Let's try to market this: media, articles and interviews

[caracas1914]

"The show is niche," said McHale, bluntly. "And I think our audience for the first couple of years didn't represent that. "As the show kept going, the hardcore fans, the really niche audience, they're the ones who stuck around. So obviously the number is a lot smaller than it used to be."

 

I think Kevin got it wrong.  Initially, the show was NOT niche, it became niche when the showunners targeted the tweeners and ITUNE sales deliberately, accelerated the horrible writing,  and drove off the GA that was solidly there in Seasons 1 and 2, and declining but still there for Season 3. 

[fakeempress]

I think Kevin got it wrong.  Initially, the show was NOT niche, it became niche when the showunners targeted the tweeners and ITUNE sales deliberately, accelerated the horrible writing,  and drove off the GA that was solidly there in Seasons 1 and 2, and declining but still there for Season 3. 

I agree, he's switching the cause and effect. But I think Fox is also to blame for the refocusing on the tween audience and iTunes sales. 

Edited March 20, 2015 by fakeempress

[jaytee1812]

Speaking of Kevin, he was on Lorraine over here today.

Not sure if the link will work or not, ITV might geolock their content. He talk about Glee, Virtually Famous, and his movie with Dustin Hoffman.

He said he couldn't do Virtually Famous in the states because you don't have that genre. Don't you have panel game shows?

[fakeempress]

 

He said he couldn't do Virtually Famous in the states because you don't have that genre. Don't you have panel game shows?

Funny you should ask, because the Fox show on Fridays before Glee is similar. It's called World's Funniest Fails: "A panel of celebrities and comedians each week analyze “epic fail” videos which have exploded across the internet, with the goal of awarding one with the ultimate “Fail of the Week.”

[jaytee1812]

Funny you should ask, because the Fox show on Fridays before Glee is similar. It's called World's Funniest Fails: "A panel of celebrities and comedians each week analyze “epic fail” videos which have exploded across the internet, with the goal of awarding one with the ultimate “Fail of the Week.”

Sounds similar. Is it both awful and hilarious too? Sometimes Virtually Famous is so cringeworthy I have to fast forward bit. Not unlike Glee!

[caracas1914]

The irony is that the US panel show has gotten better ratings and audience share than Glee all year on Fridays.

 

None of these genres are new here either, before internet it was "Funniest videos" with Bob Saget if I'm not mistaken...20 years ago.

Edited March 20, 2015 by caracas1914

[fakeempress]

‘Glee’ got pretty terrible, but here are nine times it was great. (And one time it was amazing.)

[SNeaker]

The Brittany episode? Are they kidding? That was the first sign the show was heading off the rails.

[jaytee1812]

Wow, I liked two of those - Kurt and his Dad and Mercedes doing I Will Always Love You.

[Ceeg]

 

7) That “Born to Run” Emmy Awards opener (2010)

 

YES!!!

[camussie]

Late to this but I don't think Matt blamed the newbies at all in what he said.  He blamed the writers for their mistakes including trying be all things and in that process swelling the cast to an unworkable level.  That is on the writers not the cast.  As is the cast not clicking with the viewers.  It was the writers who made them 2.0's.  It is Fox and RM who tried to franchise Glee through them resulting in 3 of their most popular characters/leads (Santana, Kurt, and Rachel) getting scraps of airtime in a second narrative and their other popular character/lead (Finn) turning into a supporting character whose purpose was to ride the whiteboard and "learn to accept" he belonged in Lima, despite his story for the first 3 years of the show having a pretty big focus on him wanting to break free of high school.

 

Also this

However, part of the point of bringing in a cast of new students was to stop the ratings  bleed, to re-energize the show, get the media getting more buzz on Glee again, get interest for another Glee tour, have a franchise of revolving students, cast,  etc.  Maybe it was unfair, but that was what there were brought in for.

