Six Emmy wins aside, forget Traitors: Alan Cumming’s 2-season Apple TV flop demands a weekend binge
Cumming’s varied career
Cumming began as a Tony-winning stage actor and appeared in films including the Spy Kids trilogy, Romy and Michele's High School Reunion, and Spice World. His television role as lawyer Eli Gold on The Good Wife earned him three Emmy nominations.
He is now widely recognized for hosting The Traitors, which has brought him six Emmy wins. The article also points to Schmigadoon! as another project where he shines.
A musical comedy town
Schmigadoon! premiered on Apple TV in 2021. Created by Cinco Paul and Ken Daurio, the musical comedy parodies the form, with its first season drawing on musicals from the 1940s and 1950s.
The six-episode season pays tribute to Brigadoon and includes nods to Oklahoma, South Pacific, and Carousel. It follows New York doctors Melissa, played by Cecily Strong, and Josh, played by Keegan-Michael Key, as they travel in an attempt to address problems in their relationship.
Trapped in Schmigadoon
During their trip, Melissa and Josh discover the mystical town of Schmigadoon, which seems to belong to an indistinct past. Its residents include comic stereotypes, and characters regularly break into elaborate song and dance numbers.
The couple learn they cannot leave until they find true love. The article cuts off as it describes this predicament, then shifts to a separate discussion of four other musicals, without giving further details about Schmigadoon! or its second season.
Key points
- Alan Cumming has six Emmy wins for hosting The Traitors.
- Schmigadoon! debuted on Apple TV in 2021, created by Cinco Paul and Ken Daurio.
- Its first season has six episodes and draws on Golden Age musicals.
- Melissa and Josh discover a town they cannot leave until they find true love.