Glee
Glee title card
Genre	Musical comedy-drama
Created by	Ryan Murphy Brad Falchuk Ian Brennan
Written by	Ryan Murphy Brad Falchuk Ian Brennan
Starring	Dianna Agron Chris Colfer Jessalyn Gilsig Jane Lynch Jayma Mays Kevin McHale Lea Michele Cory Monteith Matthew Morrison Amber Riley Mark Salling Jenna Ushkowitz
Composer	Dylan Cantrell
Country of origin	United States
Original language	English
No. of seasons	1
No. of episodes	22 (list of episodes)
Production
Executive producers	Ryan Murphy Brad Falchuk Dante Di Loreto
Producers	Alexis Martin Woodall Michael Novick Kenneth Silverstein
Production locations	Los Angeles, California
Cinematography	Christopher Baffa
Running time	42–45 minutes
Production companies	20th Century Fox Television Ryan Murphy Television
Original release
Network	Fox
Release	May 19, 2009 (2009-05-19) – present

Glee is an American musical drama satire television series that airs on Fox in the United States. It focuses on a high school show choir, called a Glee Club in the show, "New Directions", at the fictional William McKinley High School in Lima, Ohio. The pilot episode of the show was broadcast after American Idol on May 19, 2009, and the first season began airing on September 9, 2009. On September 21, 2009, Fox officially gave the series a full-season pick-up. Glee aired its mid-season finale on December 9, 2009 and returned from a four-month hiatus on April 13, 2010, picking up the remaining nine episodes of the season. The spring premiere had an estimated 13.7 million viewers, nearly doubling in followers on its return. It was renewed for a second season, which will feature three new cast members.^[1] On May 23, 2010, it was announced that Glee was already picked up for a third season.^[2]

The show's creators, Ryan Murphy, Brad Falchuk and Ian Brennan, first conceived Glee as a film. Murphy selects the series' music, aiming to maintain a balance between show tunes and chart hits. Songs covered in the show are released through the iTunes Store during the week of broadcast, and a series of Glee albums has been initiated by Columbia Records, beginning with Glee: The Music, Volume 1, which was released on November 2, 2009. The music of Glee has been a commercial success, with over seven million digital sales.

The show has received generally positive reviews from critics. The series won the 2010 Golden Globe Award for Best Television Series—Musical or Comedy and received three additional nominations for Best Actress (Lea Michele), Best Actor (Matthew Morrison), and Best Supporting Actress (Jane Lynch). The show won a People's Choice Award for Favorite New TV Comedy in 2010. Its first season also earned a Peabody Award. It will receive a comedy writing award at the Just for Laughs conference in Montreal in July 2010.^[3]

Glee was created by Ryan Murphy, Brad Falchuk and Ian Brennan. Ian Brennan conceived the idea for Glee based on his own experience as a member of the Prospect High School show choir in Mount Prospect, Illinois..^[4] He initially envisioned Glee as a film, rather than a television series, and wrote the first draft in August 2005 with the aid of Screenwriting for Dummies.^[4][5] He completed the script in 2005, but could not generate interest in the project for several years.^[6] Mike Novick, a television producer and a friend of Brennan's from Los Angeles, was a member of the same gym as Murphy, and gave him a copy of Brennan's script.^[7] Murphy had been in a show choir while in college, and as such felt he could relate to the script. Murphy and his Nip/Tuck colleague Falchuk suggested that Glee be adapted to a television show format.^[4] The script was entirely rewritten,^[6] and was picked up by Fox within 15 hours of being received, which Murphy attributes in part to the success of the network's American Idol, commenting: "It made sense for the network with the biggest hit in TV, which is a musical, to do something in that vein".^[8] Murphy and Falchuk became the show's executive producers and showrunners, while Brennan is a co-executive producer and Novick is a producer.^[8] Brennan, Falchuk and Murphy write all of the show's episodes.^[9]

