Top 8 Geeky Musical TV Episodes

Mean Girls has effectively Inception-ed itself. Tina Fey adapted the 2004 movie from author Rosalind Wiseman’s 2002 novel Queen Bees and Wannabes. Then, Fey took it a step further by bringing the film to the stage in 2017. After a successful Broadway run, Fey and Paramount adapted the stage musical into a movie musical. It’s been in theaters for a few weeks now, and fans of the OG film and newbies alike are digging this adaptation.

To celebrate Mean Girls‘ success, I’ve compiled a list of my eight favorite geeky musical TV episodes. Sometimes, all one needs is a song, a dance, and maybe a demon or two. Or tap-dancing doctors, if that’s more your speed.

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Buffy the Vampire Slayer, “Once More, With Feeling”

Let’s face it: Buffy the Vampire Slayer‘s “Once More, With Feeling” broke the mold, providing a template for other genre shows to follow suit should they branch out into musical territory. If you go on IMDb, it’s the series’ highest-rated episode, along with the exceptional “Hush.”

With clever lyrics that run the gamut of darkly comedic to poignant, “Once More, With Feeling” is not only a staple of geeky musical TV episodes but a damn great fantasy outing. From Spike’s punk rock-infused “Rest in Peace” to Xander and Anya’s poppy, adorably choreographed “I’ll Never Tell,” this episode provides plenty of musical tracks for fans of multiple genres to enjoy.

It’s also a much-needed dose of levity in the show’s darkest season, where we see Buffy at her lowest. That said, the upbeat tunes serve as a springboard for the characters’ innermost thoughts, especially our titular lead as she navigates life after being resurrected from the dead. 

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The Magicians, “All That Josh”

The Magicians is the adult version of Harry Potter that took delightful creative big swings throughout its run. This includes having a seasonal musical episode from season 2 through its fifth and final season. However, the indisputable winner is season 3’s “All That Josh.”

The great thing about fantasy shows is that it’s incredibly easy to write in a reason why all your characters are suddenly bursting into song. However, it takes finesse to organically weave the music with the narrative so that it’s not jarring when transitioning from speech to singing.

While “All That Josh” is a fun showcase for Jade Tailor, who’s easily one of the strongest vocalists in the bunch, the showstopping 11 o’clock number of the cast singing “Under Pressure” makes the episode. I get chills every time. Hale Appleman was born to sing anything by David Bowie or Queen.

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Star Trek: Strange New Worlds, “Subspace Rhapsody”

Star Trek: Strange New Worlds boldly goes where no Star Trek series has gone before with a full-on musical episode. It was met with moans from non-musical fans and was quite polarizing on social media. That said, this Trekkie musical nerd is a huge proponent of genre-bending and mixing. To me, “Subspace Rhapsody” is a home run.

The writers do an excellent job of giving us a very Trek reason for the spontaneous singing. It’s even in the first track, “Status Report.” Everyone wonders why in the world they’re singing. “Subspace Rhapsody” taps into the levity and campiness of the original series, complete with tight choreography, cheeky lyrics, and in-your-face performances.

Celia Rose Gooding and Christina Chong are vocal standouts, delivering powerhouse, memorable numbers worthy of Broadway. Of course, Gooding made their Broadway debut in 2021’s Jagged Little Pill, so their staggering performance should come as no surprise.

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It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia, “The Nightman Cometh”

It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia might not seem like the show to tackle a musical episode, but it’s got two under its belt during its record-breaking 19-year run (season 12’s “The Gang Turns Black” is the other one). “The Nightman Cometh” is, without a shadow of a doubt, the episode that catapulted Sunny to new comedic heights. 

Of course, when Charlie approaches the gang with the musical he wrote, they approach it from a revenge angle. Who is this musical attacking? Who are they getting back at? However, Charlie simply wants to use it as a last-ditch effort to propose to the Waitress, who’s filed a restraining order against him.

“The Nightman Cometh” is bitingly hilarious and chock full of iconic Sunny one-liners and hysterically theatrical performances. Mac’s over-the-top acting on stage? Priceless. Charlie’s anger about everyone refusing to stick to his lyrics? Laugh-out-loud funny. Oh, and you don’t say “stage freeze.” You just do it. 

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Community, “Regional Holiday Music”

Musical episodes in the world of Community makes sense. It’s zany, over-the-top, surreal, and downright goofy. “Regional Holiday Music” also happens to be one of the show’s legendary holiday-themed episodes, making it extra fun. 

The Community episode parodies Glee during the musical show’s heyday, but that doesn’t mean you won’t “get it” if you’re not a Gleek. That said, as a former Gleek (and I’m using that fandom name loosely — I only watched the first few seasons), I found it perfectly captured Glee‘s ridiculous energy while cleverly skewering it.

Annie’s solo tune about how sexy musical numbers “dumb down” women’s intelligence is a highlight, as is Troy and Abed’s rap about infiltrating Christmas. 

…oh, Britta’s in this? I suppose we ought to let her sing her awkward Christmas song. 

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Scrubs, “My Musical”

Eagleee! The Scrubs musical episode debuted six years after Buffy‘s iconic “Once More, With Feeling,” during a time when musicals were still for geeks. Despite initial audience trepidation, “My Musical” became a bona fide hit. 

The premise works well in the show’s hospital setting; a woman who’s a patient overhears everyone singing after falling unconscious. What transpires next is an avalanche of hilarious numbers with inspirations that run the gamut from Grease to Rent and beyond. All these years later, I still gravitate toward “Guy Love” and “For the Last Time, I’m Dominican.”

What’s great about this episode is that the tunes don’t bog down the story. In fact, they help progress the narrative. For starters, Carla returns to Sacred Heart, and J.D. and Elliot no longer live together. A good musical utilizes songs to push the plot forward and develop characters.

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Supernatural, “Fan Fiction”

Carry on, my wayward “Fan Fiction.” Supernatural also hopped aboard the musical episode train, even though “Fan Fiction” isn’t a musical from start to finish. Still, it deserves a place on this list. Supernatural is at its best when it gets meta and pokes fun at itself, and that self-awareness soars to new heights in this outing. 

“Fan Fiction” finds Sam and Dean investigating a teacher’s disappearance, leading to a discovery that one school’s drama club is performing a musical based on them. That’s gotta be awkward for our boys. Supernatural: The Musical is sure to take the Great White Way by storm, Chuck-willing. 

Overall, it’s a delightfully entertaining fourth wall break, with engaging performances, toe-tapping musical numbers, and the return of Chuck, AKA God. 

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Futurama, “The Devil’s Hands Are Idle Playthings”

“The Devil’s Hands Are Idle Playthings” is a unique episode in Futurama‘s 11 seasons because it was the series finale. After airing on August 10, 2o03, the show took a five-year hiatus before returning on March 23, 2008. Anyway, it’s an entertaining musical romp that’s one of the show’s best in general. 

Fry strikes a deal with the Robot Devil to get robot hands trained in holophoner playing. Why? Because he wants to impress Leela. Fry then pens a moving opera with his new hands, basing said opera on Leela’s life. 

As a series, Futurama is no stranger to heartstring-tugging, stirring narratives that deviate from its standard comedy. It’s a show with a heaping helping of heart. “The Devil’s Hands Are Idle Playthings” expertly combines humor and heart for a memorable robot-devilish experience. 

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What are your favorite geeky musical TV episodes? Join the conversation with other pop culture fans over at Sideshow Social Network or in side.show/geekgroup, and don’t forget to Let Your Geek Sideshow!