The sneak preview/pilot episode to Fox's upcoming television series, "Glee," premieres on Tuesday, May 19th, 2009 @ 9 PM ET, following the part 1 season finale of "American Idol."

Upcoming reviews.

This message has been edited. Last edited by: Atypical,

Variety's review:
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
Glee
(Series; Fox, Tues. May 19, 9 p.m.)
by BRIAN LOWRY

Filmed in Los Angeles by Ryan Murphy Television in association with 20th Century Fox Television. Executive producers, Ryan Murphy, Brad Falchuk, Dante Di Loreto; co-executive producers, Ian Brennan, John Peter Kousakis; supervising producer, Bradley Buecker; producers, Alexis Martin Woodall, Michael Novick; director, Murphy; writers, Murphy, Falchuk, Brennan;

Will Schuester - Matthew Morrison
Terri Schuester - Jessalyn Gilsig
Finn Hudson - Cory Monteith
Rachel Berry - Lea Michele
Sue Sylvester - Jane Lynch
Emma Pillsbury - Jayma Mays
Mercedes Jones - Amber Riley
Kurt Hummel - Chris Colfer
Artie Abrams - Kevin McHale
Puck - Mark Salling
Tina - Jenna Ushkowitz
Quinn Fabray - Dianna Agron

A reviewer once foolishly called "Jaws" "a thriller at sea and a bore ashore." The description proves more apt for "Glee," the new Fox series from "Nip/Tuck" producer Ryan Murphy, which can be ungainly at times with its drama but soars gracefully when it bursts into song. The dramatic tone is uneven, but the show gets by on talent and energy with its look at high school's caste system among teachers and students. Fox is showing its love with a post-"American Idol" push, meaning the true test comes when the series returns; still, this grades out as a promising prologue.

The setting and style will doubtless evoke comparisons to "High School Musical," but the premise actually hews closer to Nickelodeon's recent me-too effort "Spectacular!," which also looked at show choirs, where kids stage elaborate musical numbers in grand competitions. The jaunty style is exemplified by a cappella riffs that provide accompaniment to the action.

Beyond that, "Glee" hits a lot of familiar notes, but at least with the kids, mostly does so in an appealing way. A likable teacher, Will (Matthew Morrison), takes over stewardship of the glee club, but there's no budget, little support from administrators, and a collection of misfits who try out, led by Rachel (Lea Michele of "Spring Awakening"), who is talented but roundly hated by the cool kids.

Needing to beef up his team, Will approaches the jocks and the cheerleaders, and discovers that the school's quarterback (Cory Monteith) has not only a smooth vocal style but a passion to perform. The only problem is that doing so means risking ostracism by his knuckle-dragging peers.

So far, so good. It's among the adults, alas -- who are mostly over-the-top buffoons -- where "Glee" nearly sails off the rails, from Jane Lynch's tyrannical cheer matron to the salivating football coach, a bit like the Rydell High gang in "Grease."

Modest redemption comes from the stammering Emma ("Heroes'" Jayma Mays), who has a clear crush on Will, even though he's married to his high-school sweetheart. Perhaps to foster a rooting interest (or at least sympathy) for a Will-Emma pairing, said wife (Jessalyn Gilsig) is initially presented as a ditsy shrew.

The discordant character notes, however, stand in stark contrast with the infectious musical numbers, including a rousing choir-style rendition of "Don't Stop Believin'" (take that, "Sopranos"). Wisely drawing upon Broadway talent, these sequences represent the program's saving grace, but also it's most formidable challenge, inasmuch as producing a weekly musical -- see "Cop Rock" (failed but good) or "Viva, Laughlin" (not) -- can be a logistical nightmare.

Such concerns notwith standing, the curtain-raiser has done its job -- leaving you eager to see, with a little polishing of its rough edges, exactly what "Glee" can do for an encore.

Not That High School Musical
by EDWARD WYATT, NY TIMES
Published: May 15, 2009

GETTING television viewers to pay attention to a new series is hard enough. The Fox network is about to ask its audience for even more: to watch a new show, then wait four months for the next episode.

