12 Best and Worst TV Musicals

Fox is previewing its new, musically inspired fall show Glee after American Idol in hopes of hooking fans early. But this isn’t the first show to be inspired by Broadway—here’s a look at some other television shows that have tried (and occasionally failed) to capture the magic of the Great White Way.

The Lullaby of Broadway?

Will Glee, about a hapless band of school-choir misfits, be a quirky hit like Scrubs, or another Cop Rock flop? Creator Ryan Murphy’s Nip/Tuck has had a successful run on FX, but his earlier series, Popular, which walked the same fine line between camp and earnestness that Glee seems to be attempting, lasted only two seasons on the WB. Here’s hoping his latest effort lives up to its name.

She Slays Demons and High Notes

Once you’ve overcome a doofy title like Buffy the Vampire Slayer and become a bona fide cult hit, you can pretty much do whatever you want. Which is exactly what creator Joss Whedon did in 2001 with his musical episode, “Once More, With Feeling,” featuring a tap-dancing demon (naturally) whose spell causes the Sunnydale residents to sing out their deepest secrets. With original songs penned by Whedon and sung by the cast, the episode was more than a novelty act, with ramifications of the spell carrying over the rest of the season.

Cop Rock, Um, Didn’t

Musical theater and police procedurals—two great things that don’t go great together. The brainchild of Steven Bochco (NYPD Blue), Cop Rock featured lawyers, cops, felons, and judges crooning original songs. It ran 11 painful episodes in 1990 before being mercifully euthanized.

Broadway Divas Rock the Boat

True musical-theater junkies must have needed smelling salts after this 1982 episode of The Love Boat, which brought together four legendary leading ladies—Ethel Merman, Ann Miller, Carol Channing and Della Reese—to perform “I'm the Greatest Star” from Funny Girl.