ABC Exec Reveals More Details on Alan Menken's GALAVANT

During this morning's pre-upfront press conference call, ABC President Paul Lee gave more details on the new series GALAVANT, a half hour fairytale musical comedy developed by Broadway composer Alan Menken, along with Dan Fogelman and Glenn Slater.

"in the [Sunday] gap between 'Once Upon a Time,' when that breaks between the two halves of the season, we're putting in 'Galavant.' " revealed Lee. "[We] think it's the perfect place. All the families are watching 'America's Funniest Home Videos.' And of course, fairy tales with 'Once Upon a Time.' And then when 'Resurrection' finishes, which is going to be later in the season on Sunday night at 9 we're putting in 'American Crime.'"

Lee added that the Galavant will "do original episodes at 8 and a number of original episodes at 8:30. It's sort of perfect for that audience if you think about it and it will allow us to build a big campaign over Christmas which when we you see 'Galavant' it's just the perfect thing to be selling at Christmas."

The series is officially described as: "Once upon a time, there was a dashing hero Galavant (Joshua Sasse), a slayer of dragons, protector of the innocent, and defender of the less fortunate. But one day, the evil King Richard (Timothy Omundson) fell for Galavant's ladylove Madalena and kidnapped her. On Madalena and King Richard's wedding day, Galavant courageously fought his way back to the palace to rescue his love. And while this is where most fairytales end happily ever after, it's where the tale of GALAVANT truly begins. Madalena stuns Galavant when she announces that she chooses fame, fortune, and the crown over Galavant and breaks his heart. Five years later we rejoin Galavant, heartbroken and drowning his sorrows in drink. Having given up on heroics, he's a bit out of shape and flat broke. But his faithful squire Sid sees a momentous opportunity when Princess Isabella of Valencia arrives in search of "The Great Galavant." She asks him to save her kingdom from its evil invader... none other than King Richard himself. Galavant must get back in the saddle, literally and figuratively, to takeRevenge on his nemesis, win back Madalena, and restore his "happily ever after." But our fallen hero doesn't realize that Isabella might not be revealing the whole story... Our hero's quest for redemption will have many twists and turns along the way. And as one of the songs from Menken and Slater proclaims: "Huzzah And Tally-Ho! Sit Back And Here We Go!"

Eight-time Academy Award-winner Alan Menken is known for his work on LITTLE SHOP OF HORRORS, as well as Disney's THE LITTLE MERMAID, BEAUTY AND THE BEAST, ALADDIN, THE HUNCHBACK OF NOTRE DAME, POCAHANTAS, ENCHANTED and TANGLED, which brought him his first Grammy Award for "I See The Light".

Menken has also composed for Broadway's NEWSIES, for which he won a Tony Award, as well as SISTER ACT and LEAP OF FAITH. He is currently redeveloping ALADDIN and HUNCHBACK for Broadway, among other projects.

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