GLEE Gets Early Pickup for Third Season

In a rare movie for a show whose second season has not yet begun production, Entertainment Weekly is reporting that GLEE has been picked up by Fox for a third season. The show has been doing very well in the ratings, averaging 9.4 million viewers a week and is the number 1 new scripted series among adults 18-49 and adults 18-34, two of the most coveted demographics.

“In just one year, Glee has transcended the television landscape and emerged as a global pop culture phenomenon,” said Peter Rice, the Fox Networks Group Entertainment Chairman, in a statement.

Fox Entertainment President Kevin Reilly said that “Everything about Glee – from the concept to the characters to the marketing – has been innovative and risky, but with [series creator] Ryan Murphy tapping into the zeitgeist, the risk has paid off with this truly remarkable series. Glee has one of the most active, devoted fan bases I’ve ever seen, and we couldn’t be more thrilled to give Gleeks a third season of their favorite show.”

Recent winner of the People's Choice Award for Best New Comedy and Golden Globe winner for Best Television Series Comedy or Musical, GLEE, the new musical comedy series, follows an optimistic teacher who - against all odds and a malicious cheerleading coach - attempts to save McKinley High's Glee Club from obscurity while helping a group of aspiring underdogs realize their true star potential.

The show, which also garnered Golden Globe recognition, stars Dianna Agron, Chris Colfer, Jessalyn Gilsig, Jane Lynch, Jayma Mays, Kevin McHale, Lea Michele, Cory Monteith, Matthew Morrison, Amber Riley, Mark Salling and Jenna Ushkowitz.

GLEE is produced by Ryan Murphy Television in association with 20th Century Fox Television. Ryan Murphy, Brad Falchuk and Ian Brennan are co-creators of the series. Murphy, Falchuk and Dante di Loreto serve as executive producers, while Ian Brennan serves as co-executive producer.