The Daily Star - Stay Tuned
Issue link: https://www.ifoldsflip.com/i/83028
The Daily Star, Oneonta, N.Y., Friday, September 14, 2012 2 coverstory By Andrew Warren TV Media I t's hard to say goodbye to your friends. For fans of Fox's hit show "Glee," the end of the series' third season was a bittersweet sendoff. The New Directions high school glee club sang its way to victory in the Nationals show choir competition, but the graduation ceremony soon after saw eight seniors move on to bigger and better things. Fans of the show, or "gleeks" as they like to be called, can finally end a sum- mer of waiting for the most popular musical on TV to re- turn for its highly anticipated fourth season. But the new season also ushers in some changes, including a move to Fox's Thursday night lineup. The fourth season will see a new format that focuses on two far-flung cities, talented new faces, and a parade of guest stars. The soul of the show remains the same, though. All of the major ac- tors are returning, and it's a pretty safe bet that the tunes will be as catchy as ever. For non-gleeks, a little background may be in order. "Glee" is a musical comedy- drama that follows the mem- bers of a high school glee club, called the New Direc- tions. The club members com- pete on the show club concert circuit, all while dealing with the typical problems of grow- ing up. It premiered in 2009 and almost immediately be- came a ratings hit, earning it- self 19 Emmy nominations. Since then, "Glee" has been nominated for many more awards, and won sever- al of them. The kids (and their teachers, too) have dealt with relationships and betrayal, sexuality and love, pregnancy and suicide. The show's been Fourth season of 'Glee' treads new groundNew directions Jacob Artist joins the cast of "Glee" this season as Noah Puckerman's half-brother, Jake a ratings hit for Fox, and the huge fandom that's sprung up around it has led to the in- evitable tie-in merchandise. Being that the show is a musical, it's perhaps unsur- prising that numerous sound- tracks have been released. Perhaps more surprising is the extent of their popularity. Many of the albums have hit No. 1 status, going platinum in countries around the world, and even beating records pre- viously held by none other than The Beatles. The cast of the series has also gone on tour, hitting con- cert venues across North America, the United Kingdom and Ireland in 2010 and 2011. Also in 2011, "Glee: The 3D Concert Movie" had a limited run in theaters. The footage of the cast performing was filmed in East Rutherford, N.J., and included a backstage look at the concert, as well as personal stories of youth who've had their lives im- pacted in a positive way by the show. So it could be said that a new season of "Glee" is a bit of a big deal for fans. Changes are afoot, but the formula that has made the show such a success remains intact. With the graduation of many of the beloved New Di- rections members, the show's focus will be split. While most of the action will still take place in the familiar halls of William McKinley High School in Lima, Ohio, the cameras will continue to keep up with the eight grads. Unfortunately, not all of last year's class will be given equal screen time. Parts of "Glee's" set have been disas- sembled and rebuilt as a new "New York" set. As any gleek knows, a major plot arc last season saw Rachel Berry (Lea Michele) trying to get into the prestigious New York Acade- my of the Dramatic Arts (NYA- DA). Now that she's been ac- cepted, she'll have to deal with all the issues of adjust- ing to college life, including living on her own. In last week's premiere, we found her starting her classes at NY- ADA with a tough new dance instructor, the indomitable Cassandra July (guest star Kate Hudson), and even meeting a possible new love interest (new cast member Dean Geyer). Meanwhile, back at Wil- liam McKinley High, the pro- cess of rebuilding the champi- on New Directions has begun. The school's glee club is run by Spanish teacher Will Schuester (Matthew Morri- son), and, with the help of for- mer student Kurt Hummel (Chris Colfer), begins seeking out potential recruits among the high schoolers. Among the new characters at the school are Jake Puckerman (Jacob Artist) and the latest New Directions members, Marley and Kitty (Melissa Benoist and Becca Tobin, re- spectively). Where the members of the New Directions, both old and new, go from here still re- mains to be seen. Chirstopher's Coins 2 x 2 hollywoodQ&A By Adam Thomlison TV Media there any connections between "Roseanne" and "The Big Bang Theory"? A: The biggest connection is definitely "Big Bang Theory" creator Chuck Lorre. Q: Other than the obvious actor crossovers, are Lorre was a writer and producer for "Roseanne" from 1990 to 1992, the show's third and fourth seasons. So he knew Johnny Galecki, Laurie Metcalf and Sara Gil- bert before casting them on "The Big Bang Theory." He also brought along a few other folks he worked with on the "Roseanne" set. Don Foster serves as a creative consultant on "Big Bang," as he did on "Roseanne" -- creative consultants work with executive producers (such as Lorre) on story ideas and fine- tuning scripts. Foster has worked as either a consultant, writer or execu- tive producer on the other Lorre hits "Mike & Molly," "Two and a Half Men" and "Dharma & Greg." You may recognize the short-sleeve-over-long-sleeve T- shirt look sported by "The Big Bang Theory's" Sheldon as one also sported by D.J. Conner on "Roseanne" -- if so, you're recognizing the work of Mary T. Quigley, the costume designer on both shows (a role she also fills on "Two and a Half Men"). Before becoming the hit-sitcom machine we know today, Have a question? Email us at questions@tvtabloid.com. A/Krazy Tom's 2 x 3