Glee is set in Lima, Ohio.^[10] Murphy chose a Midwest setting as he himself grew up in Indiana, and recalls childhood visits to Ohio to the Kings Island theme park.^[11] Although set in Lima, the show is filmed at Paramount Studios in Hollywood.^[12] While Glee has attracted comparisons to the film series High School Musical, Murphy commented that he has never seen a High School Musical film, and that his interest lay in creating a "postmodern musical," rather than "doing a show where people burst into song," drawing more heavily on the format of Chicago.^[13] Murphy intended the show to be a form of escapism, explaining: "There's so much on the air right now about people with guns, or sci-fi, or lawyers running around. This is a different genre, there's nothing like it on the air at the networks and cable. Everything's so dark in the world right now, that's why Idol worked. It's pure escapism."^[8] With regard to Glee's audience, Murphy intended for it to be a family show which would appeal to adults as well as children, with adult characters starring equally alongside the teenage leads.^[8] Murphy has mapped out plans for the series covering a potential three years of broadcast.^[14]

The series features numerous song covers sung onscreen by the characters. Musical segments typically take the form of performances, as opposed to the characters singing spontaneously, as the intention is for the series to remain reality-based.^[15] Murphy is responsible for selecting all of the songs used, and strives to maintain a balance between show tunes and chart hits, as: "I want there to be something for everybody in every episode. That's a tricky mix, but that's very important — the balancing of that."^[7] Song choices are integral to script development, with Murphy explaining: "Each episode has a theme at its core. After I write the script, I will choose songs that help to move the story along."^[16]

Murphy was surprised at the ease with which use of songs was approved by the record labels approached, and explained: "I think the key to it is they loved the tone of it. They loved that this show was about optimism and young kids, for the most part, reinterpreting their classics for a new audience."^[15] At the beginning of the show Murphy was often requested to send out advanced scripts, but refused, not wanting to set a precedent for the labels having involvement. A minority of those approached refused to allow their music to be used, including Bryan Adams and Coldplay, however in June 2010, Coldplay reversed their decision, allowing Glee the rights to their catalogue.^[17] Composer and musician Billy Joel offered many of his songs for use on the show,^[18] singer Rihanna offered her single "Take a Bow" for use at a reduced licensing rate, and other artists have offered use of their songs for free.^[19] Madonna granted the show rights to her entire catalogue, and the first season episode "The Power of Madonna" features Madonna performances exclusively.^[20]

A series of Glee soundtrack albums have been released through Columbia Records. Songs featured on the show are available for digital download through iTunes up to two weeks before new episodes air, and through other digital outlets and mobile carriers a week later.^[14] The score of the show features a cappella covers of instrumental songs, provided in the pilot episode by The Swingle Singers.^[21]

Glee is choreographed by Zach Woodlee, and features five to eight production numbers per episode.^[22] Once Murphy selects a song, rights are cleared with its publishers by music supervisor P. J. Bloom, and music producer Adam Anders rearranges it for the Glee cast.^[14] Numbers are pre-recorded by the cast, while Woodlee constructs the accompanying dance moves, which are then taught to the cast and filmed.^[7] Studio recordings of tracks are then made. The process begins six to eight weeks before each episode is filmed, and can end as late as the day before filming begins.^[14] Each episode costs at least $3 million to produce,^[7] and can take up to 10 days to film as a result of the elaborate choreography.^[13]

Prior to the premiere of the second episode, the cast of Glee went on tour at several Hot Topic stores across the nation.^[23] The cast sang the national anthem at the third game of the 2009 World Series.^[24] They were invited by Macy's to perform at the 2009 Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade, but host broadcaster NBC rejected the plan due to Glee airing on a rival network.^[25][26] Co-creator Ryan Murphy commented on the cast's exclusion: "I completely understand NBC's position, and look forward to seeing a Jay Leno float."^[27]

Due to the success of the show, the cast went on a concert tour following first season wrap up, visiting Phoenix, Chicago, Los Angeles and New York.^[28] In addition, the cast recorded a cover of Wham!'s "Last Christmas", which was released as a single without featuring in the show.^[14] Matthew Morrison, Lea Michele, Cory Monteith and Chris Colfer will reprise their roles as Will, Rachel, Finn and Kurt respectively for a cameo appearance in an upcoming episode of The Cleveland Show.^[29]

In casting Glee, Murphy sought out actors who could identify with the rush of starring in theatrical roles. Instead of using traditional network casting calls, he spent three months on Broadway, where he found Matthew Morrison, who had previously starred on stage in Hairspray and The Light in the Piazza; Lea Michele, who starred in Spring Awakening; and Jenna Ushkowitz, who had been in the Broadway revival of The King and I.^[30] Chris Colfer had no previous professional experience, but reminded Murphy of the character Kurt from The Sound of Music, and was thus cast as Kurt Hummel.^[30]

