Not feeling so Glee-ful (From Western Telegraph)

Not feeling so Glee-ful

4:02pm Friday 11th June 2010 in That's how Sutton sees it By Jessica Sutton , Sub Editor

Hello. My name is Jess and I'm a Gleek. Even this blog's title has been inspired by the TV series which seems to have taken over my life for the last few months.

Yes, I've even borrowed Sue Syvester's catchphrase and decided this blog will include how I "C" it.

For those who have no idea what I'm talking about, here's what you need to know.

Glee focuses on a high school singing group in Ohio, run by Will Schuester (Matthew Morrison), a Spanish teacher hoping to recapture his glory days.

The Glee club is made up of several misfits: diva Mercedes, wheelchair-user Artie, Goth girl Tina, gay teen Kurt, pregnant cheerleader Quinn, football jocks Finn and Puck and Rachel Berry, who dreams of stardom. Jane Lynch plays scene-stealing coach Sue Sylvester, who is not about to let the Glee club steal the spotlight from her cheerleaders.

Don't let the high school setting, popular vs. unpopular theme, and teen romance angst fool you though, this is not High School Musical.

Firstly, both Morrison and Lea Michele are former Broadway stars. Secondly, the musical numbers range from standard musical theatre songs to top 40 hits - and they're good. So far we've seen the cast tackle an eclectic mix including Lady Gaga, Madonna, Vanilla Ice, Journey, Kanye West, Neil Diamond and many, many more.

In just 22 episodes, Glee has lined up an impressive list of guest stars, including Tony award winner Kristin Chenoweth (Pushing Daisies), Josh Groban, Broadway star Idina Menzel, Neil Patrick Harris (How I Met Your Mother) and Lea Michele's former Broadway co-star, Jonathan Groff.

But how far can the Glee phenomenon go? While I'm anticipating the end of the current series on Monday and wondering what I'm going to watch instead, a part of me is wondering if it is possible to be too Glee-ful.

It seems Glee is not "just another TV show", having already spawned an American concert tour, three soundtracks; two EPs (one of Madonna tracks and one to accompany the finale) and the usual DVD boxsets. There are also plans for Glee-related merchandise. The line will a Glee karaoke machine, boom box and other electronic devices, board games, trivia games and puzzles, greeting cards, gift sets, stationery, clothing, and accessories.

And before the cast has even started filming its second series, the third series deal has already been confirmed. That's not to mention the string of awards the cast has taken home, and the fact that they've performed for President Obama.

Reports are claiming that the Glee cast are feeling overworked and exhausted. Some might consider this a little ungrateful and perhaps a little premature, but not only are the cast constantly filming, they are also in dance rehearsals for the show, in the recording studio for the soundtrack and preparing for countless TV show appearances.

While there may be no truth to the claims, with stories like that surfacing so early on, how long will it be before the Glee bubble bursts?