 

After Cory passed RM claimed he kept the McKinley narrative for Finn's story but that isn't the reason he and Fox kept it at all.  They wanted to franchise Glee so they brought in a batch of new characters/actors in hopes that they would catch on enough to tour, etc. See RM & Kevin Reilly quotes right before S4 started.  Basically Fox got greedy and RM became even more full of himself, thinking he made one batch of stars in that choir room by god he could make another.  Unfortunately the writing wasn't there for that.

 

I do think Ryan Murphy BLAMES the Noobs for the demise of the show, if that makes any sense.

 

 

I am not sure if that is blaming the newbies as much as him throwing a fit when someone finally told him no.  Either way, one thing is for sure, he doesn't take any responsibility for the mess this show became.  

Edited March 20, 2015 by camussie

[SevenStars]

I am not sure if that is blaming the newbies as much as him throwing a fit when someone finally told him no.  Either way one thing is for sure. he doesn't take any responsibility for the mess this show became.  

 

He is eager to take all the praise and credits but none of the blames for the mess.

Edited March 20, 2015 by SevenStars

[heyerchick]

Daily Beast: "Don't Forget, Glee Used To Be The Best TV Show Ever," by Kevin Fallon.

But what really made Glee the best show ever—both for those of who knew what was happening at the time and for those who were clueless they were bearing witness to a TV revolution—was, as Peitzman rightfully points out, how soooo gay it was.

 

More, for all the talk of the role a show like Will and Grace played in changing the minds of the nation when it comes to gay rights, Glee broke down another barrier: making them comfortable with the idea of gay teens.

 

It's interesting to think how a character like Kurt might be embraced if he was debuting on TV now, as opposed to six years ago.

 

Diversity on TV today is all about normalization, creating a fictional mirror to reality that reveals, as in life, people of all colors and sexualities exist on a spectrum as varied and complicated as white, straight people have always been allowed to exist on for decades. The groundbreaking thing about Kurt, and Glee in general, was that his flamboyance and fabulousness was meant to set him apart. It was because he was different that he was embraced.

 

His message was to design your own, absolutely fierce freak flag, and proudly wave it high. An act so simple, while polarizing, is enough to change people perceptions about you and your fellow freak-flag waving brethren.

 

Funnily enough, considering how progressive his storyline was at the time, Kurt might actually seem retrograde today, when the Jamals of Empire and the Conors of How to Get Away With Murder are out to prove they're not defined exclusively by their gayness. Kurt never was either, but there's a discernible difference between what we hoped for in our LGBT characters then and what demand of them now. Of course, no gay character currently on TV could exist the way they are if it were not for Kurt paving the way.

 

Edited March 20, 2015 by heyerchick

[fakeempress]

Glee Star Kevin McHale Shares His Favourite Insider Moments

 

Here Kevin says his favourite episode is BIOTA.

 

eta: Glee got a lot of press for ending. 

Edited March 20, 2015 by fakeempress

[Ceeg]

 

But what really made Glee the best show ever—both for those of who knew what was happening at the time and for those who were clueless they were bearing witness to a TV revolution—was, as Peitzman rightfully points out, how soooo gay it was.

 

I was just thinking the other day how many tv shows have queer characters now, particularly queer women characters (which is what I can identify with, so that's what this post will focus on, because I have no experience really with gay male fandoms). There used to be a time, quite recently, when I could count the amount of shows with queer characters on one hand. Every queer girl on the internet watched every single show with any hint of queer ladies, because representation is so important and girls needed to see themselves portrayed in mass media and shown in a normalized setting. But, just within the past 2 or 3 years, there's been a huge boom of queer characters and ships on tv, to a point where I have neither the desire or time to keep up with them all.  And I will always give Glee credit for helping make being gay mainstream and accepted. Glee didn't break any ground as far as featuring a gay character or ship or having them kiss or get married. But, they consistently gave their queer characters the spotlight and consistently introduced more and more queer characters, and I feel like that definitely paved the way for more shows to be able to feature gay characters just as normally as they would straight ones.

 

Aside from loving this cast and following a lot of them post-show, I think that's what will still resonate with me the most when I think back on Glee years from now.

