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All singing, all dancing: “Glee” debut; “Dancing” finale
It’s good, old fashioned hoofin’ and hollerin’ on television tonight.
Over on FOX, check out the debut of “Glee,” a rare one-hour comedy series from Ryan Murphy, the creator of “Nip/Tuck” and “Popular.” Tonight’s pilot episode is engaging, especially the snarky first half. Applying equal amounts of “Malcolm in the Middle,” “High School Musical” and “School of Rock,” “Glee” follows an idealistic teacher in his efforts to recruit popular, talented members to McKinley High’s show choir (currently populated by misfits and social outcasts) and regain the group’s former glory. The school’s principal has given him just two months to turn the program around.
Stereotypes abound … students include a conflicted athlete/singer and an arrogant ingenue (see “HSM”), the nerdy kid in the wheelchair (see “Malcolm”), a stutterer and a sassy, full-figured diva (see “School of Rock”).
The teaching staff borrows its own familiar cast of sitcom characters, featuring the gruff football coach, stern cheerleading taskmaster, overly-sensitive counselor and no-nonsense principal. Nothing particularly new here (well, the former glee club director does have a new career selling his extra medical marijuana), but the writing is sharp and the musical numbers are well-executed, if cheesy.
“Glee” works best when it focuses on the funny and romantic … the staff members, especially, are full of surprising quirks, and a budding romance between married club director Will Schuester (Matthew Morrison) and fellow teacher Emma Pillsbury (Jayma Mays, with impossibly big, brown eyes) is, so far, not acted upon and sweet.
Less successful are the overly-earnest “we can do it” and “be who you want to be” scenes, as well as the sticky subplot involving Will’s unhappy marriage. It remains to be seen where “Glee” will go after tonight’s set-up, but I’m hopeful Murphy and crew can keep the maudlin to a minimum. Like the McKinley’s principal, I am willing to give it a couple of months.
Over on ABC, “Dancing With The Stars” stages its Season 8 finale. Actor Gilles Marini and partner Cheryl Burke seem to be the odds-on favorite to take home the Mirrorball trophy, but popular opinion says the three finalist duos are as closely matched as any in the show’s history.
“Glee,” FOX, 8 p.m. “Dancing With The Stars,” ABC, 7 p.m.
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