What’s New on TV in 2015

‘Agent Carter’

Set at the end of WWII, “Agent Carter” picks up where Marvel’s “Captain America: The First Avenger” left off.

Agent Peggy Carter (Hayley Atwell) feels a lack of purpose after the war. When her former ally Howard Stark (Dominic Cooper) is accused of selling top-secret weapons to foreign enemies, he enlists Carter’s help to recover the weapons and clear his name. Joining Carter in this endeavor is Stark’s butler, Edwin Jarvis (rewatch “Iron Man” if you’re wondering where you’ve heard that name before).

Together they must uncover the mystery surrounding Stark’s missing weapons before Carter’s coworkers at the Strategic Scientific Reserve, a group of mostly chauvinistic men, can solve the case.

“Agent Carter” is the perfect mix of action and drama. What makes it different from other comic book-based shows on TV is that the hero is a female. Another notable distinction is that “Agent Carter” is set in the late 1940s instead of modern day. Like the movie on which it’s based, “Agent Carter” is well thought-out and produced.

Episodes of “Agent Carter” air Tuesdays at 9 p.m. on ABC.

‘Galavant’

The original musical comedy “Galavant” is about a hero named Galavant and his journey to win back his one true love, Madalena, from an evil king (think “The Princess Bride” but with singing).

Galavant is joined by the Princess Isabella and his squire Sid on a quest to defeat King Richard and save Isabella’s kingdom of Valencia. While this might sound like a typical fairytale, the catch is that Galavant is far from a hero; his one true love doesn’t really love him; Princess Isabella is secretly working for the king, and the evil King Richard isn’t quite so evil.

“Galavant” is by far more of a comedy than an action-packed story. The selling point of “Galavant” is its musical numbers; every episode features original songs from the legendary Disney composer Alan Menken (“The Little Mermaid,” “Aladdin,” “Beauty and the Beast”). Menken has teamed up once again with lyricist Glenn Slater whom he previously worked with on “Tangled.”

Unfortunately, like most shows and movies these days, sexual innuendo abounds. These references are usually short-lived or expressed through song, but their inclusion may detract from the viewing experience for some.

Joshua Sasse stars as the title character in “Galavant.” He is joined by Karen David and Luke Youngblood in the roles of Isabella and Sid, respectively. Timothy Omundson steals the show as King Richard, and Mallory Jansen plays Galavant’s not-so-true love, Madalena.

The show also features an impressive list of guest stars including John Stamos, Weird Al Yankovic and Ricky Gervais.

“Galavant” was intended as a mid-season filler for ABC’s “Once Upon a Time.” Season one, comprised of eight 30-minute episodes, aired on ABC this January and ended with the promise of a season two. The soundtrack for “Galavant” will be released Feb. 17.

Mary Kate Browning is a senior applied communications major and digital editor for Cedars. She loves coffee, goats and wearing her Batman backpack around campus.