[jaytee1812]

Season 1, episode 9: When the glee club experiences life as Artie does from his wheelchair

This was my first big storyline, and I was best friends with Jenna Ushkowitz by this point and we were so excited about it. There was a day on set where we filmed all of our one-on-one scenes and it has gone down forever as the “Jenna & Kevin Day.” We were really still discovering our characters and dealing with everyone trying to cope with dancing in wheelchairs. They all discovered it’s not as easy as it looks. WELCOME TO MY WORLD!

 

 

Welcome to his world?!! Is he serious? How offensive is that? Ugh. I try to not dislike actors because I don't like the character but Kevin is so oblivious at times. 

 

Also that episode was criticised by disabled campaigners as I recall. Why do people have to experience something to realise what minority groups go through? Just actually listen to those who experience it.

[fakeempress]

 

It's interesting to think how a character like Kurt might be embraced if he was debuting on TV now, as opposed to six years ago.....The groundbreaking thing about Kurt, and Glee in general, was that his flamboyance and fabulousness was meant to set him apart. It was because he was different that he was embraced.

I come back to the idea that Glee was a confluence of the media / TV momentum and the social / political momentum. Because the first Kurt I saw portrayed with care on a teen show, as well as having a great response, was Rickie Vasquez (played by Wilson Cruz) on My So Called Life, and for his time, he was embraced as well for how different he was, and is loved by people to this day. Sadly (or maybe not) the show was cancelled after the first season. In this 2014 Rolling Stone article, seems what a Season 2 would've had in store for Rickie sounds spookily like the Karofsky story on Glee. Now when I think of it, Rickie also had his Finn (an unrequited crush), and his Mercedes in Delia Fisher, and probably his Rachel in Angela Chase. That's why I think Chris hit on something interesting saying that what's groundbreaking is the enormity of the response, the exponential reach of the gay characters compared to earlier incarnations. That, and I should add the wide spectrum of LGBT+ characters on Glee .

 

This is a quote by Bess Armstrong who played Angela's mother:

"Bess and Cruz joined Holzman and several other cast members, at the Austin Television Festival last June. Out on the town after their panel with Devon Odessa (who played Sharon Cherski) and Gummersall, Armstrong says, it was Cruz who got the most reverent attention. “People would actually gasp—one group of people came up and grabbed Wilson’s hands and knelt in front of him.” And when they realized that Rickie was walking down the street with Patty Chase and Sharon and Brian Krakow? “Their poor little intoxicated brains were completely blown.”"

Edited March 20, 2015 by fakeempress

[heyerchick]

Yahoo: "Glee Power Rankings: Which Alum Is Most Likely To Succeed."

 

Now that I've read the article, I'm surprised it doesn't mention Grant Gustin.

Edited March 20, 2015 by heyerchick

[tom87]

Yahoo: "Glee Power Rankings: Which Alum Is Most Likely To Succeed."

 

Now that I've read the article, I'm surprised it doesn't mention Grant Gustin.

"we’ve ranked the futures of the 27 actors who played members of New Directions for at least five episodes and determined which one deserves to be crowned Most Likely to Succeed."  Grant was never a member of ND.

[jaytee1812]

Yahoo: "Glee Power Rankings: Which Alum Is Most Likely To Succeed."

 

Now that I've read the article, I'm surprised it doesn't mention Grant Gustin.

 

I think everyone on there were just members of New Directions. 

 

I was surprised at some of the rankings, the comments about Jenna and Amber were a bit bitchy. Was surprised at how high they put Jacob, Harry and Melissa, and that Chris was above Lea, though I do agree with it. 

[heyerchick]

LOL - I must have missed that part!

[wingster55]

I often think that it wouldn't matter how talented the newbies would be how great the writing would be (hypothetically!) ...people were rebelling the idea of characters graduating way back in mid s3. That's a big reason they didn't "click"

[Hybridcookie]

Heh, I was happy for Rachel to graduate off to New York, made it so much easier to fast forward through her scenes, with her being away from characters I actually liked.. until Santana moved in.

