Glee

Story

Glee is an American television series set in an Ohio high school. It follows the fortunes of a group of teenage misfits as teacher Will Schuester struggles to transform them into a competition-winning choir. The comedy-drama series includes 754 musical performances of show tunes and pop hits that fit the theme of each show.

Why we chose it

Glee was hailed as entertaining, heart-warming, toe-tapping and addictive. Its fans praise the strong characters, talented cast, great music, and relevant storylines. Although occasionally cheesy or melodramatic, many of these sensitively engage with social issues about relationships, sex, disability, gender and race, and point to the value of loyalty, acceptance and teamwork.

Where it came from

Actor Ian Brennan originally conceived Glee as a film inspired by his own teenage experiences. This was shown to screenwriter Ryan Murphy who had also been in high school choir. Murphy then involved his colleague Brad Falchuck and the three completely rewrote the script as a television series. The idea was accepted by Fox within 15 hours of submission. The show ran for 6 years (121 episodes), hitting a peak of 39.5 million viewers, and attracting awards and accolades as well as many devoted fans.

Where it went next

Songs from the soundtrack of Glee became a huge commercial success, selling many millions of albums and digital singles across the world.

Other spinoffs include full length feature films, karaoke and other games and apps, novels and live concerts.