Cool News
Does Hercules Contain GLEE??
SPOILER ALERT !!
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.
SHIPPING NOW!!
Star Trek: Wrath/Search/Voyage (Blu-ray)
Star Trek: MP, WOK, SFS, VH, FF, UC (Blu-ray)
$18.99 Complete Animated Trek!!
DS9, Voyager & Enterprise: $37.99 Or Less!!
SALE TREK!!
-
+ Expand All
-
test
-
unless you've seen "high school musical". who the hell watches that?
and wtf is a "glee club"? is that something that exists, or is it made up for this show? -
There, I said it.
-
"Cop Rock" and the first five minutes of each season one episode of "Nikki".
-
John Hughes (check), Judd Apatow (good writer, yeah), and... DIABLO CODY??!! Quick, what's a good onomatopoeia for throwing up? How bout BLUUUUUUUUUGH
-
Don't we have enough of those already?
-
Well, you sold me.
-
There, I said it!
-
May 19, 2009 4:35:57 AM CDT
Election may be a better movie than Revenge of the nerds but it
by slimballs
-
drag out the high school cliches again, he should just bring back Popular. At least it had a better looking cast.
-
wait- they forgot to cover mutual amputee barf eating. no wonder the ratings tanked.
-
Tv sucks these days.
-
Nip/Tuck is one of the more interesting shows out there. It not only explores sexuality but family and beauty.
Obviously many just don't understand how complex the show is.
Their loss. -
for this....booooooo
-
A hetro teacher wants to take over the glee club? Suspension of disbelief - out the window!
-
Uhhh ... so he was a homosexual who also a pedophile?
-
In other words, incest.
Wasn't this the show where Famke Janson played a mother who has sex with her son, only to (twist on twist) reveal that "she" was previously a dude who'd had a sex-change operation?
Yes. Bring us more of this exploration of "family" and "sexuality" of which you are so proud. -
Diablo Cody in the same pantheon as John Hughes?
These are bold assertions, Herc.
Get back on your meds. -
Apparently, Stephen Tobolowsky plays the teacher who's fired, for fondling a male student.
Don't know if you'd call that a pedophile, exactly. Ephebophile maybe.
Still, I'm sure Herc wasn't just using the term pedophile to make the gay character a hate-figure. -
Monday
8 Dancing with the Stars
10: Castle
TUESDAY:
8: Shark Tank
9: Dancing with the Stars Results
10 The Forgotten
WEDNESDAY:
8: Hank
8:30 The Middle
9 Modern Family
9:30 Cougar Town
10: Eastwick
THURSDAY:
8 Flash Forward
9 Grey's Anatomy
10: Private Practice
FRIDAY:
8: Supernanny
9: Ugly Betty
10:. 20/20
SATURDAY:
8: Saturday Night College Football
SUNDAY:
7: America's Funniest Home Videos
8: Extreme Makeover: Home Edition
9: Desperate Housewives
10 Brothers & Sisters
-
Harumph
-
May 19, 2009 7:53:06 AM CDT
Fuck! I thought it was about DICKBLOOD being banned
by the_man_behind_the_curtain
That would give me GLEE.
-
Have you ever noticed EW's reviews on things are often the opposite of what they turn out to be? For example, every review I read by Lisa Schwartzbaum, I wonder why she's writing movie reviews, or for the entertainment industry as she never seems to get the point. EW is entertainment reporting for dummies, it makes me sick most times. The fact that they loved this show doesn't bode well for it's actual quality. That said, I usually agree with Herc unless we're talking about My Name Is Earl...
-
...but I thought Herc had better taste. Open your mind to something that's not either sci fi or created by Joss Whedon. This show looks to be everything that American Idol and High School Musical aren't. Simply because all three feature singing characters doesn't mean they have anything else in common. That's like comparing The Dark Knight to Batman & Robin simply because both featured Batman. Expand your horizons a little bit.
-
It took a while for that show to really get going. The two part premiere was a bit bland, but then Murphy brought the crazy, and the show became ridiculous in a genius way. Then The WB had to come and rain on the parade and demand the show to get serious. Resulting in an uneven Season 2. Anyhow, can Leslie Grossman join the cast of "Glee" as Mary Cherry?