Auditioning actors with no theatrical experience were required to prove they could sing and dance as well as act. Jayma Mays auditioned with the song "Touch-a, Touch-a, Touch-a, Touch Me" from The Rocky Horror Show, while Cory Monteith initially submitted a tape of himself acting only, and was requested to submit a second, musical tape, in which he sang "a cheesy, '80s music-video-style version" of REO Speedwagon's "Can't Fight This Feeling"."^[30] Kevin McHale came from a boy-band background, having previously been part of the group Not Like Them. He explained that the diversity of the cast's backgrounds reflects the range of different musical styles within the show itself: "It's a mix of everything: classic rock, current stuff, R&B. Even the musical theatre stuff is switched up. You won't always recognize it."^[30] Jane Lynch was originally supposed to have a recurring role in the show,^[31] but became a series regular when a Damon Wayans pilot she was working on for ABC fell through.^[32] The cast are contracted for a potential three Glee films, ^[33] with their contract stating that “[The actor] hereby grants Fox three exclusive, irrevocable options to engage [the actor] in up to, respectively, three feature length motion pictures.” Though as yet, no films have been planned.

Glee features twelve main roles with star billing. Morrison plays Will Schuester, McKinley High's Spanish teacher who becomes director of the glee club, hoping to restore it to its former glory.^[22] Lynch plays Sue Sylvester, head coach of the "Cheerios" cheerleading squad, and the Glee Club's arch-nemesis.^[32] Mays appears as Emma Pillsbury, the school's mysophobic guidance counselor who has feelings for Will,^[34] and Jessalyn Gilsig plays Terri Schuester, Will's wife of five years.^[35] Michele plays Rachel Berry, talented star of the glee club who is often bullied by the Cheerios and football players.^[35] Monteith plays Finn Hudson, star quarterback of the school's football team who risks alienation by his friends to join the glee club.^[35] Also in the club are Amber Riley as Mercedes Jones, a fashion-conscious diva who resents having to sing back-up; Colfer as Kurt Hummel—a gay male soprano;^[36] McHale as Artie Abrams, a guitar player and paraplegic; and Ushkowitz as Tina Cohen-Chang, an Asian American student with a fake speech impediment. Mark Salling plays Noah "Puck" Puckerman, a friend of Finn's on the football team who at first disapproves of Finn joining the glee club, but later joins the glee club himself. Dianna Agron plays Quinn Fabray, Finn's cheerleader girlfriend, who also later joins the glee club. Naya Rivera and Heather Morris, who portray Cheerios and glee club singers Santana Lopez and Brittany respectively, were originally recurring actors, but starting in the second season will be promoted to series regulars.^[37]

The show features Broadway stars in recurring or minor roles, including John Lloyd Young as "a retired wood shop teacher with an excellent singing voice",^[38] and Victor Garber and Debra Monk as Will's parents.^[39] Kristin Chenoweth plays April Rhodes, a former member of the glee club who never finished high school and ended up hitting rock bottom,^[40] and Josh Groban appears as himself.^[34] Other guest stars include Mike O'Malley as Kurt's father, whom Kurt comes out to in the episode "Preggers";^[41] Sarah Drew as Suzy Pepper, a senior with a crush on her teacher;^[42] Michael Hitchcock as the Haverbrook School for the Deaf choir director Dalton Rumba,^[43] and Eve, who was cast after Whitney Houston declined to appear.^[44] In the second half of the first season, Idina Menzel plays the director of rival glee club Vocal Adrenaline^[45] and Jonathan Groff plays the club's male lead, Jesse St. James.^[46] Olivia Newton-John appears, singing a duet of "Physical" with Lynch.^[47] In addition, Neil Patrick Harris guest stars as Will's former glee club rival, now a school board member bent on vengeance against the club.^[48] Brad Ellis is also visible on the show as the quiet teacher/piano accompanist. Charice Pempengco will join the cast as a recurring character in Glee's second season, playing a foreign exchange student with talent to rival Rachel's.^[49]

