(also known as Glee – Season One Review)
Review by JAM
Glee is one of those shows that you either get or you don’t. I mean, it’s a musical on television which hasn’t always worked out the greatest, it’s a high school drama/comedy which has historically been hit or miss, it’s truly a show about outcasts when much of America believes that they are truly part of the in-crowd (not me, I revel in my outsider status J/K), and yet it holds some power over us and draws us in and finally lets us realize that it is really good television. That’s why this review needed to be something different, because that’s what Glee prides itself in being, so with no further ado… The top five reasons to fill yourself with Glee – Season One.
Number 5
The music – As much as Glee is treading the mainly unknown waters of musical television, they made sure to have really good guides through the unknown. Music from classic bands such as Queen (“Somebody to Love”) and Journey (“Don’t Stop Believin’”) and current superstars such as Carrie Underwood (“Last Name”) and Rihanna (“Take a Bow”) keeps this show relevant, current, and different all at the same time. The cast truly make the songs their own while keeping a strong backbone that forces us back for more.
Number 4
The memories – Everyone has them… Remember when you were back in high school? Unless you’re there now or going to be, everyone remembers something they wanted to take part in or change if they had a second chance. Glee is my second chance in a way, as my swing choir time in junior high never continued with my move to high school. So this gives me a second chance to live vicariously through a cast of characters that are willing to share their time with me.
Number 3
The extras included on disc 4 – I’m not always the biggest fan of extras unless they involve a good deleted scene or amazingly funny outtakes, and yet I was hooked when I started watching this set of extras. The Casting Session piece was amazing, giving insight into the show that I had never thought about wanting to know from a number of sides, and the truthful discussions seemed to allow the fan to be part of the magic, and I appreciated that.
Number 2
The concept – A television show about a glee club filled with outcasts from a myriad of backgrounds come together to sing, dance, and make the world a better place. Yeah, it sounds pretty bad when you say it out loud, but it works. The cast of characters are so much stronger than their individual parts that it makes you root for the underdog and wish you were one of them, even if you might not be willing to join them onstage.
Number 1
Lea Michele – I would not normally say that one actor or actress makes an ensemble show that much better unless it was William Peterson on CSI or Gina Bellman on Leverage, but after watching her audition on the extras provided with Season One, I have total respect for this girl. Besides completely making this character her own, she is a true trooper who auditions right after a traffic accident in which she should have been transported to the hospital and totaled her car, and it seems to all make sense! With a musical theatre background and an amazing knack for her character, she has taken her place with some of my favorite actresses on television, including Gabrielle Anwar on Burn Notice, the aforementioned Gina Bellman, and Emily Proctor on CSI: Miami.
And now for our Glee club press release… Give a cheer for TV's hottest, funniest and most talked-about new series when "Glee" Season 1: Road To Sectionals debuts on DVD December 29 from Twentieth Century Fox Home Entertainment. Filled with beloved characters and sensational musical numbers, "Glee" Season 1: Road To Sectionals is an electrifying, pitch-perfect winner. William McKinley High School once had a champion glee club, but now they are floundering. That is when an idealistic Spanish teacher (Matthew Morrison, Music & Lyrics) takes up their cause, vowing to transform the rag-tag group of singers and dancers into champions. From Ryan Murphy, the creator of "Nip/Tuck," "Glee" also stars Jane Lynch (The 40 Year Old Virgin), Jessalyn Gilsig ("Nip/Tuck") and a slew of talented newcomers including Lea Michele, Cory Monteith and Chris Colfer. Featuring the first 13 episodes, "Glee" Season 1: Road To Sectionals DVD will also include the Director's cut of the pilot episode; exclusive behind-the-scenes featurettes; audition videos from the talented cast and the hit music topping the charts at iTunes such as cast versions of Queen's "Somebody To Love," Heart's "Alone," Journey's "Don't Stop Believin'," Céline Dion's "Taking Chances," Rihanna's "Take A Bow," Carrie Underwood's "Last Name," Jazmine Sullivan's "Bust Your Windows," Kanye West's "Gold Digger" and REO Speedwagon's "Can't Fight This Feeling.". "Glee" Season 1: Road To Sectionals will be available on DVD for purchase at Amazon.com and other fine retail establishments.
Take a chance on Glee, you won’t be sorry you did.
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