I am – Hercules!!


A cliché-riddled if mostly watchable hourlong dramedy pilot from writer-producer Ryan Murphy (creator of “Popular” and “Nip/Tuck”), “Glee” follows what happens after a heterosexual Spanish teacher takes over a high school glee club from a recently fired homosexual pedophile. Under the new guy the club only attracts misfits and losers, so it’s sort of like “Revenge of the Nerds” meets “High School Musical,” except not as funny as “Revenge of the Nerds.” There’s also a Tracy Flick type who will remind many of Alexander Payne’s Reese Witherspoon vehicle “Election,” which is funnier than “Revenge of the Nerds” and “Glee” combined.

"Glee's" comedy is cartoonish and most of the characters are alarmingly broad caricatures. “You think this is hard? Try being waterboarded, that’s hard,” relates the cheerleading coach played by the ubiquitous Jane Lynch. It was the first of the many jokes at which I did not laugh. Assuming it was intended as a joke. (Not that I have anything against waterboarding jokes, mind you; I’m sure I’ve heard lots of good ones on Letterman, Conan, Kimmel and Stewart over the years.) Another gag goes something like this:

TEACHER: I want to take over the glee club.
PRINCIPAL: You want to captain the Titanic too?

John Hughes, Judd Apatow, Diablo Cody it’s not.

The main thing the “Glee” pilot has going for it are a handful of expertly-staged song-and-dance sequences utilizing, among other popular tunes, Journey’s “Don’t Stop Believing” and Amy Winehouse’s “Rehab.” (The version of “Rehab” may sound a little muzak-y to those familiar with Winehouse’s recording, but that may be the point.)

“Glee” could certainly find an audience with some fraction of the colossal “American Idol” and “High School Musical” demos, but I’m not sure I’m likely to enjoy more than two hours of this sort of thing. (We’ll find out this autumn, after that second episode airs.)

USA Today says:

… Promise abounds here, but to fulfill it, Murphy needs to correct the abrupt tonal shifts and rein in his Nip/Tuck tendency to go too far. …

The New York Times says:

… blissfully unoriginal in a witty, imaginative way. …

The Chicago Tribune says:

… gets by on attitude -- and stirring music -- in Tuesday's tryout, but the attitude could get old fast if that's all there really is.

The Los Angeles Times says:

… the first show in a long time that's just plain full-throttle, no guilty-pleasure-rationalizations-necessary fun. …

The Newark Star Ledger says:

… it would help, I think, if this audition for "Glee" weren't so sweaty and desperate to impress. Maybe there's a good show here, but the opener is trying way too hard just to make an impression. Then again, that's generally the MO of "Glee" creator Ryan Murphy. With both "Nip/Tuck" and his short-lived high school soap/parody "Popular," Murphy's first -- and often only -- goal has been to get your attention by any means necessary. If there happens to be actual characterization and themes mixed in with the "wowza" moments, that's swell, but they also can seem like accidents.…

The Washington Post says:

… ambitious and ebullient. … whatever the drawbacks and quixotic quirks, there's plenty of time to de-botch the show between now and the fall. … Dramatic tension isn't exactly plentiful, but pleasingly staged songs and a general aura of retro ingenuousness come through, and seem awfully if fitfully refreshing, especially compared with all the gloomy police and doctor procedurals that dominate prime time. …

The Boston Herald says:

… rather than sympathize with its misfits, “Glee” takes joy in mocking them. With the exception of high school jock Finn (Cory Montieth), blackmailed into the chorus, the other members are stereotypes or freaks, unlikable all. There’s the nelly kid, the boy in the wheelchair, the Asian girl who stutters and the sassy, overweight black girl who thinks she’s the next Beyonce. The way they are depicted, viewers will sympathize with the haters more than the kids, and that’s a problem for a show following a group of underdogs as they battle their way up the school caste system. … The musical numbers are energetic and feature some fun choreography. Some of the cast seem to have genuine talent. “Glee” already has the spirit and the sound. In the fall, when “Glee” returns, we need to see some heart.

The Boston Globe says:

… if you're a fan of "Fame," "Hairspray," or "High School Musical," this scripted dramatic take on glee club is totally for you. …

The San Francisco Chronicle says:

… deftly combines this country's fascination with amateur singers and dancers ("Idol" and "Dancing With the Stars" are ratings powerhouses) with dead-on satire and an uplifting sweetness. You could call "Glee" something of a miracle for being able to manage the near impossible in balancing these strange tonal shifts. You can also call it the front-runner for next season's best fall show. …

The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette says:

… Without the song-and-dance production numbers, this Fox pilot would be just another high school-set comedy-drama, albeit one with a tonal mish-mash that careens from dark humor to earnest drama. Take away the music and "Glee" isn't awful but it is ordinary. Thankfully, Tuesday's pilot episode bursts at the seams with musical performances …

Time Magazine says:

… a delight but a risk: a devilish, exuberant comedy that manages to capture and subvert the Idol aesthetic at the same time. …

Entertainment Weekly says:

… so good — so funny, so bulging with vibrant characters — that it blasts past any defenses you might put up against it. …

The Hollywood Reporter says:

… smart, fun and completely winning …

Variety says:

… ungainly at times with its drama but soars gracefully when it bursts into song. The dramatic tone is uneven, but the show gets by on talent and energy …

9 p.m. Tuesday. Fox.

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