The first season of Glee consists of 22 episodes.^[50] The pilot episode was broadcast on May 19, 2009.^[51] The series returned on September 9, 2009,^[52] airing on Wednesdays in the 9:00 p.m. timeslot until December 9, 2009 for a total of thirteen episodes. On September 21, 2009, nine more episodes were ordered for the first season by Fox,^[53] with the first of these episodes aired on April 13, 2010, moved to Tuesday evenings at 9:00 p.m.^[54] On January 11, 2010, it was announced that Fox had commissioned a second season of the show. Season Two begins production June 2010.^[55][56] It was further announced on May 17, 2010 that the show would begin Season 2 in the 8:00 p.m. time slot on Tuesdays, and move to the 9:00 time slot on Wednesdays after a special episode following the 2011 Super Bowl.^[57] A third season was ordered by Fox on May 23, 2010.^[2]

On June 10, 2010, Twentieth Century Fox Consumer Products unveiled plans for a line of Glee–related merchandise, including games, apparel and stationery. Robert Marick, executive vice president of Fox Consumer Products, stated: "Glee has hit a high note as one of the most attractive entertainment properties in the market today and 'Gleeks' are embracing the show into all aspects of their lives. The merchandise launch will allow fans to continue to engage and express themselves in ways that are core to the essence of the show."^[58] The line will include Karaoke Revolution Glee, a Wii game produced by Konami Digital Entertainment, a Glee karaoke machine, boom box and other electronic devices produced by Griffin International, and board games, trivia games and puzzles produced by Cardinal Industries. Hallmark Cards will introduce a line of Glee greeting cards, and various partners will launch bags, holiday gift sets and school stationery.^[58] Macy's will carry a line of Glee–related clothing, and Claire's will stock accessories.^[59]

The first Glee soundtrack album, Glee: The Music, Volume 1, was released on November 3, 2009.^[60] Glee: The Music, Volume 2 was released on December 4, 2009,^[61] and Glee: The Music, Volume 3 Showstoppers was released on May 18, 2010.^[62] An EP of songs from the Madonna episode, Glee: The Music, The Power of Madonna was released on April 20, 2010,^[63] and an EP of songs from the season one finale episode, Glee: The Music, Journey to Regionals was released on June 8, 2010.^[64]

Glee – Pilot Episode: Director's Cut was released on Region 1 DVD in the US on September 1, 2009, exclusively to Walmart.^[65] It was released on Region 4 DVD in Australia on November 25, 2009.^[66] The DVD included an advanced preview of the episode "Showmance", plus a deconstruction of the series by creator Ryan Murphy.^[65] It was released on Region 2 DVD in the UK on January 25, 2010.^[67] Glee – Volume 1: Road to Sectionals contains the first thirteen episodes of Glee season one. It was released as a four-disc box set on Region 1 DVD in the US on December 29, 2009.^[68] Special features include full length audition pieces from the pilot episode by Lea Michele as Rachel Berry and Amber Riley as Mercedes Jones, plus casting and choreography featurettes.^[69] It was released in the UK on Region 2 DVD on April 12, 2010.^[70] Glee - The Complete First Season is scheduled for release in America on September 14, 2010, on Blu-Ray in a 4-disc set and DVD in a 7-disc set.^[71] It is due for release in the United Kingdom on September 13, 2010.^[72]

On June 9, 2010, it was announced by Tina Jordan of Entertainment Weekly that Little, Brown Books had brokered a deal with 20th Century Fox to publish a line of official Glee–related books.^[73] Senior executive editor Erin Stein and editor Elizabeth Bewley acquired the rights to publish five Glee novels, which will be developed in collaboration with the show's producers and writers.^[74] The first authorized novel, Glee: The Beginning, will be a prequel to the events of the television series. Written by Sophia Lowell, it is due for release on September 1, 2010 and will include a double–sided Glee poster.^[75] It will be published by Little, Brown Books' Poppy imprint, and will have an initial print run of 150,000 copies.^[74] The second novel in the series, Glee: Foreign Exchange, will also be written by Lowell and is due for release on February 15, 2011.^[75]

Glee has received generally favorable reviews, with a Metacritic score of 77 out of 100, based on 18 critic reviews.^[78] Reviewing the pilot episode, Alessandra Stanley for The New York Times called the show "blissfully unoriginal in a witty, imaginative way", saying the characters are "high school archetypes" but noting "a strong satiric pulse that doesn't diminish the characters' identities or dim the showmanship of a talented cast".^[79] The Daily News' David Hinckley wrote that the show "isn't close to perfect" but "has likable characters, a good sense of humor and a reasonably deft touch with music."^[80] Mary McNamara for the Los Angeles Times called Glee: "the first show in a long time that's just plain full-throttle, no-guilty-pleasure-rationalizations-necessary fun."^[81] She said that overall: "The music, though by no means edgy, is energetic with a wide audience appeal, like the show itself.^[81]

