Source: THR
Good news, Gleeks – Fox is so confident in the precious musical / drama that it has ordered a third season of the show – even before the second season goes on the air. The announcement comes in advance of next Tuesday’s season finale and in time for upfront week, when the major television networks release their Fall 2010 schedules in the hopes of piquing potential advertiser’s interest.
Peter Rice, chairman of entertainment at Fox was ebullient: “In just one year, Glee has transcended the television landscape and emerged as a global pop culture phenomenon,” he said recently. “We are incredibly proud to have talent like [executive producer] Ryan Murphy and the “Glee” cast in our Fox family, and we can’t wait to see where Ryan takes the show in seasons two and three.”
Rice has reason to be excited: thanks in part to an American Idol lead-in, Glee has become the most-watched new scripted show this year – making it a huge boon for both Fox and its advertisers. That means more of Jane Lynch’s perfect deadpan as Sue Sylvester and – I can only hope – more Neil Patrick Harris cameos (please?) as Will Schuester’s nemesis Bryan Ryan.
OK, so maybe you think Glee is clichéd or even anti-feminist, but at the very least it shows that there are still some fresh ideas left in television. Who would have thought that what is essentially a musical could nab such good ratings? And if Glee means one less indistinguishable crime drama on television, then I say that’s a good thing. Love it or hate it, don’t expect the slew of cheesy pop songs, ballads, and 80s music video parodies to subside any time soon.
