Glee

Don’t Stop Believing: the Hype is Deserved

The New Year saw The X Factor pass on the mantle of ‘the-show-everyone’s-talking-about’ to a TV rarity: a musical teen comedy-drama series. Instantly likeable, Glee combines a refreshing mix of contemporary chart music and classic show tunes, without letting the giddy repertoire of songs risk overwhelming the various storylines or, crucially, its high comedy value. While Matthew Morrison and especially Lea Michele do well in leading the cast as the Glee Club’s director and self-appointed star respectively (though the former’s rapping is rather cringe worthy), best in show has to go to Jane Lynch as the tyrannical cheerleading coach Sue Sylvester, who steals every scene with her perfect comic timing. Perhaps the show’s biggest success, though, is in its ability to maintain amusing stereotypical characters (the bitchy head cheerleader and the dumb jock are present, among others) but simultaneously subvert them as the series progresses. It can’t fail to put a smile on your face, which is particularly helpful if you’re catching the Sunday showing and facing the start of a week full of lectures.