 

I sort of wish they'd saved Don't Stop Believing for the finale though, as much as I loved it in Season 5

[jaytee1812]

I often think that it wouldn't matter how talented the newbies would be how great the writing would be (hypothetically!) ...people were rebelling the idea of characters graduating way back in mid s3. That's a big reason they didn't "click"

I remember the Marley hate on TWOP was out in force after The New Rachel.

[caracas1914]

http://www.towleroad.com/2015/03/the-gay-legacy-of-glee.html

 

“The biggest gift Glee gave the gay community was, of course, Kurt Hummel. Played with sweet charm by Chris Colfer, the fashion-forward soprano singer glided into the hearts of America in season one. He was the rare gay character that wasn’t a sidekick. Yes, he embodied a lot of what some would call “stereotypical gay behavior,” but there are plenty of boys out there who actually do love Liza and Judy and ascots and anti-aging skin regimens. And those boys don’t often get to see their stories treated with the kindness, depth and care bestowed on Kurt.”

 

[Ceeg]

I often think that it wouldn't matter how talented the newbies would be how great the writing would be (hypothetically!) ...people were rebelling the idea of characters graduating way back in mid s3. That's a big reason they didn't "click"

 

I'll respond in the People in Charge thread.

[caracas1914]

I often think that it wouldn't matter how talented the newbies would be how great the writing would be (hypothetically!) ...people were rebelling the idea of characters graduating way back in mid s3. That's a big reason they didn't "click"

I remember the Marley hate on TWOP was out in force after The New Rachel.

 

 

To me this is sort of a non argument.  Glee did have leading characters for the first 3 years when it was an iconic, water cooler discussion show with buzz, ratings, and awards cred. They were replaced.

 

It's like when kids lament to their parents, "what if I wasn't born?" . Well they were born and reality is what it is.

Edited March 20, 2015 by caracas1914

[heyerchick]

As an unapologetic stan for Chris and Kurt, I've been pleased at all the positive press on the very real social and cultural impact/significance of Kurt. The press certainly seem to have longer memories than the producers.

[caracas1914]

I know it's ironic that the media now that Glee is ending is focusing back on the social impact and power of the character Kurt.

It's be funny if it wasn't juxtaposed with the way the show runners sidelined him so blatantly.

[spiritof76]

 

http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/live-feed/glee-finale-jenna-ushkowitz-monteith-783384

Really touching article by Jenna.

[caracas1914]

You know this is the third time Darren has " joked" about Chris Colfer's Golden Globe win.

Funny I thought self deprecation was about minimizing one's own accomplishments and not that of others. I think the boy's Freudian slip is showing.

[fakeempress]

You know this is the third time Darren has " joked" about Chris Colfer's Golden Globe win.

Funny I thought self deprecation was about minimizing one's own accomplishments and not that of others. I think the boy's Freudian slip is showing.

What did I miss?

Edited March 21, 2015 by fakeempress

[caracas1914]

Apparently from Darren's face book tonight:

 

[fakeempress]

Apparently from Darren's face book tonight:

 

Lol he won't let go of the GG. And a KID? Chris is just 3 years younger than him. 

 

I think this is at least the fourth time he's brought up the GG. Wonder if we should expect similar "jokes" about NPH's Tony award when he rolls into Hedwig.

Edited March 21, 2015 by fakeempress

[tom87]

From Harry: Cute/Fun  video of the cast

 

https://player.vimeo.com/video/122814008?title=0&byline=0&portrait=0

Edited March 21, 2015 by tom87

[jaytee1812]

Man that's a nice view of Jacob's ass! Becca's ain't bad either.

[heyerchick]

Variety: ‘Glee’ Regains Its Voice In Touching Series Finale

 

“For a night, anyway, the series regained its voice. Much of that can be attributed to the first hour, which flashed back to the formation of the Glee club in 2009, recalling such elements as Kurt (Chris Colfer) struggling to come out to his dad and Tina (Jenna Ushkowitz) still faking a stutter. It’s no accident focusing on the core cast – and offering a number like the duet by Colfer and Lea Michele on Popular from the musical Wicked – elevated the show and brought it back to its roots.”

