Breaking into Song

Charts the evolution of musicals on television from song-based shows to the notorious musical episode

The musical genre has a fraught history on US television, remembered too frequently for spectacular failures than stellar performances. While the first written-for-TV musical aired in 1944, prime-time musical performances on US television were often airings of Broadway shows, made-for-tv adaptations, and occasionally original pieces or the popular variety shows of the 1950s. It was only a matter of time before someone attempted to create a musical series.

Breaking into Song traces the history of the musical on television, from its variety show and adaptational beginnings to the rash of single episode and full-on musical series of the 2000s. While the shows come and go, music has been a vital part of US television for decades, even before the debut of MTV. Erin Giannini dives into the many musical series from Cop Rock to Glee and episodes from Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Community and more, while also highlighting the myriad ways music has been used in television, from launching stars such as John Travolta, to synergy in teen programs, and even as characterization and emotional underscoring in dramas.

Beginning with Hull High debuting on NBC and Cop Rock on ABC, musicals made their way to television and never looked back. These shows paved the way for today’s popular series such as Zoey’s Extraordinary Playlist and the subversive Crazy Ex-Girlfriend. And while musical-focused series remain a small subset, the late 1990s to the present day have made it so numerous prime-time series across genres incorporate at least a single musical episode into their run. This is a must-read for fans of musicals and television alike, interested in this fascinating subset of pop culture.