Gleeks are Gleeking Out for Glee

The wait is over! The highly anticipated show, Glee, is coming back this week. And when I say highly anticipated, I mean it.  Fans of the show, known as Gleeks, were extremely disappointed when the last episode aired on Dec. 9 and went on a four-month hiatus, teasing us these last few weeks with sneak peaks and promotional posters.

The show is about an optimistic teacher, Will Schuester (Matthew Morrison), who, against all odds and an evil cheerleading coach (Jane Lynch), attempts to save a glee club at McKinley High from being cancelled. He helps this group of underdogs strive for their true potential, especially the stars like Mercedes (Amber Riley), a larger-than-life diva with a booming voice that is unmatched, and Rachel Berry (Lea Michele), a self-proclaimed star who is Broadway-bound with the voice to back it up.

Basically, Glee is about the aspiring geek and underdog in all of us, and I think that’s why it resonates with so many people. Not to mention it has hilarious, clutch-your-stomach humour and a soundtrack that features the brilliant voices of all the characters. It had kids of all ages, young adults, parents and grandparents jumping out of their seats belting out tunes and swaying their hips as the cast got down and groovy every Tuesday last year.

In 2009, the cast had 25 singles hit the Billboard Hot 100, which was the most by any artist since The Beatles (who had 31 songs on the chart in 1964). Moreover, it has been a commercial success with more than two million digital sales.

Most of the music they sing is out of date, like “Don’t Stop Believing” from Journey, but they seem to bring it all back with style. The evidence? It was the number one song downloaded on iTunes with more than 500,000 digital sales and, not to mention, a co-worker at our Lifestyle office (I won’t mention who) clicked the replay button so much that I even lost count.

Even though the series just aired, it won the 2010 Golden Globe Award for Best Television Series — Comedy or Musical and received three additional nominations for Best Actress (Lea Michele), Best Actor (Matthew Morrison) and Best Supporting Actress (Jane Lynch).

While millions of viewers tuned in last season to watch the Glee club at William McKinley high school get bullied, dance “Single Ladies” at a football game, fall in love and win sectionals, fans of the show cannot wait to see all the star guest appearances and snarky humor that’s back this season.

The question is: Are you a Gleek?

The second season of this musical comedy-drama airs on Global and Fox tomorrow (Tuesday, April 13, 2010) at 9:25 p.m. EST. Until then, you can catch all their hits, call in about Glee trivia and talk about the show on Glee FM, 103.5FM Toronto.

—Sarah DiVito