When Galavant hit the airwaves back in 2015, ABC delivered a very different kind of comedy thanks to the singing, dancing, and hilariously self-aware and irreverent takes on fairy tale-esque stories. Telling the musical tale of a washed up hero, a princess with a deviated septum, an ineffectual king, land-locked pirates, and more, Galavant was nevertheless cancelled in 2016 after two seasons. Since TV is now in an era of reboots and revivals, however, could there be a second life for Galavant thanks to Netflix?
Karen David, who played Princess Isabella on Galavant before she brought Princess Jasmine to live-action on Once Upon a Time and who will appear at the official Once Upon a Time Reunion Convention this weekend in New Jersey, spoke with CinemaBlend about whether the Galavant team would be up for more, if a revival could really happen due to the series winning a new audience since streaming on Netflix, and playing a princess on not one but two shows.
When I asked if she would be on board for more Galavant if the opportunity ever arose, Karen David said this:
Absolutely. I will say right now, full disclosure, all of us are up for more Galavant. There's a lot of things that happen when a show gets cancelled that can be a bit political too, and it's really tough to explain to the fans, that sometimes it's not always what you think of why a show gets cancelled. There's a lot of reasons behind it, and we all feel that there was so much more to tell. Dan Fogelman had a Bible of the story arcs for seven seasons, so there were so many stories to tell. And that was just the start.
Who could have guessed that the Galavant team is so ready for more togetherness even years after the show was cancelled by ABC? The series, which aired in the midseason span of the TV schedule not exactly known for setting ratings records, accumulated a loyal following of fans during its two seasons, and creator Dan Fogelman was apparently prepared for a lot more Galavant!
Season 2 did close on a happy ending for the heroes rather than another huge cliffhanger, which certainly came as a relief after Season 1 wrapped with Isabella locked in a box of a room by her cousin/fiancé, Galavant and Richard off on a sea voyage, Madalena and Gareth sitting the thrones in Valencia, and most of the good guys left in some sticky situations. Still, how many Galavant fans wouldn't be thrilled to find out what happens next after the Season 2 finale?
There are still big questions, after all! Did Isabella and Galavant have three or seven kids? Could Gareth and Sid save Madalena? Do Chef Vincenzo and Gwynne stand a chance of hitting 30 without dying? Karen David went on to explain why there would be an audience for a Galavant revival that could answer some questions:
Don't get me wrong, I am so grateful that we got two seasons. At the end of the day, it takes a network or cable or platform streaming service to give us the opportunity to tell these stories. So we're so grateful that we got the two seasons to tell those stories, and I feel that ever since the show's gone on to Netflix, that it's reached so many more people. Still to this day, I get tweets or Instagram posts telling me, 'Oh my gosh, I just watched Galavant. Why was the show cancelled?' And they want more! So certainly I think the creative team and my fellow cast members, we've all talked about how much we'd love to come back and do more Galavant. So there is a petition, a More Galavant petition, which the fans created. They've been so amazing throughout this process, and I think we're coming up to about 40,000 signatures, and I just keep telling them, keep signing it.
While Galavant may not have broken ratings or viewership records back when the first two seasons aired on ABC, Netflix has given the series a second life. Both seasons are available for binge-watching, and I for one can vouch for the fact that it's tough to stop after just one episode. Could the extra attention for Galavant courtesy of Netflix (which also offers Once Upon a Time streaming) be the boost the show needs for a revival?
That the More Galavant petition (which you can sign here) is still actively getting signatures, nearly four years after Season 2 wrapped, is definitely a positive sign that there's an audience for at least one more season of Galavant. In fact, there have already been several new signatures this week. Karen David elaborated on the petition, making it clear that the effort by fans is being taken seriously by the people involved:
Because literally we have them printed out and it is a massive stack of paper, and just to see how much love there is out there... I'm telling them to go on to Netflix, give it a thumbs up, leave a great review. I'm told from the fans, they're teaching me, that you type Galavant in the search engine on Netflix and that really helps in marketing figures and keeps it going on, certainly to be available to watch on Netflix. That More Galavant petition is really important, that people sign it and give their comments of why they love the show and why they want it back. Just keep spreading the link to other people, because the more signatures there are, then it just helps so much with our producers to do hopefully some future pitches. I know Alan Menken would love to do more... I never felt in my gut that it was truly over. So let's see!
Thanks to the petition, the ways to get Netflix's attention, and the fact that Netflix (and other streaming services) have rescued cancelled series in recent years, the possibility of more Galavant feels like much more than a fairy tale dream. It's certainly a positive sign that Alan Menken is on board, as he is also known for scoring iconic Disney projects like The Little Mermaid, Beauty and the Beast, Aladdin, and Pocahontas.
Playing Isabella was Karen David's first outing as a princess, as she debuted as Princess Jasmine on Once Upon a Time later in 2016. When I asked if her work as Isabella helped prepare her for Jasmine, this was her response:
Playing Isabella did! I feel like I went through all the -- I say this in an endearing way -- growing pains of playing a character that has so much responsibility, not only to her family, but to her kingdom. And finding a happy medium of finding one's identity within all the expectations that are placed on Isabella or Jasmine, and that was something that excited me as an actor, with navigating my way through each of these character's journeys and how they found their place that was true to them and how they settled in to some sort of normality or routine within their royal duties, so to speak. So I think that was what was really great about playing Isabella. I mean, even though it's a bit different in Galavant, which is a comedy [laughs], singing and dancing with horses, all the comedy.
I think any viewers who checked out both Galavant and Karen David's run as Jasmine on Once Upon a Time can certainly attest that she played two different kinds of princesses, but the two characters did have similar responsibilities.
Was Jasmine hilariously captured by land-locked pirates led by a Downton Abbey star before they sang a sea shanty to their prisoners? Not quite. But Isabella nevertheless was helpful preparation for Jasmine! Karen David also shared what has made these characters special to her:
What was so refreshing about Isabella was that, and I know it leads more to the genre of the show, you see how deeply flawed and how not perfect these characters are, yet they're so lovable! But they're human too. And I think what prepped going into Once Upon a Time was that at the end of the day, they are just as human, like I said, as anyone else. So to try and celebrate those refreshing moments, that they cry and laugh at things just as much as any of us do. I think back on both of these roles with such a big smile. If you could see me right now talking to you, I have this permanent cheesy grin on my face because they're both such extraordinary roles that I'm so, so grateful to have played, and every time I think about it or ask questions about it, I just light up.
Only time will tell if Karen David and the rest of the Galavant cast will have the chance to reprise their roles for a revival, undoubtedly helped by the renewed interest courtesy of Netflix. Fortunately, you can see David speak about her TV roles from October 25-27 at the Once Upon a Time Reunion Convention, taking place at Hanover Marriott in Whippany New Jersey.
This weekend's convention is the only Once Upon a Time convention this year, so be sure to check it out if you're a fan. In addition to Karen David, attendees will get the chance to see Lana Parrilla (Evil Queen/Regina/Roni), Sean Maguire (Robin Hood), Jared Gilmore (Henry), Emilie de Ravin (Belle), Lee Arenberg (Leroy/Grumpy), and many more!
See the full list of guests, ticket information, and more to plan your visit this weekend! Once the convention, running October 25-27, has passed, you need to look no further than Netflix for some Galavant and Once Upon a Time fun!