Glee was praised by critics in several round-up reviews of 2009 in television. James Poniewozik of Time ranked it the eighth best television show of the year, commenting: "when Glee works — which is often — it is transcendent, tear-jerking and thrilling like nothing else on TV."^[82] Entertainment Weekly's Ken Tucker ranked it ninth, calling it "Hands down the year's most novel show [and] also its least likely success",^[83] and Lisa Respers France of CNN wrote that while ordinarily Glee's premise would have been "a recipe for disaster", the show has "such quirky charm and bravado that it is impossible not to get swept up".^[84]

Variety's Brian Lowry was critical of the show's early episodes, highlighting acting and characterization issues and deeming the adult cast "over-the-top buffoons", with the exception of Mays' Emma, who he felt offered "modest redemption".^[85] Though he praised Colfer and Michele's performances, Lowry wrote that the show's talent was squandered by its "jokey, cartoonish, wildly uneven tone", deeming the series a "one-hit wonder".^[86] Following the show's mid-season finale, Lowry wrote that while Glee "remains a frustrating mess at times", its "vibrant musical numbers and talented cast have consistently kept it on [his] TiVo must list" conceding that "even with its flaws, TV would be poorer without Glee."^[87]

As Glee's initial success pulled in a large audience, John Doyle, Globe & Mail, wrote that the early shows "felt fresh, mainly because the motley crew of kids had a kind of square naïveté." Doyle notes that the early success took Glee away from its original characters and plot, focusing more on celebrity guests. 'The gaiety is gone from Glee. You should have set it in its prime, mere months ago".^[88]

After the episode "Showmance", the Parents Television Council named Glee the 'Worst Show of the Week', calling it "an edgy, sexually-charged adult series that is inappropriate for teenagers".^[89] Nancy Gibbs of Time magazine wrote that she had heard the series described as "anti-Christian" by a youth minister, and commented: "It is easy to see his point, if you look at the specifics. [...] The students lie, they cheat, they steal, they lust, they lace the bake-sale cupcakes with pot in order to give the student body a severe case of the munchies. Nearly all the Ten Commandments get violated at one point or another, while the audience is invited to laugh at people's pain and folly and humiliation". However, Gibbs continues to mention: "It insults kids to suggest that simply watching Characters Behaving Badly onscreen means they'll take that as permission to do the same themselves. [...] And it's set in high school, meaning it's about a journey not just to college and career but to identity and conviction, the price of popularity, the compromises we must make between what we want and what we need."^[90]

The episode "Wheels" attracted criticism from a committee of performers with disabilities, who felt that casting an able-bodied actor to play a student with disabilities was inappropriate. CSI star Robert David Hall commented: "I think there's a fear of litigation, that a person with disabilities might slow a production down, fear that viewers might be uncomfortable."^[91] Falchuk responded that while he understood the concern and frustration of disability advocates, McHale had the singing and acting ability and charisma required for the role and: "it's hard to say no to someone that talented".^[91] McHale has stated that he is pleased to represent a character in a wheelchair, and that: "I think what's great about it is just because he's in a wheelchair, he can still do what everyone else does."^[92]

The show's musical performances have been a commercial success, with over seven million copies of Glee cast single releases purchased digitally.^[93] In 2009, the Glee cast had 25 singles chart on the Billboard Hot 100, the most by any artist since The Beatles had 31 songs in the chart in 1964.^[94] The cast performance of "Don't Stop Believin' was certified gold in November 2009, achieving over 500,000 digital sales.^[95] The series' cover versions have also had a positive effect on the original recording artists, with sales of Rihanna's "Take a Bow" increasing by 189 percent after the song was covered in the Glee episode "Showmance".^[95] However, there has also been critical condemnation of the cast performances, with Jon Dolan for Rolling Stone commenting that Matthew Morrison "couldn't rap his way out of a 98° rehearsal",^[96] and Allmusic's Andrew Leahey opining that Cory Monteith and Dianna Agron "can't sing nearly as well as their co-stars".^[97] E! Online's Joal Ryan criticized the show for its "overproduced soundtrack", in particular, complaining that many songs rely too heavily on the pitch correcting software Auto-Tune, noting: "For every too-brief moment of Lea Michele sounding raw—and lovely—on a "What a Girl Wants," or Monteith singing a perfectly credible REO Speedwagon in the shower, there's Michele and Monteith sounding like 1990s-era Cher on "No Air," or Monteith sounding like the Monteith XRZ-200 on the out-of-the-shower version of "Can't Fight This Feeling"."^[98] The cast was invited to sing at the White House at the behest of Michelle Obama in April 2010 for the annual Easter Egg Roll.^[99]

