More than 10 years after Fox closed the doors to McKinley High School, “Glee” is officially being revived with a new series order from Disney+ and Hulu, TVLine has learned. A premiere date is not yet known, nor have any casting details been confirmed.
“Glee,” which aired for six seasons on Fox from 2009 to 2015, followed the musical exploits of an Ohio high school glee club. Led by rapping Spanish teacher Will Schuester (Matthew Morrison), and constantly thwarted by evil cheer coach Sue Sylvester (Jane Lynch), the New Directions sang, danced, and trended their way into America’s hearts, taking home six Emmy Awards along the way.
Along with Morrison and Lynch, the show’s core cast included Lea Michele, Cory Monteith, Chris Colfer, Amber Riley, Kevin McHale, Jenna Ushkowitz, Dianna Agron, Naya Rivera, Heather Morris, Mark Salling, Chord Overstreet, Darren Criss, Harry Shum Jr., and Jayma Mays, among others.
The show’s later seasons introduced several generations of new characters, some of whom would go on to great success, including Melissa Benoist, Alex Newell, Becca Tobin, and Josie Totah. Even Billie Eilish’s brother Finneas O’Connell was briefly a member of New Directions in the sixth and final season of “Glee.” (TVLine spoke with the then-unknown actor in 2015, when he admitted that his little sister finally thought he was cool for joining the show. Little did we know who he was talking about.)
Still a top performer on streaming today, “Glee” really was a cultural moment in the early 2010s. Beyond its success in the ratings, it also regularly topped the iTunes charts, as it regularly released singles the day after airing a new episode. The cast even participated in multiple concert tours, which were then filmed and released theatrically.
Ryan Murphy has already contacted ‘around 10 of the original [Glee] cast members’ about returning
“Glee” co-creator Ryan Murphy first alluded to a potential revival in July at the premiere of his FX drama “The Shards.” Discussing the show’s lasting impact, Murphy told People, “It’s come back around. So many young people watch it. And I’m like, ‘Maybe we should revisit that show. … Maybe people would like to see a new incarnation of that in some capacity.'”
Even better, Murphy confirmed that he had already “been in touch with around 10 of the original cast members.” Naturally, “they all had a lot of questions” about how their characters would fit into the new show, “but they were all very enthusiastic about the idea.”
Sadly, several of the show’s original cast members have passed away, beginning with Cory Monteith, whose death occurred in July 2013 when “Glee” was still in production; the show paid tribute to Monteith, and to his character Finn Hudson, in an unforgettable episode titled “The Quarterback.” Mark Salling later died in 2018, followed by Naya Rivera in 2020.
Let’s talk, Gleeks: Are you ready to see #Klaine trending online like it’s 2012 all over again, or is this a bigger mistake than the New Directions’ ill-advised performance of “Push It” at that school assembly? Drop a comment with your thoughts on the revival’s official series order below.
