Glee is coming! Can it live up to the hype?

With September just around the corner and my summer programs wrapping up at the library (finally!) my thoughts have turned to what's coming up in the fall as far as movies and television are concerned. Like the autumn harvest, the fall season also brings with it a new crop of TV shows vying for Nielsen ratings and your viewing pleasure. One show that has already caught my attention, thanks to a special sneak peak at the pilot episode back in May, is Fox's Glee, and chances are you've heard of it too, thanks to an aggressive ad campaign and early positive buzz. Created by Ryan Murphy, who brought us such gems as Nip/Tuck and Popular, Glee brings us into the world of a high school glee club in Ohio, and the teachers and students who make up the club, as well as the teachers and students who look down on it (I don't ever recall hearing about a glee club when I was in high school, so I'm guessing this is an American thing, but correct me if I'm wrong).

When I saw the preview in May there was a lot of stuff going on in my living room with my room mates plus sound problems on that particular station, so I missed a lot of what was happening on screen. Regardless though, I took notice right away. My eyes even welled up during the final scene. This episode was funny, poignant and above all else musical! Not many shows out there pull off that kind of combination. Plus, how could I hate something that stars one of my favorite actresses Jane Lynch as the evil cheerleading coach Sue? Can't do it.

So I was pretty bummed when the trailer for the rest of the season aired after the pilot and declared the return of Glee in September. September? I and my room mate realized we'd have to wait over three months to see more! Not cool. But I have waited patiently, and bought the single for their version of "Don't Stop Believing" from iTunes. But lately I've realized that all I've heard this summer is how Glee is going to be the hit show of the fall. Commercials have been running consistently, it's been announced that two, count 'em, two soundtrack albums will be released in time for Christmas, the cast has been doing press tours; I mean, only one episode has aired. It's pretty brassy to make such bold declarations of an entire series after just one episode. Some shows have been cancelled after one episode (Osbournes:Reloaded and Emily's Reasons Why Not to name just a couple). Take it from someone who has fallen in love with so many TV shows only to have them cancelled on me after too short a run (RIP Pushing Daisies, Keen Eddie, Brimstone, Life on Mars, Andy Richter Controls the Universe, Firefly, etc.), the television industry can be a fickle you-know-what, as well as television audiences.

So just tonight I re-watched the pilot episode of Glee, which is available on globaltv.com. Honestly, to me, it was even better that second time, now that I could watch it without distraction, and I still welled up at the last scene. What hits me the hardest about this show is the message that you need to do what makes you happy and you need to be involved in what you're passionate about, no matter what other people expect of you or what other people think of you. That's a message that often gets lost in the shuffle of economic troubles and the general sense that you're not good enough if your life doesn't meet a certain standard. If this show can continue with this message while still delivering great story lines, lots of laughs and kick-ass musical numbers, then we'll have something really special on the fall schedule this year. And hopefully audiences will embrace it as well.

Besides, I've already decided that Will should leave his wife Terri and get together with Emma the guidance counsellor. Take a look at the pilot episode and see if you agree. Glee returns to Fox and Global September 9th.