From The Morning Show to Brooklyn Nine-Nine, the Most Unexpected (& Totally Delightful) Musical Moments from Television
On this week’s episode of Apple TV’s The Morning Show, Jennifer Aniston and Billy Crudup showed off their vocal chops when they broke into a rendition of “Not While I’m Around” from the Broadway musical Sweeney Todd. Though this moment was surprisingly delightful (and full of tension) it’s always a mixture of “WTF?” and true, musical bliss to see actors sing on a show that otherwise has little to nothing to do with singing.
Everyone loves a musical moment, especially a musical moment that they didn’t see coming. We’re not talking Glee or Crazy Ex-Girlfriend, no, those shows were made to be musical. We’re talking shows that have been entirely non-musical until, in one shining moment, the characters decide to sing like their hearts depend on it.
Whether the producers decided that seasoned Broadway professionals shouldn’t put their musical talent to waste or just wanted to see what would happen if they made an entire musical episode, here are some of the most unexpected and endearing musical moments in more recent television history.
When the world was basically ending but Dustin (Gaten Matarazzo) and Suzie (Gabriella Pizzolo) decided to sing “NeverEnding Story” despite it all.
An over-the-radio duet is not only supremely cute, but also hilariously placed in the third season of the Netflix series. The reactions of the rest of the cast (who are literally about to be either caught breaking into a Russian bunker or killed by a mind flayer) were truly the icing on top of this musical cake.
Joey (Katie Holmes) singing “On My Own” from Les Misérables on Dawson’s Creek.
Let’s face it, we’ve all fantasized about singing this musical classic about our unrequited love. We just didn’t get a chance to do it during a pageant like Joey.
Neil Patrick Harris showing off his musical chops singing “Nothing Suits Me Like a Suit” on How I Met Your Mother.
Barney, like, really loves suits, okay?
Skins ending its first season with this rendition of “Wild World.”
It shouldn’t work at all, but it somehow does so brilliantly.
Jessica Lange absolutely slaying “The Name Game” on American Horror Story.
Jessica Jessica Bo Bessica … bless Ryan Murphy for finding a way to fit this into American Horror Story: Asylum.
Callie (Sara Ramirez) singing “The Story” by Brandi Carlile on Grey’s Anatomy.
When the show did its musical episode (filled with songs that were the backing track to some of the show’s most pivotal moments), they really let Sara Ramirez shine.
Patrick singing “Simply the Best” by Tina Turner to David on Schitt’s Creek.
David’s “butter-voiced beau” sang an acoustic version of Turner’s usually upbeat song and we’ve never been the same.
And then David doing his own version.
An olive branch for the ages.
When Lorelai sang “I Will Always Love You” on Gilmore Girls.
In 2007, there was little else more heartbreaking than watching Lorelai Gilmore sing Dolly Parton’s classic to her ex, Luke.
Megan Draper singing “Zou Bisou Bisou” to Don on Mad Men.
Megan Draper singing the French classic gave us both second-hand embarrassment and made us wish we could sing in French so … try to unpack that.
And Bert Cooper breaking into “The Best Things in Life Are Free.”
We’re not crying, you’re crying! The unexpected musical number served as an epic send-off for Robert Morse’s character.
Titus Andromedon’s hit, “Peeno Noir,” from Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt.
Titus also sang in his audition for Trident gum and it was equally as marvelous.
When The Office did “The Best Intro Ever.”
Presented without comment.
And when they brought us to tears with “9,986,000 Minutes.”
The show had a few truly marvelous musical moments, but this one hit us right in the feels. Honorable mention goes to Andy’s Sweeney Todd flash mob.
The very earnest musical episode of Buffy the Vampire Slayer that included a ballad from Spike.
We didn’t know we needed the entire cast of Buffy the Vampire Slayer to perform multiple musical numbers about demons, but we so did.
When Ren got sick on Evens Stevens and we were blessed with an entire musical episode that included such bangers as “We Went to the Moon in 1969” and “What’s the Matter With Ren?”
If you were a Disney Channel kid, chances are you were caught singing the episode’s catchy tunes on more than one occasion.
When JD and Turk sang a surprisingly catchy song about pooping on Scrubs.
We’d expect nothing less of Scrubs‘ musical episode.
Ben Platt’s rendition of “River” from The Politician wasn’t entirely unexpected (he is a Broadway star, after all) but it was beautiful!
[SPOILER] After his friend/rival/romantic partner — aptly named River — commits suicide in the show’s first episode, Platt’s character, Payton, sings this Joni Mitchell cover (and leaves us all weeping).
When Kelly, Jessie and Lisa formed a girl group, Hot Sundae, and dropped their bop, “Go For It.”
If this Saved By the Bell gem isn’t on your workout playlist, you are missing out.
And, of course, the “I Want It That Way” moment from Brooklyn Nine-Nine.
Arguably one of the best musical moments in recent television history, this cold opening is a work of art.
