Three Things the "Glee" Reboot Needs to Do to Hit the Right Notes

The halls of McKinley High are about to be filled with music once again. Disney+ and Hulu have ordered a new Glee series from 20th Television, more than a decade after the original show took its final bow. Details remain scarce, but co-creator Ryan Murphy has said that he completed a script with Brad Falchuk and Ian Brennan and contacted approximately ten members of the original cast about participating. 

As someone who worked as an extra on the original series for numerous seasons, I saw firsthand just how much talent there was in front of and behind the camera. Moreover, I observed the sheer volume of work that went into filming those enormous and complicated musical sequences.

That’s exactly why it was frustrating to watch the series squander so much of its early promise.

Glee caught fire out of the gate and quickly became a cultural phenomenon. Alas, it was also a victim of its own success, with the burnout felt by the cast and creatives showing on screen (in my opinion). Tragedy also befell the show, which surely only hastened the decline.

But, now that the show is set for a comeback and a fresh start, here are three things I think that the new Glee can do to avoid the original’s mistakes.

Choose Songs for the Story, Not the Charts

Music was at the heart of Glee and is what transcended the melodrama that filled the rest of the 44 minutes each week. In its strongest episodes, a performance revealed something a character could not otherwise say — which, of course, is what the medium of the musical is all about.

The show’s version of “Don’t Stop Believin’” became iconic because it represented the potential of the original New Directions. “Teenage Dream” performed a cappella by The Warblers not only gave viewers a fresh sound but also encapsulated Kurt’s feeling of finding young love. And the “Rumour Has It” and “Someone Like You” mashup did not merely capitalize on Adele’s popularity; it brought several character conflicts to a breaking point.

Those numbers stayed with viewers because the story earned them. But, as Glee became a hit, it often appeared to select songs because they were popular and likely to sell. To their credit, that actually worked as the cast of Glee had more than 200 songs in the Billboard Hot 100, putting them among such artists as Drake and Taylor Swift.

One example that really sticks out in my mind is when Blaine performed Last Friday Night (T.G.I.F.) by Katy Perry. In the scene, Mr. Schuester literally puts the plot of the show on hold to invite the performance. Maybe this was a contractual obligation after cast members showed up in the music video for that song, but it felt like a cash/iTunes chart grab that did a disservice to the story.  

The reboot will naturally want to cover contemporary artists (with fans already trying to predict which Olivia Rodrigo song Rachel will make her new signature track). After all, that is part of the premise and promise of Glee: hearing a familiar hit reinvented by the cast. However, I feel like the writers should begin with the characters: What are they feeling? What has changed for them? What can this song communicate that ordinary dialogue cannot? Believe it or not but, sometimes, the perfect choice may be the biggest song in the country. 

On a similar note, I’d love for the new Glee to be more creative with its arrangements. Even though viewers may be able to point to a few unique takes on tracks from the mother series, they may be disappointed to know that those were often not as original as you might think. Take, for example, Rachel and Shelby Corcoran's cover of Lady Gaga’s “Poker Face”... which was really a cover of Gaga’s own The Cherrytree Sessions take. Heck, there was also fervent debate about whether the show should have credited Jonathan Coulton for the arrangement of “Baby Got Back” the show used (this even became the plot of a Good Wife episode!).

The bottom line is that jukebox musicals like Glee can be great, but song choice is key. 

Establish Clear Rules for Reality and Fantasy

Musicals do not need to be realistic, but they do need an internal language.

The original Glee moved among several kinds of musical performances. There were numbers the characters were literally performing in the choir room, auditorium, or at a competition as well as private rehearsals and auditions. Then, there were heightened fantasy sequences in which a character’s imagination transformed an everyday setting into a fully staged production. One early example of the latter is Mercedes’ “Bust Your Windows.”

In my opinion, all of those approaches can work. The trouble came when the boundaries between them became unclear.

One of my all-time favorite shows is Community (which is another show that, like Glee, shot at Paramount and that I also happened to work as an extra on). In their holiday send-up of Glee, there’s a line where Abed observes, “How’s your piano still playing this song?” That’s the type of question that viewers asked themselves a lot during the six years the original series was on as the logic of some of these musical performances just didn’t make sense. 

Maybe I’m being overly sensitive to this but, in my mind (pun intended), separating the “real world” and fantasy numbers more clearly could help ground the new series and help it resonate more.

Let the New Students Own the Show

There’s no doubt that nostalgia will be one of the reboot’s greatest assets. Personally, I also fear that it will prove to be one of its greatest dangers.

Seeing familiar faces again is always exciting. It’s why so many revivals have popped up in recent years. 

To be sure, original characters can help connect the two versions of the series, and their appearances could show how the experience of New Directions continued to shape their lives. However, the reboot cannot succeed if its new students exist mainly to applaud and revere the returning cast.

This is actually something the show has already had to deal with. In later seasons, the show split time between McKinley and New York (specifically NYADA - the New York Academy of the Dramatic Arts). And, in season six, it brought in a whole new crop of New Directions… none of which I can actually name since I haven’t personally watched the final season.

Regardless, I feel as though the core of the new series should be new students. As for how the old favorites find their way into the story, I’ll leave that to the talent (and their agents). To be clear, I think it will be great to see what Rachel, Kurt, Blaine, Mercedes, Brittany, Mike, Tina, Artie, Sam, and Quinn are up to — and you can even throw in the likes of Sugar, Unique, Kitty, Marley, Jacob, JBI, and anyone else I’m surely forgetting. Oh hey, remember Matt? Anyway, what I am saying, though, is that the show shouldn’t be centered on them.

Sadly, the show will also likely need to address some characters who will be absent. Cory Monteith, who played Finn, passed away before Season 5 of the show, so his death has already been a part of the series. Tragically, Naya Rivera (Santana) died in 2020. Surely, the cast and crew behind the new show will want to honor Rivera, who was a major part of the original and whose character remains a fan favorite. As for another former cast member who is no longer with us, their story is a bit more complicated. Because of that, I’d advise that the new Glee avoid that topic altogether, save perhaps a small mention of their character when needed or when using old photos.

There’s a lot of great, fresh talent out there. I’m sure the Glee team can find the right group to carry the new series, while letting some of our favorites from the past join the fun from time to time.

The first Glee arrived with an enticing combination of sharp satire, earnest emotion, and theatrical flash. It also blurred the lines (a song Will actually sang on the show) between being a teen show, family show, and adult show. You’d think that all of that would work against it but, instead, it caught on like wildfire… only to burn out quickly.

That’s why I see the reboot as a chance for the show to go back to its roots and restore its legacy. I honestly think it can do that, as long as those in charge keep their tendencies for excess in check and do what serves the characters best. The right cast with the right music and right stories could make for a harmonious combo, allowing the new show to hit even higher notes than its predecessor.

 Does that sound naive? Well, don’t stop believing.