The First Three - Galavant (2015)

For an introduction to my First Three series, click the link!
ABC's Galavant is a musical comedy that follows the adventures of Galavant (Joshua Sasse), a washed up knight whose present exploits include heavy drinking and being kicked out of inns when he can't pay the tab.  This changes when he meets Princess Isabella (Karen David), and tagalong squire Sid (Luke Youngblood), who reignite his better nature as they begin a quest to liberate Madalena (Mallory Jansen), Galavant's lady love, from the clutches of the evil King Richard (Timothy Omundson).  What Galavant doesn't know is that Isabella is actually working for King Richard, and the quest is an elaborate double cross.    
The first thing you will notice about Galavant is the music.  Every episode contains at least a few songs, and this is where the show works best.  I initially dismissed the music as a bit too simple, but I guarantee the theme music will stick in your head even if you just watch the pilot.  As well, there are some very clever lyrics used in the songs, which give a good sense of the show's general style.
On the acting side of things, Joshua Sasse plays the arrogant, overconfident Galavant quite well.  He's not exactly likable, but the enthusiasm of his companions helps to make him look good.  I found the foppish King Richard to be the standout performance of the show.  His cruel, yet childishly sensitive character is consistently funny, especially when it comes to musical numbers.  One particular number involves him detailing how he'd execute his rivals in song, and is a perfect example of the style Galavant aims for.
Galavant's sense of humour ranges wildly, from Monty Python style silliness, to the self-aware modernism of the Shrek films.  As such, it's very difficult to pin down exactly who the target audience of this show is.  There are some dashes of adult humour, so it's not exactly for kids, but other than that, it reads as a family friendly comedy.  It feels as if the writers took an 'anything goes' approach, which is a bit problematic, as many of the jokes are hit and miss affairs.  In particular, I'm reminded of a joke from episode 2:  the king's henchman Gareth (Vinnie Jones) makes an off-colour comment involving his unusual taste in women.  At first, I found it funny enough to laugh at, but then the writers draw the joke out a few beats too long.  At this point, the joke fails and becomes uncomfortable, or even offensive to some.  This lack of consistency is my main issue with Galavant.  Perhaps these issues are resolved in future episodes, but as it stands, I can't recommend Galavant on the basis of its comedic style.  If you're looking for a medieval musical comedy, this will certainly fit the bill.  For me personally, it's not nearly as smart or funny as it wants to be.