Fans of Glee are commonly referred to as "gleeks",^[100] a portmanteau of "glee" and "geek". Fox ran a "Biggest GLEEK" competition, measuring fans' Glee-related activity on social networking websites such as Facebook and MySpace, and found that the growth of the fanbase outpaced the network's science-fiction shows.^[101] The cast's Hot Topic tour was titled "The Gleek Tour".^[23] Glee is one of the most tweeted about TV shows.^[102] Fans have recreated many of its musical numbers in tribute to the show, sharing them on YouTube. Based on this trend, show producers included instrumental versions of some songs on the show's soundtracks.^[102]

Glee has received a number of awards and nominations. In 2009, the series won five Satellite Awards: "Best Supporting Actress" (Jane Lynch), "Best Musical or Comedy TV Series", "Best Actor in a Musical or Comedy TV Series" (Matthew Morrison), "Best Actress in a Musical or Comedy TV Series" (Lea Michele), and "Special Achievement for Outstanding Guest Star" for Kristin Chenoweth. Chris Colfer lost "Best Supporting Actor" to John Lithgow for Dexter.^[103] Also in 2009, Glee won "Television Pilot – Comedy" at the Artios Awards,^[104] "Outstanding TV Program of the Year" at the AFI Awards,^[105] and "Favorite New TV Comedy" at the 36th People's Choice Awards.^[106]

In 2010, Glee received a Peabody Award: the show was called "dependably tuneful and entertaining" and the Peabody board said the show "hit especially high notes with episodes such as 'Wheels,' about the daily struggles of a wheelchair-bound singer."^[107] In 2010 the show also won a Golden Globe Award for Best Television Series — Musical or Comedy. It also received Golden Globe nominations for Best Actor — Television Series Musical or Comedy (Matthew Morrison), Best Actress — Television Series Musical or Comedy (Lea Michele) and Best Supporting Actress – Series, Miniseries or Television Film (Jane Lynch).^[108] The series was nominated for two Writers Guild of America Awards, with screenplays nominated in the "Comedy Series" and "New Series" categories.^[109] The Glee cast won the "Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Comedy Series" award at the 16th Annual Screen Actors Guild Awards.^[110] Paris Barclay and Ryan Murphy both received nominations for "Outstanding Directing – Comedy Series" at the Directors Guild of America Awards for their work on Glee.^[111] Glee was also nominated "Favorite Comedy TV Show" at the NAACP Image Awards,^[112] "Outstanding Comedy Series" at the 21st GLAAD Media Awards,^[113] and "Single Camera Television Series" at the Art Directors Guild Awards.^[114]

The pilot episode of Glee averaged 9.619 million viewers.^[117] Re-aired on September 2, 2009 in a director's cut version, it attained 4.2 million viewers.^[118] The second episode, "Showmance", premiered on September 9, 2009, averaging 7.3 million viewers and achieving a 3.5/9 rating/share in the 18-49 demographic, making it Fox's best scripted premiere in three years.^[119] However, as Scott Collins for the Los Angeles Times noted, the other major networks besides Fox all opened the evening by airing a speech by President Barack Obama, disrupting regular viewing patterns. Furthermore, the official fall season had yet to begin, placing Glee against weaker competition in the ratings than the remainder of the season would experience.^[120] The following eight episodes averaged 6.6-7.6 million viewers, falling to a series low of 6.10 million viewers with "Hairography" on November 25, 2009.^[121] The episode aired the night before Thanksgiving, when all the major networks saw decreased ratings.^[122] Viewership improved for the final two episodes of the first half of the season, with "Mattress" and "Sectionals" drawing 8.17 and 8.13 million viewers respectively.^[123][124] Glee returned on April 13, 2010 with "Hell-O", which was watched by 13.66 million viewers,^[125] the series' season high, up 46 percent on its previous season high with the pilot episode.^[126] The following six episodes attained between 11.49 and 12.98 million viewers, falling to 8.99 million for the penultimate episode "Funk". The episode began with a 3.6/10 rating/share in the 18–49 demographic, rising to 4.1/11 in the last 30 minutes. It was down 21 percent on the previous episode, but was Glee's best 18–49 rating for an episode not following American Idol.^[127] The final episode, "Journey", was watched by 11.07 million viewers and attained a 4.7 Nielsen rating in the 18-49 demographic,^[128] an increase of 18 percent on the previous episode, giving Glee the highest finale rating for a new show in the 2009–10 television season.^[129] Only the first twenty episodes of the first season were accounted for when calculating the season average due to the final two episodes airing outside the traditional sweeps period.^[130]

