Glee

Fox and Nip/Tuck creator Ryan Murphy have a new trick taking over the world and it’s called ‘Glee’.

For those who might not be up on American school clubs, Glee is basically where teenagers sing and dance their little hearts out. This 22 episode series has taken off like a rocket Stateside and it’s little wonder; a mixture of American Pie, Fame, Bring It On and High School Musical, Glee has a feelgood factor like a sack full of E, campness to the rafters and some sarkily nasty humour that appeals to us grim faced Europeans, giving a necessary balance to the occasional clanger of a line like, hey, I’m a loser, you’re a loser, we’re all losers in this small town. Right on, bro.

There’s little by the way of adventurous characters – a frustrated Spanish teacher, the sassy black girl, the bullied gay boy, the cute repressed but talented jock, the invisible honour student girl. Oh, and a cripple who can play electric guitar like Eddie Van Halen. Yet it’s the dry humour, the extraordinary natural talent of the cast and the musical direction that pulls this show out of stereotype and into consistent watchability.

The music spans all genres and eras; a cracking version of Journey’s ‘Don’t Stop Believing’, a flawless ‘Golddigger’ and a ‘Rehab’ that makes Amy Winehouse look like a moany old tramp, just for starters. It’s hard not to want to get up and give it some jazz hands. If High School Musical was far too twee and squeaky clean for your liking (and that should apply to anyone over 12) and the FAME remake made you want to skin the producers alive for even going near such an institution, then Glee might be the answer to your showtime, kids! prayers.

(Glee will be airing on E4 from 15th December)