Column: 'Glee' must-see TV

By Justin Prochaska

Published April 13, 2010

For those of you who are unaware, this week is the return of a television phenomenon. Today marks the return of Fox's award-winning comedy "Glee."

I'm genuinely excited, and judging from the amount of updates in my Facebook newsfeed about it, there is a good amount of other people who are excited, too.

For those who have yet to watch the show, I'll fill you in a little bit. Basically, Will Schuester, a high school Spanish teacher, tries to resurrect the school's glee club. The club tries to get respect from the student body (most of the members are picked on and get drinks thrown on them by other students) and is sabotaged by the cheerleading coach, Sue Sylvester. Mixed between the singing and dancing is high school drama presented in a humorous and interesting way.

To be honest, when I first saw advertisements for the show, I didn't think much of it. I thought it would be another one-and-done Fox show fitting into the same high school drama television genre. I thought the show would last about as long as Lindsay Lohan's sobriety.

I was wrong.

When I was home over Thanksgiving break, a lot of my friends were talking about the show, so I decided to watch it with them. I have to admit I was pleasantly surprised. I had to keep watching and watching via Hulu until I ran out of posted episodes. When I returned to Columbia, I tuned in to the original airings because I couldn't get enough.

The actors and performers on the show are very talented, and the writing is top-notch. After the finale in December, I was upset the show would be put on hiatus for four months because I really wanted to know what happens next.

There is a huge ensemble cast for this show and all the characters are interesting in their own way. Sylvester, played by Jane Lynch (you might know her as Steve Carell's boss in "The 40 Year Old Virgin"), is easily the funniest character on the show. She is conniving and determined to bring down the glee club. The show is worth watching just to see her get angry and seek vengeance on Schuester.

I'm also amused by the writers' play on high school life. Although the conflicts are greatly exaggerated, it makes for great television. Among the unwanted pregnancies and baby daddy drama, fake pregnancies, unrequited love and love triangles, it is hard to stop watching.

The musical numbers are astoundingly good. I'm picky about the music I like, and I think "Glee" does a great job mixing it up. They sing songs from The Rolling Stones, Creedence Clearwater Revival and other classic rock groups in addition to more contemporary music.

If you haven't heard the "Don't Stop Believing" cover from the pilot episode yet, I suggest you YouTube it or download it on iTunes. It is very good (and I don't usually enjoy covers of songs).

The rest of the season features covers of songs by The Doors, The Beatles and Lionel Richie, just to name a few. You can't go wrong with any of those artists.

The guest list for "Glee" is also very impressive. Upcoming episodes will feature the likes of Madonna and Neil Patrick Harris, and past episodes have featured Josh Groban and Eve in guest roles.

Although "Glee" is certainly not as mysterious or captivating as ABC's "Lost" (which coincidentally airs at the same time as "Glee"), it is very enjoyable and amusing.

For those of you who have yet to see the greatness of the show, I suggest you check out a few episodes online. It will be worth your time, I promise you.