Glee (season 2)
Encyclopedia
The second season of the musical comedy-drama television series Glee
originally aired between September 21, 2010 and May 24, 2011 on Fox
in the United States. The 22-episode season was produced by 20th Century Fox Television
and Ryan Murphy Television, with executive producers Dante Di Loreto
and series co-creators Ryan Murphy and Brad Falchuk
, with the other series co-creator, Ian Brennan
, as co-executive producer.
The series features the New Directions glee club
at the fictional William McKinley High School in the town of Lima, Ohio
. Season two follows the club through local and regional show choir
competitions to the national competition in New York City
, while its members deal with relationship, sexuality and social issues. The central characters are glee club director Will Schuester
(Matthew Morrison
), cheerleading coach Sue Sylvester
(Jane Lynch
), guidance counselor Emma Pillsbury
(Jayma Mays
), and glee club members Artie Abrams
(Kevin McHale), Brittany Pierce
(Heather Morris), Finn Hudson
(Cory Monteith
), Kurt Hummel
(Chris Colfer
), Mercedes Jones
(Amber Riley
), Noah "Puck" Puckerman
(Mark Salling), Quinn Fabray
(Dianna Agron
), Rachel Berry (Lea Michele
), Santana Lopez
(Naya Rivera
) and Tina Cohen-Chang
(Jenna Ushkowitz). Will's wife Terri
(Jessalyn Gilsig
) and Kurt's father Burt
(Mike O'Malley
) round out the list of main characters.
Though many individual episodes received positive reviews from critics, full-season reviews were mixed. The musical performances from the second season expanded on the success of the first season, with the show releasing five soundtrack albums and over one hundred digital singles. The cast decisively broke the record for most charted songs by an act in the 52-year history of the Billboard Hot 100 with 156 appearances through the end of its second season. Two singles, "Teenage Dream" and "Loser Like Me", were the first to have over 200,000 downloads in their first week of release in the US, and charted in the top ten in the US and Canada; the former has been certified gold in the US. The season was nominated for twelve Emmy Award
s, five Golden Globe Awards, five Satellite Awards
and over fifty other awards. It is being accompanied by three DVD releases: Glee – Season 2, Volume 1 featuring episodes one through ten, Glee – Season 2, Volume 2 featuring episodes eleven through twenty-two, and Glee – The Complete Second Season.
and Ryan Murphy Television, and aired on Fox in the US. The executive producers were Dante Di Loreto, and series creators Ryan Murphy and Brad Falchuk, with Murphy serving as showrunner and co-creator Ian Brennan acting as co-executive producer. All episodes were written by Murphy, Falchuk and Brennan. Murphy and Falchuk directed three episodes each, while other episodes were directed by Alfonso Gomez-Rejon, Eric Stoltz
, Adam Shankman
, Bradley Buecker, Carol Banker, Paris Barclay
, Tate Donovan
and Tim Hunter
. Each episode cost $3.2 million–$3.8 million to produce, an increase of 20 percent on the first season.
The season began airing on September 21, 2010, in the 8 pm (ET
) timeslot on Tuesdays. A special episode
aired after Super Bowl XLV
on February 6, 2011. Fox planned to move the show to the 9 pm time slot on Wednesdays following the Super Bowl, however later revised its schedule, leaving Glee on Tuesdays in order to concentrate on building up its weaker Wednesday and Thursday line-ups. Episode eighteen, "Born This Way", became Glee first 90 minute episode. Its runtime was extended from the standard 60 minutes to allow the inclusion of more musical numbers. The season concluded on May 24, 2011, moved to the 9 pm (ET) timeslot following the American Idol
finale. The commissioning of a third season
was announced on May 23, 2010.
Murphy intended the second season to accentuate focus on formerly minor characters, particularly Santana, Brittany and Mike. He commented, "Everyone gets a chance to shine this season. Instead of going bigger and overstuffing Season 2, which people would expect, we’re going under it. We'll pick up on the stories of our main cast, but we’re also going to spend time on the support characters. Everyone gets their moment." Not all of his plans came to fruition; in July 2010, Murphy claimed that glee club co-captains Finn and Rachel would remain in a relationship throughout the season, however this was abandoned in favor of a love-triangle storyline to generate conflict. One unintended development was the emergence of Kurt as a central character—his role grew in prominence as a result of the writers' desire to do justice to the gay bullying storyline.