The new series, “Glee,” a high school musical that casts both a skeptical eye and a dreamy gaze on the world of competitive show choirs, will have its debut on Tuesday in one of the most coveted time slots on television: after the final performance episode of “American Idol.” Then it will disappear for the summer, new episodes not to be seen until the rest of the new fall shows have their premieres and old favorites return in September.

That Fox would risk such a delay in an age of Twitter-length attention spans indicates that network executives have tremendous confidence in “Glee.” But they also understand their gambit ratchets up the risk for a show that already must overcome television’s checkered history with singing and dancing dramas. “I think a lot of the audience might tune in and expect to see it the next week and be frustrated that they have to wait,” said Kevin Reilly, the president for entertainment at Fox Broadcasting.

But, he said, the strategy also helps Fox avoid getting lost in the crush of new shows in the fall. By having viewers sample the new series now, and then stoking interest by putting the pilot online and promoting and selling music from the series throughout the summer, Mr. Reilly said the network improves the odds that “Glee” will break through.

Set in a small Midwestern city from which few people escape, “Glee” focuses on the efforts of a high school teacher who wants to make a difference in the lives of students but is going broke doing so, to take over the abandoned glee club. The students in the club are a moderately talented but unpopular group. They struggle against their classmates’ derision and a level of financing that pales next to that of the cheerleading squad.

This is quite a new direction for Ryan Murphy, the co-creator and an executive producer of the series, whose résumé includes the dark FX drama “Nip/Tuck” and the cynical satire “Popular,” which was broadcast on the WB network. “I’ve done eight years of darkness and really adult stuff, and I was like, O.K., I want to try something different,” Mr. Murphy said. “I want to do a show that has a bigger heart and is kinder. But make no mistake, it still has an edge.”

The idea also has personal overtones for Mr. Murphy, 43, who himself was in a high school glee club in Indiana. “When you do get the lead in something or you’re performing, you sort of feel that the world is suddenly available to you, and you have so much optimism about what you can become,” he said. “It doesn’t even have to be about being a performer. It’s about a belief in yourself. I remember that feeling, and it was very important to me. And that’s what I wanted the show to be about.”

For a cast Mr. Murphy and Fox auditioned largely outside Hollywood, seeking people with stage musical experience. Matthew Morrison, who was nominated for a Tony Award in 2005 for his role in “The Light in the Piazza,” plays Will Schuester, the quixotic teacher, and Lea Michele, best known for “Spring Awakening,” is the glee club’s most talented member. Jane Lynch, the veteran character actor (“Best in Show,” “Role Models”), plays the cheerleading coach, the main foil for Schuester.

And while the series includes plenty of singing and dancing and is set in a high school, it is not Disney’s “High School Musical,” Mr. Murphy said, though he admitted he had never seen the Disney juggernaut. Nor is it “Cop Rock” or “Viva Laughlin” or “Eli Stone,” previous network shows that tried and failed to convince audiences that dancing and singing could be a part of a mainstream network series.

“I wanted to do a sort of postmodern musical,” he said. “Fox was not interested, and neither was I, in doing a show where people burst into song.” People do sing, of course, but there are rules: the singers will have to be onstage rehearsing or performing, or a song will come in the form of a fantasy in a character’s head. They are the type of rules that made “Chicago” such a successful film, he said. But “Glee” also draws on “American Idol.”

“We’ve learned some lessons about why that show works,” he said. “I think the key is to do songs that people know and interpret them in a different and unusual way.” In the “Glee” pilot the songs vary from Amy Winehouse’s “Rehab” to the 1960s classic “Leaving on a Jet Plane.”

The first episode certainly has enough hooks to draw in the family audience that watches “American Idol,” and it could hardly get a better launching pad than the final performance episode, which last year drew more than 27 million viewers.

Andrew Donchin, the director of media investments for Carat, which advises companies about where to place advertisements, called the Fox plan “very innovative.”

He equated it to 20th Century Fox’s commercial for “Independence Day” during the 1996 Super Bowl. That film would not open for more than five months, but the sight of an alien spaceship obliterating the White House made it one of the most talked about commercials of the year.

