnydale, causing everyone to sing his or her feelings and eventually spontaneously combust. After the Scooby gang realise that they’ve been randomly breaking into song and dance, they begin to investigate the unnatural causes. Tara and Willow have a sexy ‘lezzers in love’ song, and I must say, Tara has a BEAUTIFUL voice. I kind of fell in love with her too. Everyone sang their own parts, although Dawn and Willow were reluctant to sing, and so were given few lines in the show. There’s a heart-breaking ending and I’m in my usual position of screaming/crying into large bowls of food. Joss Whedon, you are God.

Leave a Reply