I’ve somehow managed to hitherto avoid Glee, but this week’s Grease special seemed a good occasion to take a trial session.
I’m not sure I’ll be back next week, but can now understand why it has so many dedicated fans. This is a show that is all about the fan experience.
Its cast exists to cosplay pop favourites – Madonna, West Side Story, Grease. Characters work through personal issues in the context of songs they’re rehearsing, as if something is meaningful only when experienced through the prism of pop culture.
Maybe this is taking the show too seriously. Certainly, Glee delights in being ridiculous, with an approach to realism that makes The Bold and The Beautiful seem like Redfern Now.
But there’s something uncomfortable about seeing pop culture recycle itself so self-consciously. The first time it’s creativity, the second time mediocrity.
Glee, Channel Ten, Wednesday, November 28, 8.30pm.