But other marketing experts question Fox’s approach. “I think they are making a mistake by not doing some sort of limited run of the series” this spring or summer, said Laura Caraccioli-Davis, an executive vice president of Starcom Entertainment, part of the Starcom MediaVest marketing group.

While audiences have grown used to waiting a year or more between seasons of established hits like “The Sopranos,” she said, “I think they should give everybody more of a taste of the show, given that it is one of their top-tier pieces of development.”

Fox is certainly sparing no expense with “Glee,” either in the marketing or in the cost of production. Episodes of “Glee” are said by people close to the production to cost more than $3 million each, roughly 50 percent more than the average prime-time drama and a large sum for a new series in a time of declining ratings for network shows. Part of that cost can be traced to the fees paid for music rights and the expense of producing elaborately choreographed musical numbers.

Because of the time required for the cast and dancers to learn and rehearse those numbers, each episode takes up to 10 days to shoot, or around 25 percent longer than the normal schedule for an hourlong series.

Both Fox and Mr. Murphy declined to comment on the cost of the show. But Mr. Murphy said there are plenty of other ways besides advertising that “Glee” intends to earn back that money. “We had seven companies bidding for the soundtrack rights,” Mr. Murphy said. “We are going to release several soundtracks a year.”

The producers have already been approached about a “Glee” tour with the cast, a film, and a Broadway show. There’s even talk, Mr. Murphy said, of a “Glee on Ice.”

Entertainment Weekly's review:
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
GLEE (2009)
by Ken Tucker

Has there ever been a TV show more aptly named than "Glee"? It both embodies and inspires exactly that quality. Yet if I tell you the show is about a high school glee club and features bursting-into-song musical numbers, you might react as I did initially: I wanted no part of that. I'm not a musicals kinda guy.

But this comedy from creator Ryan Murphy ("Nip/Tuck") is so good — so funny, so bulging with vibrant characters — that it blasts past any defenses you might put up against it. Glee will not stop until it wins you over utterly. It's the story of Will (Matthew Morrison), a high school Spanish teacher who takes over a pathetic glee club filled with misfits.

Murphy takes what could have been moldy, cliché figures — such as Rachel, the persecuted girl (Lea Michele), Finn, the football hero who really wants to croon (Cory Monteith), and teachers like cheerleading coach Sue (the wonderful Jane Lynch) — and brings fresh details to them. Rachel asserts, ''Being anonymous is worse than being poor . . . . Fame is the most important thing in society.'' At first, you want to barf at a sentiment like that, but then "Glee" makes the battle to overcome anonymity seem like a higher calling.

That's surely the case for Will, who's trying to distance himself from his high-pressure, baby-craving young wife (Jessalyn Gilsig, wonderfully tightly wound). Will is inspired by recalling the one time he was truly happy — when he sang in his own high school glee club. In a healthy way, he's going to channel his nostalgia into making the club, called New Directions, glow: ''There’s no joy in these kids . . . . That’s why they all have a MySpace page,'' he says. "Glee" is all about sparking ambition, getting kids off the sofa and doing creative things. But it also has a healthy dose of sarcasm and skepticism to offset its peppy interpretations of Journey hits. The production numbers show the sweat and constructive criticism that goes into good performances.

The series is getting a big push from Fox, which is premiering the show in what would seem an ideal spot for its core audience, right after "American Idol." But "Glee" is still the little musical-comedy-drama that could . . . bomb. As terrific as it is, it's a risk. Why? Because there’s nothing else like it on TV. Because regular episodes won't begin airing weekly until this fall. (Future musically adept guest stars will include "Pushing Daisies"' Kristin Chenoweth.) And because lots of folks may feel as I do, that "Idol" has pretty much ruined young-people-singing-passionately for me. But I was persuaded by "Glee"'s cagey little mind as well as its big, throbbing heart. I think you will be too.

Grade: A

The constant promotion has swayed me. I will be checking this one out.

This message has been edited. Last edited by: FishBiscuit,

ryan is on npr program "fresh air w/terry gross". you can stream it later on today (usually after 3pm).
can't wait to watch this program. can't think of lead actor's name. think i've seen him on daytime soap as the world turns & on broadway??