-
Better off Ted will then step in. Also in the bullpen is the V reboot, The Deep End, True Beauty, Wife Swap.
-
You're arguing semantics in an effort to take the heat off a fictional character who fondled a kid. As a gay man, I had a negative reaction to the phrase "homosexual pedophile". I get annoyed when some lazy comedy writer makes a lame joke based on a stereo-type proved wrong by tons of child abuse stats. But what I won't do is say, "Hey... it's not like he had sex with the kid or anything", because that would be silly. Be mad at the script writer, not Herc's word choice.
-
I know that's the in thing these days, with weird cartoon-like abstract humor and pop culture references, but it's getting a little heavy now. The clips I saw of this seem pretty funny in a 30 Rock kind of way, but who knows.
-
"And everybody clap your hands. We're Lambda, Lambda, Lambda..."
I love that part. I also like Booger Presley. -
is anyone else sick of this shitty 80's song being used for its hip, ironic value? i can't go into a bar without some idiot nerd or loud sorority girl playing this song on the jukebox and yelling at the top of their lungs because it's "hilarious and awesome." family guy's use of it was even worse. let this song die as it deserves.
-
Heroes will end its 4th season before the Winter Olympics, and the Mothership (Law & Order) will be on Fridays at 8. Here's the lineup, just announced in the last 30 minutes, split into Fall and Midseason
FALL:
Monday
8 Heroes
9 Trauma (new drama)
Tuesday
8 The Biggest Loser
Wednesday
8 Parenthood (new drama)
9 Law & Order: SVU
Thursday:
8 SNL Weekend Update Thursday
8:30 Parks and Recreation
9 The Office
9:30 Community
Thursday (after "SNL" ends)
8 Community
8:30 Parks and Recreation
9 The Office
9:30 30 Rock
Friday (same at midseason, too)
8 Law & Order
9 Southland
Saturday:
8 Dateline NBC
9 Trauma reruns
10 Law & Order: SVU" reruns
Sunday
7 Football Night in America
8:20 Sunday Night Football
MIDSEASON:
Monday:
8 Chuck
9 Day One (new drama)
Tuesday
8 Biggest Loser
9:30 - 100 Questions (new comedy)
Wednesday
8 Mercy (new drama)
9 Law & Order: SVU
Saturday
8 Dateline NBC
9 Southland repeats
10 Law & Order: SVU repeats
Sunday
7 Dateline NBC
8 The Marriage Ref (new reality)
9 Celebrity Apprentice
No Medium at all - looks like it's going to CBS after all. -
May 19, 2009 10:38:33 AM CDT
CBS cancels The Unit; Friday Night Lights delayed til Summer '10
by pennsydeux
Per the Hollywood Reporter and TV Guide, respectively, just in the last 15 minutes.
-
Pennsy: Of course Xenu will be pleased. Xenu will not be pleased, however, that both Fox and ABC may be interested in bringing it back.
-
Medium will be on Friday after Ghost Whisperer.
-
None. I just hate high schoolers. Self-imporant gits that need to be smacked down.
-
After getting castrated by DWTS, 2.5 Men and 24? (Not to mention their writers' room handing them the castrating equipment. It'll run straight through until January, then it's done for the season.
-
Well, for the first few seasons at least... then they truly stopped giving a shit and you could predict the twists by simply thinking "ok, what's the most fucked up thing they can do next?". The son, Matt, on that show has done it all: tried in court for Hit and Run he and his friend did on his lesbian cheerleader girlfriend, failed self-circumcision, banged a post-op tranny, messed around with a pre-op tranny, in a relationship with a white supremacist, had a baby with his real father's ex, got into scientology, became a meth addict, got blown up in his meth lab, had sex with his half-sister, and I'm probably missing some stuff. The depravity on that show is cartoonish.
-
That's craziness. Perhaps someone here is a Kristen Bell hater.
-
in a Dollhouse TB, and that's been heavily moderated of late. But I'm back; can't keep me down for long.
