'Galavant': 5 Things to Expect From the Rest of Season 2

It’s a new season and it’s totally bitchin’. That’s the consensus for the second season of Galavant, ABC’s hilarious medieval musical comedy that was so on the bubble of getting axed that the Season 2 premiere episode is titled “A New Season aka Suck It Cancellation Bear.” But Galavant (Joshua Sasse), King Richard (Timothy Omundson), and the gang battled it out for another round on ABC, and they’re even getting another week out of the deal too.

Last week’s season premiere picked up with Galavant on a journey to take unseated King Richard back to his home kingdom, but you better believe this half-baked knight hero’s real goal is to go back and rescue Isabella (Karen David), his one true love who’s holed up in a creepy life-size dollhouse courtesy of her cousin/fiancé, Harry. (“Don’t marry Harry,” Galavant advises his lady love. “It’s gross.”)

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We talked to executive producer Kat Likkel about what to expect for the second season of Galavant, and we’ve come up with five things, as well as this conclusion: Expect to have songs stuck in your head at least until spring.

1. Extra episodes are comin’

Take that, Sunday Night Football and Golden Globe Awards. After last season’s four-week, eight-episode run, Galavant graces the small screen for five weeks this time, for a total of 10 new episodes. “We are really excited we got two extra episodes this season, so we’ve been able to flesh out stories a little bit more,” Likkel says. “We are going to be going to some really big, surprising places. Our opening musical number gives you a hint of what’s going to be happening.”

2. New sides to characters

Likkel tells us we can expect to see “surprising twists and turns” for all of the Galavant characters. “Madalena [Mallory Jansen] last season started off as sort of the sweet peasant girl who was kidnapped and forced into marriage,” she says. “And then, you know, ends up being queen of this country Valencia. This evil queen. And now it’s Gareth [Vinnie Jones] at her side. I think you’re going to see some interesting turns in the relationship and she’s going to be faced with some dilemma.” Likkel also teases that Madalena’s relationship with Gareth is going to make her feel really torn. “She might end up feeling really true love for the first time in her life,” the EP says.

As for Isabella, while she was known as a “very feisty warrior girl last season,” she’s now going to get “flipped around on her head” a bit and find herself in an “enchanted” position. And Gareth could be less of a henchman/thug this season as he tries to figure out if he’s a king (or what the heck his role is), while Richard is going to be faced with “the kind of dilemmas he’s never had to face before in his life.”

3. Killer guest stars will rule

For a five-week show, Galavant definitely knows how to attract the guest stars. In addition to return guest appearances by Ricky Gervais, Hugh Bonneville, and John Stamos, Season 2 of the ABC comedy will feature plenty of U.K. talent, including Matt Lucas in the role of Peasant John and Nick Frost as Andre the Giant.

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“We have a bunch of really amazing English stars this year,” Likkel says. “Simon Callow, who everyone knows from everything from Four Weddings to Amadeus. We have Reece Shearsmith, who is an amazing English actor and comedian. We have Eddie Marsan, who we know in the U.S. from Ray Donovan. He comes and plays the character of Death. And Al Yankovic is back again this year.” Likkel also says Tony Award winner Robert Lindsay will play Chester Wormwood, “an evil wedding planner with an agenda of his own.” And yes, that was pop singer Kylie Minogue (Sasse’s real-life girlfriend) singing in the gay bar in the season opener.

4. Epic songs that will stay in your head forever

With hilarious songs like “Maybe You’re Not the Worst Thing Ever” and “Jackass in a Can” last season, show composers Alan Menken and Glenn Slater are back with even more elaborate musical productions. Likkel says the new songs by Menken and Slater are “outrageous” (see the Kylie Minogue clip above), and she teases big musical dance numbers. As for her favorite tune, Likkel says, “You know I woke up with that in my head today, it’s a song called ‘Finally.’ It’s sung by King Richard [with a] backup band of a zombie army. It’s a very happy love song. Think of it as something from Grease. Alan would kill me for quoting from another musical, but think of it as, you know, Richard is on a journey to discover himself, he thinks he’s heading back to his old kingdom, and he potentially discovers a little love along the way.”

5. A supersized battle that can’t end well

The giant musical number that kicked off the first episode provides a major spoiler for an epic battle of armies from Hortensia, Valencia, and Richard’s land that will air later this season. Likkel tells us the supersized shoot took place in Morocco, where Lawrence of Arabia was filmed. “[This entire season] takes us to this giant battle between three competing armies,” she teases. “Isabella leading an army. Madalena and Gareth leading an army, and Richard and Galavant. They all have to come together to sort of battle this all out in Morocco.”

So, who will be king? Only four weeks (and at least three dozen more songs) until we find out.

Galavant airs Sundays at 8 p.m. on ABC.