 

[caracas1914]

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/culture/tvandradio/tv-and-radio-reviews/11485558/Glee-series-finale-review.html

 

Glee series finale, review: 'ending on a bum note'
The emotional and ridiculous last ever episode of Glee offered only half a reminder of why this was once the biggest show on television

 

 

"If my eyes remind stubbornly dry during the emotional excesses of the second hour, it’s only because the first segment put me through the wringer. Titled 2009, it hearkened back to the pre-Glee days, when the various components of the club were ignored and invisible. The hour ends with Schuester standing outside the school music room, listening to the harmonising inside.

When he and we follow the sound, we see the closing segment from the debut episode. The original five students, including Cory Monteith, who died of an overdose in 2013, singing their wildly auto-tuned version of Journey’s Don’t Stop Believing. It gave me chills in 2009. But that was 2009. Guess what, though? It still gets me."

 

[jaytee1812]

Tv.com review

http://www.tv.com/shows/glee/community/post/glee-series-finale-season-6-episode-12-2009-episode-13-dreams-come-true-review-142689086983/

[fakeempress]

I don't know where else to put bits & pieces from tumblr about the Paris Con (salt for the accuracy of course).

 

What was the weirdest story you had to play?

Kevin: when we sang What The Fox Say with puppets.

Jenna: Vaporaping Blaine.

 

Jenna’s dream role: she’s too old for Miss Saigon, but she’d like to do something new. Maybe a movie musical adaptation that she could make her own. She would like to play Sandra Oh in the story of her life.

 

Jenna said every week she wondered wtf is happening to Tina. Kevin said a lot of things on the show literally don't make sense.

 

Kevin will probably record an album.

 

Who would they choose for their characters to date?

Kevin: Santana, but it wouldn’t work because they’d laugh too much and no filming would take place.

Jenna: Sam, but again with the laughing too much. She feels Sam and Tina cane close, though.

 

Jenna loves working with Chris because he's smart, funny and such a good actor. He’s so clever he would read the lines on the page, and then he’d adlib extra lines that would be used instead, and he’s just awesome.

 

Q to Jenna and Kevin what the transition into season4 was like for them. Kevin said it was a good question, because they both really felt abandoned. It was like real school, where your friends graduate, but you are stuck in the same room day after day, while your friends are off pretending to be in New York in a fancy loft and getting to do more adult things. And that they learned about Artie and Tina being younger at a Comicon panel.

 

Darren would like to go back to Starkid and write another musical in the next couple of years.

 

Darren and Mark would make inappropriate songs between takes which cannot be quoted because they'd get arrested. 

 

If Darren does pranks he does them off camera where they can’t be recorded whereas “Chord is just straight up an idiot on camera, and that’s usually what ends up on the show." Heather loves pranking people. (don't know who said that, it's was posted just like that with no context)

 

Apparently, a Glee producer by the name of Alexis Woodall is also at the Con, who said something like:  Glee fought - and hard - to show the things they showed, and to use the words they used. To say that the ugly things were important as well. Specifically talking about Kurt and Karofsky.

Edited March 21, 2015 by fakeempress

[caracas1914]

http://www.ew.com/article/2015/03/21/glee-series-finale-react-why-well-miss-new-directions

"I actually liked the two-hour finale’s first hour more than the second, a flashback episode that created a new creation myth for the characters, capturing a band of complex, needy personalities and wannabe stars clashing and meshing to create the community that would break them, re-mold them, fulfill them. How exhilarating was the final scene of that first hour, a reprise of the “Don’t Stop Believing” performance from season 1? It was touching to see Finn again, of course. But it capped a stirring hour that powerfully reminded us of some things that six years of accumulated storytelling inconsistency and incoherence make it easy to forget: For a brief period of time, Glee was just the biggest thing in pop culture, and those kids were—are—huge freakin’ stars who have had enormous positive impact on their audience."

