Your Guide to Glee

April is a highly anticipated month: April showers, April Fools’ Day, Buddha’s birthday and, in my opinion, the most exciting of all, Glee’s return to the small screen!

For those of you who have been living under a rock since September, Glee is a musical TV show which airs on Fox/Global and follows the lives of those involved with a high-school musical performance club or glee club. There is singing and dancing, slushies and mattresses, cheerleading and cheating and more!

Created by Ryan Murphy (most well-known for creating Nip/Tuck), Glee’s sunny exterior is pitted with dark plot twists. Its appeal stretches across generations and genders, as it features music from all genres and decades, as well as touching on relationships (from unrequited love to failing marriages), worries for the future and reminiscing about the past (see episode four, with guest-star Kristin Chenoweth).

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Whether you’re a Glee fan or haven’t had a chance to check it out yet, read on for all you need to know about this TV sensation...

The Guest Stars

Glee’s guest stars have included Josh Groban as himself and Eve as the coach of a rival glee club, as well as numerous Broadway stars. Olivia Newton-John has been confirmed to be singing a duet with the show’s infamous cheerleading coach Sue Sylvester (Jane Lynch), an episode with Madonna is to air upon the show’s return in April and discussions with Jennifer Lopez are ongoing. “She’s a fan of the show and I’m a fan of hers, so we’re going to have dinner and talk about it,” said show creator Ryan Murphy in a recent press junket.

Madonna's music was featured on Glee in April (Image: Warner Music)	Eve guest-starred as the coach of a rival glee club.

The Music

Obviously music is a huge part of Glee and the songs (covers from a range of artists from the Rolling Stones to Kanye West) have been compiled onto two soundtracks, which are selling like hotcakes. The cast’s popular rendition of Journey’s Don’t Stop Believin’ made it top the Top 10 of the Billboard singles charts.

The Awards

Image: HFPA

Glee was nominated for four Golden Globe Awards:

Best Actress in a Comedy or Musical – Lea Michele (Rachel Berry)

Best Supporting Actress – Jane Lynch (Sue Sylvester)

Best Actor in a Comedy or Musical – Matthew Morrison (Will Schuester), and

Best TV Series Comedy or Musical, which it won over veteran programmes like The Office and 30 Rock!

Catch up on the Gossip at McKinley High School

Quinn, the cheerleader Quinn, head of the celibacy club, told her boyfriend Finn that she was pregnant with his baby – she lied. She is pregnant, but the baby is Finn’s best friend Puck’s.	Finn, the quarterback Finn, the sensitive football star who loves to sing, was prepared to support Quinn and the baby – until her betrayal. Now, he’s starting to have feelings for Rachel.
Puck, the bad boy Puck, football player, glee club member and resident playboy, is the father of Quinn’s baby. He also briefly dated Rachel, but their relationship didn’t last longer than an episode.	Rachel, the overachiever Rachel, the diva who craves the spotlight, dated Puck on one episode, had a serious crush on Mr. Schuester on another episode, but has some serious feelings for Finn.
Sue, “Cheerios” coach Concerned that the glee club will steal attention from her cheerleading squad, evil Coach Sylvester is doing everything in her power to destroy Mr. Schuester’s dream of having a successful glee club.	Will, glee club director Mr. Schuester has a lot on his plate: a failed marriage and a conniving cheerleading coach trying to bring down his glee club. Will’s passion for music keeps him fighting for glee club’s survival.

Attention Gleeks! All Glee Radio Station?

On Monday, April 12, www.GlobalTV.com/GleeFM will air the hit Glee’s extensive selection of chart-topping music, including Gold Digger, Somebody To Love, Jump, Imagine and Don’t Rain On My Parade – plus, the one that kick-started the Glee hit parade: Don’t Stop Believing.

In addition to a great range of music from Glee: The Music Volumes 1 and 2, both already certified platinum in Canada, listeners can expect a long list of exclusives including interviews with key Glee talent and a behind-the-scenes show highlights and information on TV’s hottest cast.