Reluctant to produce too many tribute episodes, Murphy limited the season to two: the Spears tribute "Britney/Brittany", and "Rumours", the series' first episode to pay tribute to an album, Fleetwood Mac
's Rumours
. The fifth episode, "The Rocky Horror Glee Show" served as an additional homage to The Rocky Horror Show
. Although Murphy had planned to showcase original songs in Glee as early as October 2009, they featured for the first time during the second season, after he found a way to include the concept organically, in the form of a glee club assignment.
as glee club director Will Schuester, Jane Lynch
as cheerleading coach Sue Sylvester, Jayma Mays
as guidance counselor Emma Pillsbury
, Jessalyn Gilsig
as Will's former wife Terri Schuester
and Dianna Agron
, Chris Colfer
, Kevin McHale, Lea Michele
, Cory Monteith
, Amber Riley
, Mark Salling and Jenna Ushkowitz as glee club members Quinn Fabray, Kurt Hummel
, Artie Abrams
, Rachel Berry, Finn Hudson, Mercedes Jones
, Noah "Puck" Puckerman
and Tina Cohen-Chang, respectively. Heather Morris and Naya Rivera
, who portrayed the formerly recurring roles of Brittany Pierce
and Santana Lopez, were promoted to series regulars, as was Mike O'Malley
as Kurt's father Burt Hummel
.
Supporting cast members Harry Shum, Jr.
and Ashley Fink
had increased roles as New Directions members Mike Chang
and Lauren Zizes
. Two recurring cast members from season one did not return: Dijon Talton's glee club member Matt Rutherford was written out as having transferred, and Patrick Gallagher
's football coach Ken Tanaka was replaced by Dot-Marie Jones as Shannon Beiste. Returning secondary characters included Iqbal Theba
as Principal Figgins, Stephen Tobolowsky
as former glee club director Sandy Ryerson, Romy Rosemont
as Finn's mother Carole Hudson, Max Adler as school bully Dave Karofsky
, Jonathan Groff
as Rachel's ex-boyfriend Jesse St. James, and Kristin Chenoweth as former glee club star April Rhodes. The season introduced several new recurring characters; Charice appeared as Sunshine Corazon, a foreign exchange student from the Philippines
and a rival to Rachel; John Stamos
played dentist Carl Howell, a love interest for Emma; Chord Overstreet
was cast as transfer student Sam Evans
; Cheyenne Jackson
played Dustin Goolsby, the coach of rival glee club Vocal Adrenaline; Darren Criss
appeared as Blaine Anderson, lead singer of rival glee club the Dalton Academy Warblers, and Gwyneth Paltrow
played substitute teacher Holly Holliday
.
Meat Loaf
and Barry Bostwick
, who both starred in The Rocky Horror Picture Show
, appeared in Glee Halloween Rocky Horror tribute episode, playing right-wing television station managers and colleagues of Sue. Adam Kolkin portrayed an eight-year old Kurt in the third episode
of the season, and in the seventh episode, kindergarten-aged actors portraying child versions of New Directions were featured. Sue Sylvester's mother Doris Sylvester was also introduced this season, played by Carol Burnett
. Journalist Katie Couric
made a guest appearance as herself when she interviewed Sue Sylvester
during "The Sue Sylvester Shuffle
".
A reality series
featuring open auditions for the show was intended to air on Fox in advance of the season, but was cancelled due to Murphy's desire to concentrate on the main series, and fear that the distraction of the reality show may damage Glee. The idea was picked up by Oxygen
, and The Glee Project
is now set to air in June 2011. The winner will receive a multi-episode guest-starring role in Glee third season.
