# Glee (2009)

> An optimistic teacher revives a struggling high school glee club, turning a group of outcasts into singing contenders in a world of bullying and rivalry.

Canonical page: https://ember.film/tv/1333

## Facts

- Seasons: 6
- Episodes: 121
- Episode runtime: 46 min
- Status: Ended
- Genres: comedy, drama, music
- Created by: Ryan Murphy, Ian Brennan, Brad Falchuk
- Network: FOX
- Cast: Lea Michele, Cory Monteith, Melissa Benoist, Jacob Artist, Chris Colfer, Matthew Morrison, Jane Lynch, Dot-Marie Jones
- TMDB rating: 6.8/10
- IMDb: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt1327801/

## Ember's analysis

- Pacing: brisk
- Intensity: mild
- Complexity: accessible
- Violence: mild
- Tone: campy, uplifting, sincere, irreverent, bittersweet, joyful

## What critics say

Viewers broadly find Glee a feel-good, musically joyful show about outsiders whose early seasons charmed them, though its quality dipped as the run went on.

## Synopsis

Glee (2009-2015) is a US musical comedy-drama series created by Ryan Murphy, Ian Brennan and Brad Falchuk for FOX. Optimistic teacher Will Schuester (Matthew Morrison) takes over a struggling show choir at McKinley High School in Ohio, hoping to rekindle his own passion while turning a band of outcasts into serious competitors. Aspiring Broadway star Rachel Berry (Lea Michele) and star quarterback Finn Hudson (Cory Monteith) lead the group, while openly gay student Kurt Hummel (Chris Colfer) and cheerleading coach Sue Sylvester (Jane Lynch) supply sharp rivalries and sharper one-liners. Each episode is built around a set of pop and Broadway covers that carry the characters' romantic tangles, bullying, and ambitions, so the songs do the emotional heavy lifting. Across six seasons, the show moves through a continuing story of competition, friendship and identity, with an unmistakably campy, heartfelt register. Its tone swings between buoyant and bruised, delivering comedy alongside themes of belonging, self-acceptance and the cost of chasing a dream. Fans of Smash, Freaks and Geeks and Pitch Perfect will find similar pleasures in its mix of teen angst, sincere uplift and high-energy musical performance set in a small Midwestern school.

## Shows like Glee

- [Saved by the Bell (1989)](https://ember.film/tv/4130)
- [Abbott Elementary (2021)](https://ember.film/tv/104407)
- [Ted Lasso (2020)](https://ember.film/tv/82200)
- [Schooled (2019)](https://ember.film/tv/70046)
- [Fame (1982)](https://ember.film/tv/1697)
- [High School Musical: The Musical: The Series (2019)](https://ember.film/tv/72886)
- [Scream Queens (2015)](https://ember.film/tv/55238)
- [Zoey's Extraordinary Playlist (2020)](https://ember.film/tv/80982)
- [Lost & Found Music Studios (2015)](https://ember.film/tv/58449)
- [Dream High (2011)](https://ember.film/tv/34685)

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