Glee

Even though it has lost its spark, Glee did something huge: it changed the way people see TV. With music, well written characters and a simple storyline, Glee changed the game. This show made people talk and made people sing. It could've been a mess from the beginning, but Ryan Murphy did a pretty good job until the last three seasons. I would like to remember Glee as a TV series that helped others in a way no other TV show could at that moment. We have to be honest, even if you hated it or liked it: before Glee there were no other show as open minded as this one. Glee, at the end of the day, is an optimistic, happy, and simple show. It doesn't try to be more than what it is, but as far as Glee can go, it had a pretty good run.

What I really liked about "Glee" in its first two seasons was that the characters and their situations were so easy to relate to, especially for someone like me (and many others, naturally) who went to a conservative, small-town school and never seemed to fit in. Despite the odd ridiculous moment or some bland covers of already bland songs, "Glee" became a true guilty pleasure, and I put the emphasis more on pleasure than on guilty. However, the whole premise of it involving a group of pupils at a high school would mean that it was never meant to last that long, and I do think it should have stopped once the main characters had left the school. Now the ridiculousness has become more and more pronounced, and I've stopped paying attention to the series. Sorry.

"Glee" is a high school comedy (dramedy?) filled with music and choreography. It follows the students and faculty surrounding a high school glee club. The show exploits high school stereotypes (the popular jocks and cheerleaders, the "losers" interested in music clubs, the dumb athlete, the flamboyant homosexual, etc.), while preaching a "be yourself" and "follow your dreams" message. There are some emotions, but much of the show is light-hearted fun.

I was reluctant to watch "Glee" because I'm not particularly into musical theater. I finally checked it out and it's become something of a guilty pleasure. It's a good show, well-made and entertaining. I can see how the program is popular. I imagine it would be a hit with younger demographics (mostly female?). Audiences can relate to the high school experience (fitting in, stress, dating and relationships, the usual). Younger viewers might find the show inspirational at times. "Glee" showcases a less glamorous crowd than shows like "Gossip Girl" or "The O.C." before it, and the crazy story lines are less heavy on drama. Overall, the show is pretty family-friendly, although there are sexual references.

Another attraction of the show is its music. Each episode is peppered with musical numbers performed by the cast. Singing, dancing, the works. They cover pop hits of yesterday and today. The writers sneak these numbers into the script in two ways: when the glee club is rehearsing or performing a routine and when a character is singing out his or her emotions. In the case of the latter, the singing does not "occur" within the reality of the show; it's used to emphasize the feelings inside the character. The show attempts to avoid the old method of spontaneously breaking out in song.

The cast members are all talented singers (to varying degrees) and many are accomplished musical theater performers. The performances are all great, with the singers belting it out and rocking the house. I can see fans of "American Idol" liking "Glee". TV viewers are really into vocalization nowadays. Personally I could do without some of the singing. I know that's the gimmick of the show, but I think it slows down the plot and I tend to be more interested in the story. But I can't deny that the performances are impressive.

The show is not "realistic", but I don't think it strives to be. It's silly sugar-coated escapism. In the "Glee" universe, endings tend to be happy and people learn valuable lessons. There's angst and tension, but no real heavy tragedy or anything. It's a more light-hearted show. And the show is pretty silly. Not to be mistaken for realism. (Teachers forming a boy band? Football players dancing on the field to Beyoncé?) Any character in the show can prove to be a singing and dancing dynamo. Each passing episode seems to expose another student or faculty member as a musical talent.

And all of the characters are given interesting quirks and background stories, just for fun. There's Rachel, the aspiring star, busy showcasing her vocal talent on MySpace, raised by a gay couple and ridiculed by the pom-pom crowd. There's the guidance counselor with her extreme germaphobia and OCD-like obsession with cleaning things. The crazy wife, desperate to get pregnant and always thinking of her own interests. The cheerleading coach (played superbly by Jane Lynch), who constantly exercises and claims, among other things, to have been in the special forces. One student runs a pool-cleaning business so he can seduce mothers.

The premise of "Glee" is this: A Spanish teacher takes over the high school glee club and wants to return it to its past prestige. He assembles a small but talented group of social outcasts. Then there's the football star who harbors a secret passion for singing. When he joins the club, he has his feet in opposite ends of the high school caste system: the jocks and the geeks. (Breaking down barriers...) Lynch plays the villain, the cheerleading coach unwilling to share the spotlight (or school funding) with an upstart music club. Meanwhile, there's romantic tension between faculty members (one a married man!) and between the football player (dating a cheerleader) and one of the glee "losers".

