Overly Positive

Fox seems to be bringing the noise lately with shows that break the norm. Sci-fi series Fringe and Dollhouse are garnering attention with their respective takes on the supernatural and dystopian, mind-range titles like Lie to Me and Mental delve into human psychology and powerhouses like House M.D. continue to deliver in their character-based formulae.

But a Fox show called Glee, that was once called by skeptics to be a short-lived version of High School Musical, appears to be gathering attention among the musically inclined, the school-time nostalgics, and most of all, band and singing geeks like me. As someone who did a bit of everything in high school band, Glee for me is a return to carefree days where the worst thing I had to worry about was not a mortgage, but whether or not I’d look cool enough not to be picked on for my associations.

The whole premise of Glee seems to follow the formula that is well-known among TV watchers everywhere – take a group of misfits under the tutelage of an inspired teacher and bring them success they never thought they had. But the similarities end there. For one thing, in these geekery success stories the stereotypical popular jocks and cheerleaders are the enemy. Well in Glee, the popular kids take a turn at the mic and come to love singing as much as smashmouth, creating an interesting mixed social dynamic that it as mashed up as the songs they produce. In fact, characterization is Glee’s strongest point, as the show prefers not to just easily follow the geek success model but also pursue interesting individual conflicts. Some examples include a homosexual guy who hasn’t come out to his dad, a pregnant cheerleader, and a wheelchair-bound, bass-playing/singing talent. And those are just the teens. The adults are just as complex, and with guest star talent like Kristin Chenoweth, she of the tiny firecracker variety with the pipes of gold, they keep things interesting as well as entertaining.

Glee’s largest challenge is to cut back on being campy (an inevitable feeling given the musical content of the show), and it does that in part by both A)making sure that songs that are sung are done so in appropriate context and not at random and B)making the songs interesting and not just normal fare, like the “It’s My Life/Confessions, Part II” mashup. Yes, apparently you can mix Bon Jovi and Usher into an interesting new song – something that pretty much typifies the series’ philosophy as a whole. Glee is Fox’s Reese’s Peanut Butter cup – mixing two (or more) great things that go great together, and if you haven’t checked it out yet, you should – because this is no mere musical.