In January 2010, it was announced that open auditions would be held for three new roles to be introduced in Glee's second season. They were open to amateurs and professionals aged 16 to 26, and were intended to be the subject of a multi-part television special, set to air in the lead-in to the second season premiere in fall 2010, with the new cast members revealed in the first episode.^[55] Murphy commented: "Anybody and everybody now has a chance to be on a show about talented underdogs. We want to be the first interactive musical comedy on television."^[131] On June 22, 2010, Josef Adalian of New York magazine revealed that the reality show would not go ahead, due to Murphy's desire to concentrate on the main series, and fear that the distraction of the reality show may damage Glee. Adalian reported that the production team would still choose several winners from the entrants and invite them to appear on Glee for at least one episode.^[132]

On June 7, 2010, UK broadcaster Channel 4 aired Gleeful: The Real Show Choirs of America on its E4 station. The documentary explored the American show choir phenomenon which inspired Glee.^[133] Narrated by Nick Grimshaw,^[134] it went behind the scenes with real-life glee clubs and detailed celebrity show choir alumni including Lance Bass, Ashton Kutcher, Blake Lively and Anne Hathaway.^[135] It was selected as recommended viewing by The Guardian, with the comment: "it's a fascinating look at the real-life New Directions, and it's equally as crackers as its TV champion."^[136] The newspaper's Lucy Mangan reviewed the documentary positively, writing: "It will, one way or another, fill your heart to bursting", and commenting that: "Glee, it turns out, is not a gloriously ridiculous, highly polished piece of escapism. It is cinéma vérité."^[137] It was watched by 411,000 viewers, a 2.3% audience share.^[138]

From summer 2010, channel Five in the United Kingdom will air Don't Stop Believing, a reality talent show inspired by Glee's success. The series will feature live shows in which established and new musical performance groups will compete against each other, performing well-known songs in new arrangements, with viewers voting on the winner.^[139] Solo singers will also be sought to join a group to represent the United Kingdom on the American glee club circuit.^[140][141] Five's controller Richard Woolfe stated: "There's an explosion in musical performance groups and Don't Stop Believing will tap into that exciting groundswell."^[142] The show will be hosted by Emma Bunton,^[143] who told The Belfast Telegraph that she is a "huge fan" of Glee.^[144] The show's judges will be former EastEnders actress Tamsin Outhwaite, Blue member Duncan James, singer Anastacia and High School Musical choreographer Charles "Chucky" Klapow.^[145]

Glee has been syndicated for broadcast in several countries worldwide, including Australia, where cast members visited to promote the show prior to its September 2009 debut.^[146] It also airs in Canada,^[147] Latin America,^[148] Brazil,^[149] New Zealand,^[150] and Fiji.^[151] It is broadcast in South Africa, where Fox beams the episodes directly to the M-Net broadcast center in Johannesburg rather than delivering the tapes.^[152] In Europe, episodes of Glee premiere 20 hours after their US broadcast in Ireland.^[153] It also airs in the United Kingdom,^[154] Sweden,^[155] Norway,^[156] Portugal,^[157] Italy,^[158] Denmark,^[159] Spain,^[160] Turkey,^[161] France,^[162] and the Netherlands.^[163] In Asia, it airs in the Philippines,^[164] Japan,^[165] Southeast Asia,^[166] India,^[167] Malaysia,^[168] Georgia,^[169] and Singapore.^[170]

• Official website
• Glee at IMDb
• Template:Tv.com show
• Glee episode list at TV Guide