[Sara2009]

I know it might be kind of unprofessional, but I'm sort of loving all the actors throwing shade at the writing. Ha ha

[Ceeg]

I love Kevin and I know he said it bc he and Naya are so close but good lord, if I have to read another interview with another dude saying they'd want their character to date Santana.....

 

Grant Gustin is literally the only person ever interviewed that I can recall who acknowledged that lesbians don't date dudes. After Smooth Criminal, someone in the media said something about them having good chemistry and ooo maybe Glee should explore that, and Grant was like, ummm no that ain't how it works.

[ancslove]

I doubt many of them are just criticizing out of the blue. It's kind of harsh for an interviewer to ask "So what went wrong with your show?"

[Sara2009]

I doubt many of them are just criticizing out of the blue. It's kind of harsh for an interviewer to ask "So what went wrong with your show?"

Agreed. Unfortunately it looks like that with these written interviews( so far with Jenna, Kevin, Matt, and Jane comments) because we don't get to read the question part.

[mercfan3]

I love Kevin and I know he said it bc he and Naya are so close but good lord, if I have to read another interview with another dude saying they'd want their character to date Santana.....

 

Grant Gustin is literally the only person ever interviewed that I can recall who acknowledged that lesbians don't date dudes. After Smooth Criminal, someone in the media said something about them having good chemistry and ooo maybe Glee should explore that, and Grant was like, ummm no that ain't how it works.

 

Santana dated men though throughout the series. More women than men, actually. And if I was an actor or actress I'd love to share screen time with the character. So I'm not sure it's all that offensive. 

[Ceeg]

Santana dated men though throughout the series. More women than men, actually. And if I was an actor or actress I'd love to share screen time with the character. So I'm not sure it's all that offensive. 

 

What? Santana dated men in seasons 1 and 2 when she was in the closet. Santana doesn't date men anymore. I'm talking about interviews with guys, like this one with Kevin, that happened after Santana identified as gay in canon. It's offensive because lesbians don't date men. And with a universal history of queer erasure in both life and in media, it's annoying to read about how a guy wants his character to date the lesbian one. 

 

I'm not trying to pick apart what Kevin said, because I'm sure it was just an offhand comment and it was because he and Naya are bffs, but it's still a gross pattern of guys saying that kind of thing, either without thinking or because they don't care that lesbians don't date men.

Edited March 21, 2015 by Ceeg

[Pink ranger]

It's sad that Jenna and Kevin felt abandoned in season 4. While it was a more favourable position than the actors who where no longer regulars it must have sucked to watch their friends enjoy a fun new narrative and getting to fly to New York for location shooting ect while they where still stuck in that choir room.

Edited March 21, 2015 by Pink ranger

[fakeempress]

What? Santana dated men in seasons 1 and 2 when she was in the closet. Santana doesn't date men anymore. I'm talking about interviews with guys, like this one with Kevin, that happened after Santana identified as gay in canon. It's offensive because lesbians don't date men. And with a universal history of queer erasure in both life and in media, it's annoying to read about how a guy wants his character to date the lesbian one. 

 

I'm not trying to pick apart what Kevin said, because I'm sure it was just an offhand comment and it was because he and Naya are bffs, but it's still a gross pattern of guys saying that kind of thing, either without thinking or because they don't care that lesbians don't date men.

To be fair, it wasn't an interview but a fan con Q&A. Not clear if Kevin had in mind specific time period (i.e. when Santana was in the closet), or how the question was asked exactly. That's why I said salt for the accuracy. You know how people post from these cons, especially on twitter while it's happening, not exactly sticklers for the full context.  But I get your general sentiment. 

Edited March 21, 2015 by fakeempress

[Ceeg]

The Glee twitter account posted a pic of the Season 6 DVDs, and it says there will be bloopers. FREAKIN FINALLY I've been waiting on a blooper reel for 6 years.

 

https://twitter.com/GLEEonFOX/status/579394603863781376