Sep/090
Gleeful but Skeptical
Glee has been one of the most anticipated and talked about TV premieres of the fall season. Fox has put forth a mammoth of an advertising campaign in hopes of getting a cash cow on their hands. I think the network is trying to pinch off some of the teens that are obsessed with the Disney Channel shows like High School Musical, Hannah Montana and those Jonas Bros.
The show revolves around a glee club that was once the talk of the school... in the 90's that is. Nowadays, the cheer squad known as The Cheerios reigns supreme. A young, hip teacher takes over leadership of the glee club in hopes of returning it to its days of grandeur.
The core group of the glee club are amusing but at times border on stereotypes such as the solo obsessed girl, the fashion obsessed gay, the sassy black girl and the wheelchair kid. Did I mention the football player that needs to express himself? Yes, its all a touch campy, but it is a glee club after all.
The teacher, Mr. Schuester, is torn in two directions. He wants to teach high school and glee club while his wife wants to start a family, buy a brand new home and she wouldn't mind him starting a more profitable profession. Just as he is about to leave the high school behind, a guidance counselor helps him out by reminding him of what he once loved about the glee club and how important it was to him. Meanwhile, the Cheerio's coach is feeling threatened by another club trying to take any of the spotlight or school's budget.
The songs are mostly fitting. The writers have seemed to make it a point to show that these are not fantasy musical numbers. They are auditions, performances, rehearsals, etc. I'm afraid that they have written themselves into a corner with this plot device. Already, by the end of the second episode, a character asks to rehearse in the auditorium because she can't at home. Next thing you know, there are lighting cues, back up singers and the whole shebang. It seemed contrived, and I am concerned that as the show progresses it is going to get worse.
I am convinced that the break out star is going to be Jayma Mays who plays the dirt fearful guidance counselor Emma Pillsbury. Just look at her, she is cute as a button. Her character is in love with the married lead, Mr. Schuester and she is being pursued by the gym teacher. I find myself craving for her when she isn't on screen. I love her big eyes; they make me smile. My favorite moment of her so far is when she individually buffed each of her grapes before eating them. She has me glued to the show for sure.
I think its a safe bet that the show will be around for another season. Fox has invested a lot of money into it, it can't cost that much to produce with the lack of big names and Fox likes performance shows like American Idol. I can see them using Glee in conjunction with American Idol to foster their new talents even more.