-
May 19, 2009 11:44:02 AM CDT
But since you brought up Hollywood's most rabid Red Wings fan...
by pennsydeux
Here's a preview of Friday's PD finale, with KB in uber-bitch mode. FEEL the SNARK! http://tinyurl.com/pr6abp
-
It sounds like something that could only be run by paedophiles, homosexual or otherwise.
-
can return to Party Down?
-
"Teh Glay"NTTAWWT
-
I knew the only place NBC would consider putting it was opposite 24.Will Heroes need to be PG'd even more for its new 8:00pm timeslot?
-
DWTS AND House will have such a field day with them it'll be shooting fish in a barrel. And Heroes is NOT an 8PM show, in any way, shape or form.
-
I tried to post and got "Comment: unauthorized comment submitted or comment submitted to a closed node..."Pennsy, don't forget about Monday Night Football.
-
Triple-whammy.
-
May 19, 2009 12:55:51 PM CDT
"Don't Stop Believing" + "High School Musical" = Chick Crack
by dapper swindler
Absolutely shameless, but someone did their homework.
-
NOT!!! See I make a joke because you think I watch the show but then I tell you I really not!! Haha!
-
"Glee Club" was the term for a High School Choir/Chorus before the 1970's.-----later----m
-
Is a perfectly acceptable term to describe a homosexual who is a pedophile. It doesn't insinuate that all homosexuals are pedophiles, or vice versa.
Although, I don't think attraction to high-school-age kids is technically pedophilia... but that's a side issue.
I will never watch this show, by the way. -
The majority of pedophiles go after little girls. The issue of having a gay pedophile as a character is unnecessarily stereotypical. Yes there are gay men who are also pedophiles but they're uncommon and usually closeted. I doubt "Glee" does anything to further this knowledge. It's also exactly what I expect from Fox, which likes to spread bigotry and pass it off as edgy humor. Personally, I think someone should force Fox executives to watch "South Park" episodes so they can get an idea of how to show tolerant intolerance.
Incidentally, am I the only one her who thinks that Rupert Murdoch is the fucking devil!? I still can't believe they renewed Dollhouse, which I admit, has put me in a state of temporarily not hating Fox... -
in The Usual Suspects. Something about the greatest trick Rupert Murdoch ever pulled is making the world believe, by renewing Dollhouse, that he isn't a douchebag.
-
Well, I may be as sick of the song as you are but they hardly use it "for its hip, ironic value". They pretty much use it for genuine, literal, inspirational "Don't stop believing" in yourself motivation. Also, as a song about a girl and a boy it works okay as a duet between a boy and a girl.
-
It was witty
-
...but this show is VERY good. Quirky, funny, and just enough edge (courtesy of the NIP TUCK folk) to find what I predict to be a VERY large audience. Facebook was absolutley lit up with people raving about this show this evening. I think this one's a keeper. And, sorry, but Jane Lynch WAS friggin funny as hell. If our boy Herc doesn't get that, I gotta wonder about him.
-
if not Mary Cherry (t'would be nice), then more Leslie Grossman, pls.
-
Not because it's not interesting, but it'll run out of steam quickly. The biggest issue is song licensing. If this show is suppose to be what was shown in the preview then that would be a big repertoire of songs for multiple episodes. Most shows already have issues with licensing for a handful of songs. People are going to tune in to want to hear the music.
The idea is great for a small movie, but not for a series.
This show also conjures up the "Frat Pack" idea that was buzzing a while back about doing a movie about the college a capella scene. -
It really is funny. Not in a quippy punchline way, but in an "oh my god, these people are batshit crazy and it's awesome" sort of way. It's also very fast-paced (for a drama), and the direction was great. And the characters aren't caricatures so much as they're archetypes being explored.
-
"I was out walking my dog. At 4am.
And I was mugged. Some kid stole my phone."
"Really?"
"Well, no, not really. He didn't mug me. This guy asked to use my mobile phone. So I gave it to him. And he ran off with it. When I ran after him, I tripped because my trousers were down. I mean, my dog got in the way of my legs."
"So you weren't mugged?"
"No"
"But he stole from you?"
"Yes"
"If we catch this guy, he'll tell his side of the story in court. And probably be able to identify your penis from a line up."