As an ex-musical theatre geek, or maybe not so ex, I am giddy with anticipation for this show.

quote:

Originally posted by mike&music:
can't wait to watch this program. can't think of lead actor's name. think i've seen him on daytime soap as the world turns & on broadway??

That's Matthew Morrison. He was a Tony nominee for featured actor in a musical for "The Light in the Piazza" in 2005.

"Glee" songs set for download
Deal to bring music to iTunes, other platforms
by Nellie Andreeva

Columbia Records has inked a multiplatform deal with 20th TV for the upcoming comedy musical series "Glee." Under the pact, Columbia will release music from the Fox show on iTunes and other digital platforms as well as on CDs.

Set at McKinley High School, the series, which will get a sneak peak Tuesday after "American Idol" before launching in the fall, follows an optimistic teacher who challenges the ragtag performers of the school's glee club.

Music plays a major part on the show, with each episode featuring hits spanning pop, R&B, hip-hop, country, Broadway, and rock and roll.

"In the musical world of McKinley High . . . there are no borders, no boundaries, no formats, just great songs and the joy that performing and experiencing them can produce," "Glee" creator Ryan Murphy said.

Rob Stringer, chairman of Columbia/Epic Label Group, called "Glee" "a smart and challenging yet totally mainstream platform for the most innovative use of classic and contemporary pop seen on television," noting that the show "will be a key focus for the Columbia A&R, Marketing and Sales teams."

The deal with Columbia Records, which came after 20th TV head of music Geoff Bywater met with several record companies, is broader reaching than previous music partnerships, 20th TV chairman Dava Walden said.

"It's a unique show with so many musical elements to it, and Rob got our goal, which is to turn 'Glee' into a brand," she said.

20th TV has big off-screen plans for "Glee," which also include potential licensing and touring.

Cast performances of Amy Winehouse's "Rehab" and Journey's "Don't Stop Believing" will be available on iTunes May 19, with additional bonus preview tracks released throughout the summer. The first "Glee" soundtrack album will be released in late fall.

Well I loved Ryan Murphy's "Popular" and this seems to echo that...I can't wait.

I am so excited to see this show! In the past couple of weeks, I've noticed FOX has been advertising this show like crazy, and I constantly hear people talk about how badly they want to see this show, and most of them aren't even "musical theater geeks!"

It just looks like it is going to be a really awesome show, and I can't wait to see it! And that version of "Don't Stop Believin'" that they have been playing in the ads sounds so good! It makes me wish I could sing well!

It seems like FOX may have a HUGE WINNER on their hands!!!

Well, the last time a show was hailed as brilliant and unlike anything else on TV, Pushing Daisies was unfairly cancelled. Considering people don't seem to like anything out-of-the-box anymore, I don't know how long a shelf life this show will have. Time will tell, I guess. I will certainly be watching, though. The previews look awesome, I've had Don't Stop Believing in my head for weeks, and Matthew Morrison is all kinds of hot.

Episode Title: "Pilot"

Synopsis: In the pilot of this musical comedy-drama from Ryan Murphy ("Nip/Tuck") about the misfits who make up a high-school glee club, teacher and former glee-club star Will Schuester must find a male singer to match diva Rachel; later, he hears the surprising sounds of the star football quarterback Finn singing in a shower; Will's wife wants him to get a better-paying job.

Discuss.

Hollywood Reporter's review:
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
TV Review: "Glee"
by Daniel Carlson, May 18, 2009

Bottom Line: A winning, heartfelt musical comedy.

Ryan Murphy's "Glee" is as far from his "Nip/Tuck" as possible, and that's a good thing.

"Nip/Tuck" was a groundbreaking FX drama that's become lost in its tired desire to shock, but Fox's "Glee" is a tightly done hybrid of musical and dramedy that's unabashedly heartfelt and possessed of an honest sweetness.

Murphy's sharp wit is still present, and the show certainly doesn't shy away from the darkness in some of the plot lines. But instead of wondering why you're spending time with these characters, you'll wish you could spend more. Previewing Tuesday after "American Idol" before returning in the fall, the series is smart, fun, and completely winning.