' "Just the Way You Are
" and Cee Lo Green's "Forget You", music supervisor PJ Bloom commented, "We're using songs on the show the same time they're charting as new hits." He described the process behind selecting songs, clearing rights, recording, and filming numbers as taking as little as a few weeks to complete. Producer Adam Anders revealed that production and planning even occurs before rights for songs are cleared, as Glee creators are offered listens of upcoming songs in advance by publishers and record labels.
The extended play
(EP) Glee: The Music, The Rocky Horror Glee Show
was released mid-October 2010 to accompany the fifth episode. Glee: The Music, The Christmas Album
, featuring winter holiday-themed songs, was released on November 9, 2010, and Glee: The Music, Volume 4, featuring recordings from the first half of the season, was released at the end of that month. An additional EP tied to the Super Bowl tribute episode was planned but never came to fruition; Glee: The Music, Volume 5, featuring recordings from that Super Bowl episode through the Regionals competition episode, was released in early March 2011. Another soundtrack album, released on April 19, 2011, features the Dalton Academy Warblers: Glee: The Music Presents the Warblers
. The final CD accompanying the season, Glee: The Music, Volume 6
, was released on May 23, 2011.
Second season musical releases attained some chart success. Glee: The Music, The Rocky Horror Glee Show peaked at number six on the Billboard 200
with 48,000 copies sold. It marked the lowest debut and sales for the cast in the United States, but the highest position ever reached for a Rocky Horror album. Glee: The Music, The Christmas Album and Glee: The Music, Volume 5 both peaked at number one, in Canada and Australia respectively; the highest charting album in the US was Glee: The Music Presents the Warblers at number two. The Christmas album was certified platinum in the US, and Glee: The Music, Volume 4 has nearly achieved double platinum certification in Australia. The cast's cover of "O Holy Night
" debuted at number one on the Holiday Digital Songs chart. The highest charting single was the cast's original song "Loser Like Me
" which debuted at number six on the Billboard Hot 100
. The single sold 210,000 downloads in that week, the largest after the Cast's cover of Katy Perry
's "Teenage Dream", which sold 214,000 downloads its first week in the US, and beat the previous first-week sales record of 177,000 held by debut single "Don't Stop Believin'
", which had hit number four on the Hot 100. "Empire State of Mind
" marked the highest first-day sales of any Glee song at the time with 106,000 downloads in the US over the week following its release.
The record for most appearances by a group on the Billboard Hot 100, previously set by The Beatles
, was broken when six songs from Glee: The Music, Volume 4 debuted on the chart the week of October 16, 2010. This feat also placed the cast third overall among all artists, behind James Brown
and Elvis Presley
. Four songs debuted on November 18, 2010, which pushed the number of appearances to ninety-three, surpassing Brown's accomplishment to land at second. On February 16, 2011, it was announced that Glee had increased its Hot 100 appearances to 113 songs, therefore beating Elvis and now has the Most Hot 100 entries. The season's cover versions had a positive effect on some of the original recording artists. Following the broadcast of "Britney/Brittany", sales of the Spears songs covered increased by 35,000 units, with "Stronger
" rising by 1,160 percent, and her greatest hits album
increasing by 413 percent.
gave the season a Metascore—a weighted average based on the impression of 11 critical reviews—of 76/100, signifying generally favorable reviews, this score is based on reviews dated September and October of 2010, and reflective of the first few episodes only. The season as a whole received mixed reviews from critics who covered the show over the course of the season. Robert Canning of IGN
wrote that the "New York" season finale "was a decent close to an enjoyable season", while The Atlantic Meghan Brown called it "an uneven end to an uneven season", and her colleague Kevin Fallon said that season two was "undeniably frustrating" but "there was still ample reason to tune in and enjoy". Anthony Benigno of The Faster Times
gave the season a "C+", but noted that he was "an easy grader". The A.V. Club
Todd VanDerWerff gave the season a slightly better "B−", and stated: "The season opened and closed strong, but the middle section was mushy and filled with plenty of episodes that just didn’t work." Brett Berk of Vanity Fair
summed up as follows: "The quality of Glee’s second season has been something like the topography of Utah, or the acting career of Amanda Peet—blandly passable and relying on its good looks, but stumbling occasionally upon unfathomable idiosyncrasy, whose presence is at once baffling, frightening, and a bit melancholy—in a good way."
