Glee

Will Schuester returns to McKinley High with one clear aim: revive the faltering glee club and let music pull a group of students out of their shells. He turns a motley crew of misfits into a team, coaching ambitious soloists like Rachel Berry and sensitive students like Kurt Hummel to improve their singing, choreography, and stage presence. The club faces cutthroat rivals, limited funding, and constant interference from cheer coach Sue Sylvester, while personal romances and clashes complicate rehearsals. Each episode pairs big performances with classroom and home-life scenes, showing how competing ambitions and teenage pressures shape the students without giving away any major plot twists.

The series premiered in 2009 on Fox, created by Ryan Murphy, Ian Brennan, and Brad Falchuk. The pilot was directed by Ryan Murphy, and the show blended televised musical numbers with serialized high school drama.

Glee received significant industry recognition, earning multiple Golden Globe and Emmy nominations. It won Golden Globes that included Best Television Series, Musical or Comedy, and Jane Lynch received a Golden Globe for her supporting role. The show also picked up a variety of other awards and nominations across television and music ceremonies during its run.

On pop culture, Glee pushed show choir from niche to mainstream, sending many of its cover versions onto music charts and turning cast members into recording artists. The series sparked an active fan community online, influenced televised musical programming, and increased visibility for teenage and LGBTQ storylines, making the idea of high school musical performance feel more prominent in mainstream entertainment.

Critical reaction varied over time, with early seasons praised for energetic performances and inventive arrangements, while later seasons drew mixed reviews for uneven plotting. Viewers and critics noted recurring themes of ambition, identity, mentorship, inclusion, and the pressure to perform, and the show holds a user vote average of 6.8 out of 10 based on audience ratings.