"I'll drop all charges then."
"Yes we thought you might." -
I watched about...34 minutes before I had to turn it off. So incredibly un-enjoyable. Manic, is what I would call it. Trying REALLY hard to be funny and failing, and then trying REALLY hard to be meaningful and sweet, and EPICALLY failing. I can't believe fox is building their season around this dead-on-arrival piece of shit.
-
...so I will be hyper critical of it!" Actually this was a pretty good show. Look forward to the next episode...4 months from now.
-
So did my wife. We're looking forward to watching it in the fall. It's a nice change of pace from all of the reality, cop, lawyer shows. So far, it looks like something we can actually watch with our daughther. A shock, I know.
I don't understand why there can't be a show where good things can happen to people. Does every show need murders and rapes and sex to be cool and popular? I never got into the CSIs or the Law & Orders, I see enough of that crap on local news anyway.
My wife and I watched "Singin' in the Rain" one Saturday night on PBS. We thought it's a shame you don't see these happy movies anymore. I thought "Glee" is a step in the right direction. -
does not make you a pedophile. An abuse of position and morally and ethically wrong, but not a pedophile. If there's grass on the field, play ball.
-
... that way, you'll be playing catch-up with the rest of us when it becomes a hit. Herc is wrong on a lot of counts this time. The show is NOT High School Musical, these kids don't break out in song in the middle of the cafeteria. Different is good. There are far too many procedural dramas, reality shows, and sitcoms out there out there right now.
-
two 16 year olds can have sex, but if they video it for themselves, they're guilty of child pornography.
Retarded, but true. -
May 20, 2009 1:31:16 PM CDT
Actually, it makes sense for Jane Lynch to be in this
by leftofcentristdotcom
The more I think about it, the more the show reminds me of a Christopher Guest production.
-
There's no way Election is as funny as Revenge of the Nerds. Young people, do not listen to this man.
-
It's FREAKS AND GEEKS in a sequined dance suit, man. This show is superb. Usually I agree with you, but you completely missed the boat on GLEE. Phenomenal pilot. Can't wait for the series next fall. Which, if it's as funny, clever, smart, painful and glorious as the pilot, is sure to get canceled after a handful of episodes. I can't believe Fox greenlit something this good in the first place; wish it were on FX...
-
give us some lines to prove it. Herc gave us some that made it look like the script was written by a grade-A tool with no sense of humour. The sort of muppet who writes/laughs at Christmas Cracker jokes.
-
dude get over yourself please.
it's a lot of fun. Methinks you are an envious Gleek type yourself my man.
peace out
Readers Talkback
User Login
Top Talkbacks
- Whitney Houston 1963 - 2012 -- 325 total posts 322 posts
- New JUDGE DREDD post production footage pops up -- 106 total posts 106 posts
- HANNA's Saoirse Ronan to boss around seven little people -- 63 total posts 60 posts
- Does ‘SNL’ Rhyme With ‘Deschanel’?? Learn Which SATURDAY NIGHT LIVE Vet Hosts After Sexy Zooey!! -- 74 total posts 58 posts
- There's a STAR TREK video game that is going to lead into JJ's STAR TREK 2 apparently... -- 159 total posts 51 posts
- If the Behind the Scenes Pics of the Day drops her pen, pick it up, but don’t look at her legs or else it will be on your record. -- 47 total posts 41 posts
- AVENGERS enemy revealed as pink boardgame pieces... You might suffer some form of elation... SPOILERS!!! -- 161 total posts 34 posts
- To Commemorate The 3D Release Of STAR WARS EPISODE I: THE PHANTOM MENACE, George Lucas Wants You To Know...Greedo Shoots First!! -- 488 total posts 33 posts
- Friday Brings SWEEPS DAY NINE!! Gab Here About Tonight’s FRINGE!! Plus Einstein on TIM, Wiig On PORTLANDIA, MAHER, CLONE, GIFTED, GRIMM, SPARTACUS, SUPERNATURAL, GOLD RUSH And More!! -- 121 total posts 23 posts
- Here's The Red Band Trailer For Drafthouse Films' THE FP! -- 70 total posts 20 posts