Several episodes drew complaints from advocacy group
s. The Parents Television Council
named "Britney/Brittany", "Blame It on the Alcohol" and "Sexy" the worst shows of their respective weeks of broadcast, due to their overt sexual content. "Sexy" was also criticized by the children's charity Kidscape
for the "wholly inappropriate" inclusion of a song by convicted sex offender Gary Glitter
. The Gay & Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation objected to the use of the pejorative term "tranny" in "The Rocky Horror Glee Show", and "The Substitute" was ill-received by the National Alliance on Mental Illness
for its humorous depiction of bipolar disorder
.
asserted that Glee had become the most-watched program of U.S.-origin in the UK.
, from five nominations, and in two categories at the 37th People's Choice Awards
, from four nominations. Its five nominations at the Satellite Awards 2010
and three at the 17th Screen Actors Guild Awards
produced no wins, nor did two nominations at the NAACP Image Award
s. Glee garnered nine nominations at the AfterEllen.com and AfterElton.com Visibility Awards, of which it won four. It was awarded a further four awards by the Gay and Lesbian Entertainment Critics Association at the 2011 Dorian Awards, with the TV Comedy Performance of the Year accolade resulting in a tie between Colfer and Lynch. Series producer Alexis Martin Woodall won the Television Produced By A Woman accolade at the WIN Awards, where Glee was nominated for three awards in total.
Glee was named one of the American Film Institute
Television Programs of the Year at the 2010 AFI Awards, and tied with Modern Family
for the Outstanding Comedy Series accolade at the 22nd GLAAD Media Awards
. Series costume designer Lou Eyrich received the Outstanding Contemporary Television Series award at the Costume Designers Guild Awards 2010
, and casting directors Robert J. Ulrich, Eric Dawson and Carol Kritzer won the CSA Media Access Award and for casting performers with disabilities. The series was additionally nominated in the International TV Show category at the British Academy Television Awards 2010
, for International Breakthrough Act at the 2011 BRIT Awards
, and in the Digital Choice category at the 2011 National Television Awards
. Lynch was nominated for Comedy Actress – TV at the inaugural Comedy Awards
. Brennan, Falchuk and Murphy received a Comedy Series nomination at the 2011 Writers Guild of America Awards, and they, along with Di Loreto and Kenneth Silverstein, were nominated for The Danny Thomas Award for Outstanding Producer of Episodic Television – Comedy at the Producers Guild of America Awards 2010
.
began taking pre-orders for the complete season box set on Blu-ray and DVD in September 2010, the week the season premiered.
Glee (TV series)
Glee is an American musical comedy-drama television series that airs on Fox in the United States, and on GlobalTV in Canada. It focuses on the high school glee club New Directions competing on the show choir competition circuit, while its members deal with relationships, sexuality and social issues...
originally aired between September 21, 2010 and May 24, 2011 on Fox
Fox Broadcasting Company
Fox Broadcasting Company, commonly referred to as Fox Network or simply Fox , is an American commercial broadcasting television network owned by Fox Entertainment Group, part of Rupert Murdoch's News Corporation. Launched on October 9, 1986, Fox was the highest-rated broadcast network in the...
in the United States. The 22-episode season was produced by 20th Century Fox Television
20th Century Fox Television
20th Century Fox Television is the television production division of 20th Century Fox Film Corporation, and a production arm of the Fox Broadcasting Company...
and Ryan Murphy Television, with executive producers Dante Di Loreto
Dante Di Loreto
Dante Di Loreto is an American writer and producer, best known for executive producing the 20th Century Fox series Glee.-Career:Prior to joining Ryan Murphy and Brad Falchuk to create Glee, Di Loreto produced several shows for cable and broadcast television as well as a selection of films...
and series co-creators Ryan Murphy and Brad Falchuk
Brad Falchuk
Brad Falchuk is a television writer, director and producer. He is best known for his work on the television series Nip/Tuck, Glee, and American Horror Story.-Early life:...
