There are several TV genres today, and one of them is the musical. But the thing is that it has never really been a stable format. Some shows try to replicate the logic of theater, others use music as a narrative tool, and some simply lean on spectacle for spectacle’s sake. The result is a genre that ends up living between highly inventive successes and attempts that can’t quite sustain their concept throughout a full season, for example. Still, when it works, it does something very few formats can pull off: turning emotion, conflict, and character development into something that is literally expressed through music, without feeling artificial.
With that in mind, we put together a selection of the best shows that understand how to use music as part of the story rather than as a kind of break from it. There are different ways to approach the genre, but which ones actually nailed that balance in a way that’s both entertaining and consistent without losing focus? If you’re a fan of musical productions, these are for you.
5) Daisy Jones & The Six
image courtesy of prime video
At its release, Daisy Jones & The Six was a phenomenon, and it’s not hard to see why. What the show manages to do is build a strong enough narrative to make the audience want to experience (or relive) the ’70s. Here, the story follows the rise of the fictional band of the same name, showing everything that eventually led to its breakup: internal conflicts, complicated romances, and the darker side of fame. It’s literally the behind-the-scenes story of a band that found itself at its peak at a certain point in life. And the show’s biggest strength is how it uses music to tell all of this.
All of its songs are highly meaningful and loaded with tension, regret, or desire. They’re not just hits, but music with real narrative weight. And it’s thanks to this soundtrack that many people found themselves wishing the band could actually exist outside the screen. Besides, the chemistry between Daisy (Riley Keough) and Billy (Sam Claflin), and the constant tension between ambition and ego, make everything more addictive with each episode. Daisy Jones & The Six has drama, authenticity, and you easily feel like you’re watching a rock documentary, not actors playing musicians. It’s one of the biggest TV bets in recent years.
4) Smash
image courtesy of nbc
Smash is for real musical fans — the kind who are deep into Broadway. And that’s probably why only a smaller audience knows it. Built for people who love stage productions, the show dives into the backstage of a fictional musical called “Bombshell,” inspired by Marilyn Monroe’s life story. Across the series, we see rehearsals, creative conflicts, and rivalries between everyone involved, all while the production slowly comes together. And the key point is that every musical number works not only as a performance within the musical being built inside the story, but also as an emotional extension of the characters.
It’s also fair to say the show is a bit uneven in terms of execution, but it’s still fascinating because of how committed it is to translating the intensity of Broadway into TV form. There isn’t really a song here that feels disposable, even the more pop-oriented ones. In other words, if you want to understand what goes on behind a Broadway production without actually being in New York, Smash delivers. It’s not widely remembered today, partly because it was canceled after Season 2, but it still holds up as a worthwhile watch for musical fans.
3) Glee
image courtesy of fox
Of all the musical TV shows, Glee is the most popular one and the one that actually broke into the mainstream in a way most shows of the genre never managed to. Because it ran for several seasons, it’s also inconsistent by nature (there are episodes where it really misses the mark). But when it works, it’s hard not to get pulled in, mostly because of its energy and how fast it commits to what it’s doing. The story follows the New Directions choir at William McKinley High, dealing with rivalries, relationships, and personal crises while performing everything from modern pop hits to classic Broadway songs.
Here, each musical number is used as a tool to explore identity, bullying, sexuality, and other real issues. So even the most exaggerated moments usually have a clear narrative purpose behind them. And that balance between emotional sincerity and full-on exaggeration is exactly what made Glee such a defining pop culture landmark. It’s fun, sometimes messy, but consistently relevant in how it connects music to character. It’s not the foundation of the musical TV genre, but it is a must-watch entry point. For a lot of people, their versions of songs became as iconic as (or even more than) the originals.
2) Galavant
image courtesy of abc
Galavant is completely underrated, and it’s basically proof that musical storytelling doesn’t always need to be serious or emotionally heavy to work. It’s a fantasy comedy that has no problem making fun of itself and the usual fairy tale clichés, using songs as part of that satire. The story follows the titular knight (Joshua Sasse) trying to win back his “happily ever after” while dealing with over-the-top villains and crazy situations that undercut traditional fantasy expectations. And here, the songs are fast, funny, and surprisingly sharp when it comes to both jokes and character work.
And the musical structure actually helps the show stay efficient, since songs are used to move the plot forward or define characters, without wasting time. So it’s refreshing to watch a series that knows exactly what it is and just commits to it. Sure, it can be silly, but it’s also well-written, with lyrics that always land the comedic timing right. Overall, Galavant is a great comfort-watch option that never feels like a waste of time because it does exactly what it sets out to do: entertain. Even though it was canceled, it’s still widely remembered in a very positive light by those who watched it.
1) Crazy Ex-Girlfriend
image courtesy of the cw
And if you think musical TV is only about pure entertainment, Crazy Ex-Girlfriend is going to prove you wrong. The show starts with Rebecca Bunch (Rachel Bloom), a successful lawyer who leaves her life in New York to pursue an old love, but suddenly everything turns into a character study about mental health, expectations, and identity. Rebecca herself is funny, self-centered, and extremely human, and every musical number reflects exactly that. The songs aren’t just there to entertain, because they function as point-of-view storytelling.
In the same general space as Glee, the structure here is used to dig into very specific issues like anxiety, toxic relationships, and self-sabotage, but in a way that feels very honest rather than simplified. So it’s easy to relate to the show because it basically taps into what makes people love musicals in the first place: using music as a way to express what we can’t say directly. At the same time, it also actively subverts romantic storytelling conventions. Versatile and self-aware in its style, Crazy Ex-Girlfriend is a series that understands what a musical is and uses that understanding in a creative, purpose-driven way.
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