William McKinley High School is firmly divided into a caste system, as cheerleading coach Sue (Jane Lynch) tells Spanish teacher Will (Matthew Morrison): jocks at the top, geeks at the bottom, with kids in glee club -- the show choir -- occupying "the sub-basement." But Will, who did glee when he attended McKinley, has a soft spot for the small band of misfits who just want to sing and dance, so thanks to the encouragement of fellow teacher Emma (Jayma Mays), who's nursing a crush on Will, he volunteers to take over the group when the former instructor leaves.

The pilot episode deals with Will's struggles to make something of the small group, whose members start out as placeholder stereotypes for high school outcasts -- the gay, the handicapped, the minorities -- but under Murphy's skillful hand show the promise of becoming fully realized characters. The most dynamic cast members in the opener are Rachel (Lea Michele), the naive diva, and Finn (Cory Monteith), a football player recruited by Will to boost the small club's street cred with the student body. The series benefits from the fresh faces. Michele hits the right balance of opportunism and insecurity -- she nails the line, "There's nothing ironic about show choir!" -- while Monteith manages to convey youthful confusion without resorting to playing dumb.

But the show really shines in the musical numbers, these quick bursts of poppy energy that sometimes forward the plot and sometimes simply allow the characters to pause the action and reflect on their situation. A rival glee club's cover of "Rehab" is almost enough to make you not hate Amy Winehouse -- almost -- while Morrison's rendition of "Leaving on a Jet Plane" is sweet and sorrowful. The episode builds to a rendition of Journey's "Don't Stop Believing" that's corny and wonderful. It feels like the finale of a stage show, but it's also the beginning of the next big thing from Murphy.

Airdate: 9 p.m. Tuesday, May 19 (Fox).
Cast: Matthew Morrison, Jayma Mays, Cory Monteith, Lea Michele, Kevin McHale, Amber Riley, Chris Colfer, Jenna Ushkowitz, Jane Lynch
Production companies: Ryan Murphy Television, 20th Century Fox Television
Executive producers: Ryan Murphy, Brad Falchuk, Dante Di Loreto
Co-executive producers: John P. Kousakis, Ian Brennan
Creators-writers: Ryan Murphy, Brad Falchuk, Ian Brennan
Producers: Michael Novick, Kenneth Silverstein
Director: Ryan Murphy
Director of photography: Christopher Baffa
Editor: Bradley Buecker
Production designer: Mark Hutman
Costume designer: Lou Eyrich
Choreographer: Zach Woodlee
Casting: Robert J. Ulrich, Eric Dawson, Carol Kritzer, Alex Newman

I can't wait for this to premiere! Hopefully American Idol will provide a good lead-in for this show. FOX has done a very good job promoting this and I hope it becomes a hit. I read Kristin Chenoweth will be guest starring on the 4th episode and that they would like to make her a recurring character. Since "Sit Down, Shut Up" is most likely going to get cancelled and the dumb a$$es at NBC passed on "Legally Mad", I could see her becoming a regular.

Would they be able to submit this first episode in for Emmy consideration as like a Made-For-TV Movie, or is that not allowed?

I think it would be worthwhile figuring out the Emmy eligibility for this preview episde of Glee.

We know it won't qualify in Drama or Comedy Series categories.

It won't qualify in the TV Movie categories either.

But how about Variety Special?

And next season, the pilot (usually the episode of first-season shows that gets nominated in writing and directing) will not be eligible because it aired first-run in the current season.

Hhhmmmm.......

The "created by" credit should keep it from competing in the television film categories. It's probably not eligible for anything b/c of that and not being a one-time event.

Meh.

I'm eager to watch it. But I'm sick of the constant promos for it. Although hearing an ensemble sing "Don't Stop Believin'" reminds me of when I went to see Rock of Ages on Broadway back in March! Happy fun memories :-)

Cory Monteith as Finn was like watching a mix of Chris Klein from Election & American Pie. That is a compliment.

Lea Michelle as Rachel looks so much like Idina Menzel I half expected her to be lifted by wires while holding a broom.

I liked the show. It's got tons of potential and a great message. I'll definitely be watching this fall!