, with the other series co-creator, Ian Brennan
Ian Brennan (writer)
Ian Brennan is a television writer, actor and producer. He is best known for his work on the television show Glee.-Early life:Brennan is the son of John and Charman Brennan. His sister, Sarah Brennan, is one of the founders of in Chicago...
, as co-executive producer.
The series features the New Directions glee club
Glee club
A glee club is a musical group or choir group, historically of male voices but also of female or mixed voices, which traditionally specializes in the singing of short songs—glees—by trios or quartets. In the late 19th Century it was very popular in most schools and was made a tradition...
at the fictional William McKinley High School in the town of Lima, Ohio
Lima, Ohio
Lima is a city in and the county seat of Allen County, Ohio, United States. The municipality is located in northwestern Ohio along Interstate 75 approximately north of Dayton and south-southwest of Toledo....
. Season two follows the club through local and regional show choir
Show choir
A show choir is a group of people who combine choral singing with dance movements, sometimes within the context of a specific idea or story.-History:...
competitions to the national competition in New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
, while its members deal with relationship, sexuality and social issues. The central characters are glee club director Will Schuester
Will Schuester
William "Will" Schuester, often referred to as Mr. Schue, is a fictional character from the Fox musical comedy-drama series Glee. The character is portrayed by actor Matthew Morrison and has appeared in Glee since its pilot episode, first broadcast on May 19, 2009. Will was developed by Glee...
(Matthew Morrison
Matthew Morrison
Matthew James "Matt" Morrison is an American actor, director, musician, and singer-songwriter. He is best known for starring in multiple Broadway and Off-Broadway productions, including his portrayal of Link Larkin in Hairspray on Broadway, and most notably for his Emmy and Golden Globe nominated...
), cheerleading coach Sue Sylvester
Sue Sylvester
Susan "Sue" Sylvester is a fictional character of the Fox musical comedy-drama series, Glee. The character is portrayed by actress Jane Lynch, and has appeared in Glee from its pilot episode, first broadcast on May 19, 2009. Sue was developed by Glee creators Ryan Murphy, Brad Falchuk, and Ian...
(Jane Lynch
Jane Lynch
Jane Marie Lynch is an American comedian, actress and singer. She gained fame in Christopher Guest's improv mockumentary pictures such as Best in Show and is currently best known for playing the role of Sue Sylvester in the television series Glee...
), guidance counselor Emma Pillsbury
Emma Pillsbury
Emma Pillsbury is a fictional character from the Fox musical comedy-drama series Glee. Portrayed by actress Jayma Mays, Emma has appeared in Glee from its pilot episode, first broadcast on May 19, 2009. Emma was developed by Glee creators Ryan Murphy, Brad Falchuk and Ian Brennan...
(Jayma Mays
Jayma Mays
Jayma Suzette Mays is an American television and film actress, and singer. Mays' most prominent roles include that of Emma Pillsbury on the American television series Glee, recurring appearances on Ugly Betty and on Heroes as characters named Charlie.- Life and career :Mays was born Jamia Suzette...
), and glee club members Artie Abrams
Artie Abrams
Artie Abrams is a fictional character from the Fox musical comedy-drama series Glee. The character is portrayed by actor Kevin McHale, and has appeared in Glee from its pilot episode, first broadcast on May 19, 2009. Artie was developed by Glee creators Ryan Murphy, Brad Falchuk and Ian Brennan...
(Kevin McHale), Brittany Pierce
Brittany Pierce
Brittany Susan Pierce is a fictional character from the Fox musical comedy-drama series Glee. The character is portrayed by actress Heather Morris, and has appeared in Glee from its second episode, "Showmance", first broadcast on September 9, 2009. Brittany was developed by Glee creators Ryan...
(Heather Morris), Finn Hudson
Finn Hudson
Finn Hudson is a fictional character from the Fox musical comedy-drama series Glee. The character is portrayed by actor Cory Monteith, and has appeared in Glee from its pilot episode, first broadcast on May 19, 2009. Finn was developed by Glee creators Ryan Murphy, Brad Falchuk and Ian Brennan...