The show is not really my style and some of the jokes are only so-so, but "Glee" is entertaining nonetheless. Jane Lynch's sly wit is easily the funniest part, but there's also the show-stopping musical numbers and all that feel-good stuff about teenagers overcoming adolescent pressures. The show also keeps you interested in the subplots (love triangles, romances, scandals, etc.) and makes you pull for the good guys and root against the bad guys. It's wild, like a small-town cousin of "The O.C.", with singing. Sure, it paints a sunnier (and crazier, and more theatrical) portrait of modern teenage life and the world outside, but it's good clean fun and it makes you feel good inside. It's not very deep, but it targets the sentimentality in its viewers. I'm surprised how much I've warmed up to the show.

I can just picture the creator, Ryan Murphy (Nip/Tuck) tossing ideas around with producers or writers or what-have-you and just saying "Let's do something happy." If this is the goal, "Glee" delivers.

With the combination of dreary times and warm weather "Glee" is just what the doctor ordered! Was the plot amazing? Not according to what we're used to. Shows these days seem to continually descend in to a deeper and deeper spiral of darkness. Don't get me wrong, I love it! Prickly characters are called "love-to-hate" for good reason, but there's a reason there is more than one category on the food pyramid. "Glee" is the perfect answer to a well- rounded entertainment diet.

At the very least "Glee" has set itself up to be a showcase for amazing talent including Lea Michele who rightfully earned a name for herself on Broadway with the hit "Spring Awakening" as Rachel Berry and newcomer Cory Monteith as Finn Hudson who may not be as talented as Michele, but was perfectly cast for the part. He does exactly what he's supposed to do which is to keep up with and support Michele who will send chills down your spine.

"Glee" seems like a familiar tale "The football player wants to sing and the unpopular girl also wants to sing!" but when was the last time we really saw this? Okay... disregard "High School Musical." This isn't "HSM." This is "HSM" done right--with real talent--and not actually a musical. The songs are all time-tested and well loved familiar tunes, i.e. Journey's "Don't Stop Believing" and the show isn't designed around the songs or for the songs like a musical... you'll know what I mean when you see it!

*Synopsis* A bright eyed and optimistic teacher, Will Schuester (played by Matthew Morrison) decides to revamp the Glee club. He dreams of making it something truly great around which the school can come together. From where we, the audience stand, he came into a glee club already filled with tremendous talent including Rachel Berry who dreams of fame and carving a niche for herself, but what was missing was a strong male lead. To do this Will (nefariously) recruits the star football player who finds himself right at home. *End Synopsis*

There may be moments in the pilot where the not-instant-fan may consider "I'll bet this moment was meant to make me laugh out loud... but I'm not," but I say to you that is not what this show is about. It's about the average... the conceivable, but if you and the people around you just wanted to sing and were good at it too. Most importantly it's a showcase just meant to keep you smiling.

Even if characters were to, in the course of time in the sometimes unpredictable television world, jump into bed with each other or perform a murder, I take comfort in the feeling this show will not be about that. It will be about happy entertainment with an "I wish I could buy the world a Coke" attitude.

Because this show does not have the (ironically) familiar twists, dips, flips, turns and drama other shows offer, I feel the logical grade to assign this show would have to be a B- for being somewhat "undeveloped" by modern standards. (Nobody has been abused to speak of yet.) However, despite the undeniable likelihood this show will never be listed in my top five, even for the year, I can pretty much guarantee it will be the show which I most look forward to watching out of any other. For this reason, "Glee" gets an A+ in my heart and I hope to form a "Glee" club of my own taking place Tuesday nights on my living room couch.

Glee is certainly a welcome summer booster shot of summer fun.

'Glee' may not be everyone's cup of tea, but in my opinion, it's a great feel-good teen comedy. The casting is without a doubt great, and each member brings something individual to the show - Lea Michele does an especially great job in her role as Rachel. I also think that the musical numbers add another dimension to the show - they are often fun and done well, and I think they are a good way of introducing many aspects of music to the younger generation... I like the way that this show deals with a wide range of different issues, such as bullying, loss, homosexuality and the various kinds of pressure that many teens face today. I would say that the only thing that lets down the show in places is an occasionally over-cheesy script - I think that some of the more emotional scenes have been slightly tainted by over-doing it a little on the dialogue front.

Overall, though, I have really enjoyed watching this show and at times I have found myself getting quite involved with the characters and their journeys - however I wouldn't recommend it for the cynical amongst us - you might find it quite tiresome...