Dead Tree Alert: Shout Out With Glee

By James Poniewozik | @poniewozik | May 8, 2009 | +

FOX

Because of scheduling considerations in the print TIME, my review of the Glee pilot—debuting after American Idol’s final sing-off May 19—is in the issue on newsstands today.

I like the pilot. A lot. I have been referencing and tweeting abut Glee so often since seeing it that I am probably in danger of overhyping it, so let me say: it is not perfect. Many of the characters, the high school kids in particular, fall into very broad, stock stereotypes: the jocks, the nerds, the sassy black chick, the crypto-gay kid, etc. That’s been a weakness of Ryan Murphy’s shows, especially in the beginning: I didn’t like the pilot of Popular at all, but it quickly grew into one of my favorite teen shows in the era of the now-departed WB. But the adult characters are better drawn, and overall Glee is the best, most entertaining pilot I’ve seen in probably a couple years, so I have confidence.

OK, starting to overhype again. Will shut up now. Let the backlash begin!

Related Topics: dead tree alert, series premiere, Uncategorized

@TIMECulture

Latest on Entertainment

Television May 22, 2012

Girls Watch: A Spartan Existence

Hannah comes home to East Lansing and visits the netherland between college and full-fledged, independent adulthood, in an outstanding episode co-written by Judd Apatow.
From our Partners
Adele Crosses Huge MilestoneHuffington Post

Community, the Video GameSlate
Critics Consensus: Battleship Is All WetRotten Tomatoes
Cannes Film Festival May 22, 2012

Killing Them Softly: Brad Pitt's the Hitman, But the Movie's Not a Hit

He’s a mob enforcer, and a cool dude, in Andrew Dominik’s laggard crime drama

Chaddogg

Go ahead, James. Overhype it. I have a feeling this show is going to be worth it…I’m going to assume that this show being aired and promoted heavily by FOX is penance from the TV gods for cancelling something as awesome as Pushing Daisies.
Rorschach

I was very excited about this show but I saw a preview and it looked frakking terrible. I was hoping the show was going to be tongue in cheek, but the tongue looked in the normal tongue position. Was it a bad preview? I was hoping the show would be making fun of high school musicals, not glorifying them.
natego

OH LORD! I am SOOOO tired of Teenage Stereotypes – ENOUGH ALREADY. I was in the band for the Show Choir in High School and here we go with another “chorus kids are geeks that get made fun of” show. Some of the coolest people I know were in Show Choirs. Some of them went on to very prestigious careers in the music industry even (achem.. ‘NSYNC.. achem) so enough of this Bull Plop Pleeeeease.
natego

@Rorschach.. BTW, why should we be rooting for shows that make fun of High School musicals? Some of the best productions (with some exceptional young talent) I have ever seen were High School musicals.
James Poniewozik

@Rorschach and natego: I can only suggest you give it a chance, though I can’t guarantee it’ll be to your taste. What I liked about the show, as I tried to say in the review, is that it is tongue-in-cheek but also has genuine heart. The satire is directed more at the culture of fame and the High School Musical genre of show (i.e., the Disney Channel show) than toward the show-choir members and their teacher, who are sympathetic characters.
natego

@james.. i hear what you’re saying, and I’ll be sure to check it out to be sure i feel the same way, but just the way they’re promoting it is enough to piss me off a bit.