(Cory Monteith
Cory Monteith
Cory Allan Monteith is a Canadian actor and musician, best known for his role of Finn Hudson on the Fox television series Glee.-Early life:...
), Kurt Hummel
Kurt Hummel
Kurt Hummel is a fictional character and one of the male leads in the Fox musical comedy-drama series Glee. Series creators Ryan Murphy, Brad Falchuk and Ian Brennan initially conceived of him as a fashionable gay countertenor who is routinely bullied at school...
(Chris Colfer
Chris Colfer
Christopher Paul "Chris" Colfer is an American actor and singer known for his portrayal of Kurt Hummel on the television series Glee, for which he won a 2011 Golden Globe for Best Supporting Actor and was also nominated twice for an Emmy...
), Mercedes Jones
Mercedes Jones
Mercedes Jones is a fictional character from the Fox popular musical comedy-drama series Glee. The character is portrayed by actress Amber Riley, and has appeared in Glee from its pilot episode, first broadcast on May 19, 2009. Mercedes was developed by Glee creators Ryan Murphy, Brad Falchuk and...
(Amber Riley
Amber Riley
Amber Patrice Riley is an American actress and singer best known for her role on the series Glee as Mercedes Jones.-Early life and career:...
), Noah "Puck" Puckerman
Puck (Glee)
Noah "Puck" Puckerman is a fictional character from the Fox musical comedy-drama series Glee. The character is portrayed by actor Mark Salling, and has appeared in Glee from its pilot episode, first broadcast on May 19, 2009. Puck was developed by Glee creators Ryan Murphy, Brad Falchuk and Ian...
(Mark Salling), Quinn Fabray
Quinn Fabray
Quinn Fabray is a fictional character from the Fox musical comedy-drama series Glee. The character is portrayed by actress Dianna Agron, and has appeared in Glee since its pilot episode, first broadcast on May 19, 2009. She is a former cheerleader at the fictional William McKinley High School in...
(Dianna Agron
Dianna Agron
Dianna Agron is an American actress, best known for her portrayal of Quinn Fabray on the television series Glee.-Early life:Dianna Agron was born in Savannah, Georgia, and raised in San Antonio, Texas and San Francisco, California. She is the daughter of Mary and Ronald S. Agron, a general...
), Rachel Berry (Lea Michele
Lea Michele
Lea Michele Sarfati , known professionally as Lea Michele, is an American actress and singer. Michele began working professionally as a child actress on Broadway in productions such as Ragtime and Les Misérables. She originated the role of Wendla in the musical Spring Awakening and currently plays...
), Santana Lopez
Santana Lopez
Santana Lopez is a fictional character from the Fox musical comedy-drama series Glee. The character is portrayed by actress Naya Rivera, and has appeared in Glee from its pilot episode, first broadcast on May 19, 2009. Santana was developed by Glee creators Ryan Murphy, Brad Falchuk and Ian Brennan...
(Naya Rivera
Naya Rivera
Naya Marie Rivera is an American actress and singer known for her role in the musical comedy television series Glee, as cheerleader Santana Lopez.-Early life:...
) and Tina Cohen-Chang
Tina Cohen-Chang
Tina Cohen-Chang is a fictional character from the Fox musical comedy-drama series Glee. The character is portrayed by actress Jenna Ushkowitz, and has appeared in Glee from its pilot episode, first broadcast on May 19, 2009. Tina was developed by Glee creators Ryan Murphy, Brad Falchuk and Ian...
(Jenna Ushkowitz). Will's wife Terri
Terri Schuester
Terri Schuester is a fictional character from the Fox musical comedy-drama series Glee. The character is portrayed by actress Jessalyn Gilsig, and has appeared in Glee from its pilot episode, first broadcast on May 19, 2009. Terri was developed by Glee creators Ryan Murphy, Brad Falchuk and Ian...
(Jessalyn Gilsig
Jessalyn Gilsig
Jessalyn Gilsig is a Canadian actress known for her roles in the television series Boston Public, Nip/Tuck and as Will Schuester's ex-wife Terri Schuester in Glee...
