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'Perfect Harmony': Music and comedy is always a winning combination but how does the NBC show avoid the comparisons with 'Glee'?

Drawing immediate comparisons with 'Glee', the trailer of 'Perfect Harmony' starring Bradley Whitford makes it look like a good lighthearted watch.

“Music and comedy are so linked. The rhythm of comedy is con­nected to the rhythm of music. They’re both about creating tension and knowing when to let it go. I’m always surprised when somebody funny is not musical,” Conan O'Brien once said. When intertwined, the threads of humor and music create something beautiful — right from films like 'High School Musical' to TV series like 'Glee'.

Bringing a similar flavor on screen, NBC's 'Perfect Harmony' is all set to roll out this fall. Starring Bradley Whitford in the lead, it revolves around a former Princeton music professor Arthur Cochran who unexpectedly stumbles into choir practice at a small-town church and finds a group of singers who are out of tune in more ways than one.  

Initially skeptical to help out the crew of singers, his attitude towards his new neighbors softens. The trailer of the show begins with Whitford in a car, begging for God to "send him a sign" if there is any reason for him to keep on living. In a comical instance, the church choir starts playing the Hallelujah chords and he hurriedly storms out of his car saying, "This will not be the last thing I hear on Earth!" The 1.46-minute clip then delves deeper into how he gets set to help the group of singers take part in a choir competition. As he takes individual auditions, the musicians sing in weird ways and let the onlookers enjoy a rib-tickling laugh.

Drawing immediate comparisons with 'Glee', the trailer of the series makes it look like a good lighthearted watch. Actress Anna Camp, who plays a local waitress and part-time chorister on the show, said it has more in common with the 1992 comedy 'Sister Act' and popular sitcom 'The Office'. Speaking at an event in Los Angeles, she said: “I usually say it’s a little bit like 'The Office' meets 'Sister Act'. Because there’s a choir element, there’s a singing element, but it’s not a competition show like 'Glee'. A lot of people are asking if it’s a 'Pitch Perfect' spin-off – definitely not. It’s more like an ensemble comedy with musical elements.”

The bigger question of the hour is: Music and comedy can be a good mashup, but will the NBC show bring anything new to the table? If judged by the trailer, what seems to work for the show is Whitford's performance. His bold, brash remarks to the choir group will instantly make you chuckle. In one scene, when Camp asks him, "Did you read my diary?" he replies, "I wrote it! and in another, he tells a woman in the choir, "Things change as women get older." Talking about his character at the annual PaleyFest TV previews event, Whitford said: “He’s in a lot of trouble. He’s lost the love of his life and he’s ruined his career and he’s got nowhere else to go.” Addressing the comparisons with musical comedy 'Glee', he added: “It’s not a comparison because the music was more the point in 'Glee', here the comedy is the entree. The music is really a fun part of it but we’re not gearing up for a competition every show.”

Gear up to watch the musical comedy series on NBC every Thursday at 8.30/7.30c starting from September 26.