Thursday, June 04, 2009


This fall, Canada is going to get a whole lot happier. Yesterday, Global announced its fall line-up, which includes the aptly titled feel good musical comedy Glee. Created by Nip/Tuck producer Ryan Murphy, Glee is a rarity in a prime time landscape overrun by cop-and-doctor dramas, and far fetched reality competitions.

The show has all the extravagance of High School Musical, which it will inevitably be compared to, but instead of painstakingly irritating Disney duets, Glee follows the lives of awkward but adorable underdogs. Each episode follows teacher Will Schuester on his quest to turn a glee club full of freaks and geeks into national champions.

According to Fox, the season will feature a mix of broadway standards and top-40 hits. In the first episode, a rival glee club performs a rendition of Amy Winehouse's Rehab. Rhianna reportedly offered the show Take a Bow at a reduced licensing rate, and other artists are allowing Glee to use their music free of charge.

Newbie Chris Colfer stands out as the Glee club's uptight perfectionist, asking the jocks to remove his new Marc Jacobs jacket before tossing him in a dumpster. His character, Kurt, is one of a full cast of over-the-top cookie cutter teen stereotypes reminiscent of Murphy's underrated late 90s teen comedy, Popular.

The slightly dark comedy is charming but not hilarious, and is more likely to become a box-set cult hit after cancellation than the prime time follow up to Idol FOX was hoping for, or the ratings-maker Global is banking on.

But even if it isn't renewed after its 13-episode season, Murphy has plenty to be gleeful about. The screenwriter and producer, who adapted the screenplay for Augusten∫Burroughs' memoir Running With Scissors, has a slew of films in development, including an erotic thriller starring Nicole Kidman, and a political comedy with Meryl Streep.

Project Runway Canada, Brothers and Sisters, and 90210 will all return to Global in the fall. Here's a quick run down of three more of the Canadian network's new American shows:

Melrose Place: Complex, confusing storylines, like a late night sexy-sleezy soap. Oh, and Ashlee Simpson still can't act.
The Good Wife: Who knew the Eliot Spitzer story could work as the plot for a drama?
Mr. Big is back, and I'm glad.
The Cleveland Show: Spin off or rip off, I don't care, this is even worse than American Dad.

2 comments:

Anonymous said...

I'm glad you reviewed this show. I was wondering what it was all about.

andres.gantenbein said...

Ugh, it's sad enough to know that American Dad has amused certain audiences enough to stay on the air for so long... now this?! What is the world coming to, I say!