) and Kurt's father Burt
Burt Hummel
Burt Hummel is a fictional character from the Fox musical comedy-drama series Glee. The character is portrayed by actor Mike O'Malley, and first appeared on Glee in the fourth episode of the first season, "Preggers". Burt was developed by Glee creators Ryan Murphy, Brad Falchuk and Ian Brennan...
(Mike O'Malley
Mike O'Malley
Michael Edward "Mike" O'Malley is an American actor and playwright who has appeared in films and television series. He hosted Nickelodeon GUTS, and he starred in the CBS comedy Yes, Dear...
) round out the list of main characters.
Though many individual episodes received positive reviews from critics, full-season reviews were mixed. The musical performances from the second season expanded on the success of the first season, with the show releasing five soundtrack albums and over one hundred digital singles. The cast decisively broke the record for most charted songs by an act in the 52-year history of the Billboard Hot 100 with 156 appearances through the end of its second season. Two singles, "Teenage Dream" and "Loser Like Me", were the first to have over 200,000 downloads in their first week of release in the US, and charted in the top ten in the US and Canada; the former has been certified gold in the US. The season was nominated for twelve Emmy Award
Emmy Award
An Emmy Award, often referred to simply as the Emmy, is a television production award, similar in nature to the Peabody Awards but more focused on entertainment, and is considered the television equivalent to the Academy Awards and the Grammy Awards .A majority of Emmys are presented in various...
s, five Golden Globe Awards, five Satellite Awards
Satellite Awards
The Satellite Awards are an annual award given by the International Press Academy. The awards were originally known as the Golden Satellite Awards.- Film :*Best Actor – Drama*Best Actor – Musical or Comedy*Best Actress – Drama...
and over fifty other awards. It is being accompanied by three DVD releases: Glee – Season 2, Volume 1 featuring episodes one through ten, Glee – Season 2, Volume 2 featuring episodes eleven through twenty-two, and Glee – The Complete Second Season.
Episodes
| No. in series |
No. in season |
Title | Directed by | Written by | Original air date | US viewers (in millions) |
|---|
Production
The season was produced by 20th Century Fox Television20th Century Fox Television
20th Century Fox Television is the television production division of 20th Century Fox Film Corporation, and a production arm of the Fox Broadcasting Company...
and Ryan Murphy Television, and aired on Fox in the US. The executive producers were Dante Di Loreto, and series creators Ryan Murphy and Brad Falchuk, with Murphy serving as showrunner and co-creator Ian Brennan acting as co-executive producer. All episodes were written by Murphy, Falchuk and Brennan. Murphy and Falchuk directed three episodes each, while other episodes were directed by Alfonso Gomez-Rejon, Eric Stoltz
Eric Stoltz
Eric Hamilton Stoltz is an American actor, director and producer. He is widely known for playing the role of Rocky Dennis in the biographical drama film Mask, which earned him the nomination for a Golden Globe Award for Best Supporting Actor in a Motion Picture...
, Adam Shankman
Adam Shankman
Adam Michael Shankman is an American film director, producer, dancer, actor, and choreographer. He has been a judge on the television program So You Think You Can Dance since Season 3. He began his professional career in musical theater, and was a dancer in music videos for Paula Abdul and Janet...
, Bradley Buecker, Carol Banker, Paris Barclay
Paris Barclay
Paris K.C. Barclay is an American television director and producer. He has directed over 100 episodes of television to date, for series including NYPD Blue, ER, The West Wing, CSI, Lost, The Shield, House M.D., Law & Order, Monk, Numb3rs, City of Angels, Cold Case, and more recently The Mentalist,...
, Tate Donovan
Tate Donovan
Tate Buckley Donovan is an American actor. He is known for his role in the FX drama Damages, as Tom Shayes, and for his role as Jimmy Cooper in the American teen drama television series The O.C....
and Tim Hunter
Tim Hunter (director)
Tim Hunter is an American television and film director. Since the late 1980s he has mostly worked on television, directing episodes for dozens of televisions series includingBreaking Bad,Carnivàle,...
. Each episode cost $3.2 million–$3.8 million to produce, an increase of 20 percent on the first season.
The season began airing on September 21, 2010, in the 8 pm (ET
Eastern Time Zone
The Eastern Time Zone of the United States and Canada is a time zone that falls mostly along the east coast of North America. Its UTC time offset is −5 hrs during standard time and −4 hrs during daylight saving time...
) timeslot on Tuesdays. A special episode
The Sue Sylvester Shuffle
"The Sue Sylvester Shuffle" is the eleventh episode of the second season of the American musical television series Glee, and the 33rd episode overall. It was written by Ian Brennan, directed by Brad Falchuk, and was broadcast immediately following Super Bowl XLV on February 6, 2011...
aired after Super Bowl XLV
Super Bowl XLV
Super Bowl XLV was an American football game between the American Football Conference champion Pittsburgh Steelers and the National Football Conference champion Green Bay Packers to decide the National Football League champion for the 2010 season. The game was held at Cowboys Stadium in...
on February 6, 2011. Fox planned to move the show to the 9 pm time slot on Wednesdays following the Super Bowl, however later revised its schedule, leaving Glee on Tuesdays in order to concentrate on building up its weaker Wednesday and Thursday line-ups. Episode eighteen, "Born This Way", became Glee first 90 minute episode. Its runtime was extended from the standard 60 minutes to allow the inclusion of more musical numbers. The season concluded on May 24, 2011, moved to the 9 pm (ET) timeslot following the American Idol
American Idol
American Idol, titled American Idol: The Search for a Superstar for the first season, is a reality television singing competition created by Simon Fuller and produced by FremantleMedia North America and 19 Entertainment...
finale. The commissioning of a third season
Glee (season 3)
A third season of the Fox musical comedy-drama television series Glee was commissioned on May 23, 2010 while the first season aired. It premiered on September 20, 2011, and is being produced by 20th Century Fox Television and Ryan Murphy Television, with executive producers Dante Di Loreto and...
was announced on May 23, 2010.
Murphy intended the second season to accentuate focus on formerly minor characters, particularly Santana, Brittany and Mike. He commented, "Everyone gets a chance to shine this season. Instead of going bigger and overstuffing Season 2, which people would expect, we’re going under it. We'll pick up on the stories of our main cast, but we’re also going to spend time on the support characters. Everyone gets their moment." Not all of his plans came to fruition; in July 2010, Murphy claimed that glee club co-captains Finn and Rachel would remain in a relationship throughout the season, however this was abandoned in favor of a love-triangle storyline to generate conflict. One unintended development was the emergence of Kurt as a central character—his role grew in prominence as a result of the writers' desire to do justice to the gay bullying storyline.
Reluctant to produce too many tribute episodes, Murphy limited the season to two: the Spears tribute "Britney/Brittany", and "Rumours", the series' first episode to pay tribute to an album, Fleetwood Mac
Fleetwood Mac
Fleetwood Mac are a British–American rock band formed in 1967 in London.The only original member present in the band is its eponymous drummer, Mick Fleetwood...
's Rumours
Rumours
Rumours is the eleventh studio album by British-American rock band Fleetwood Mac. Largely recorded in California during 1976, it was produced by the band with Ken Caillat and Richard Dashut and was released on 4 February 1977 by Warner Bros. Records. The record peaked at the top of both the...
. The fifth episode, "The Rocky Horror Glee Show" served as an additional homage to The Rocky Horror Show
The Rocky Horror Show
The Rocky Horror Show is a long-running British horror comedy stage musical, which opened in London on 19 June 1973. It was written by Richard O'Brien, produced and directed by Jim Sharman. It came eighth in a BBC Radio 2 listener poll of the "Nation's Number One Essential Musicals"...
. Although Murphy had planned to showcase original songs in Glee as early as October 2009, they featured for the first time during the second season, after he found a way to include the concept organically, in the form of a glee club assignment.
Cast
The twelve main cast members from season one returned for season two: Matthew MorrisonMatthew Morrison
Matthew James "Matt" Morrison is an American actor, director, musician, and singer-songwriter. He is best known for starring in multiple Broadway and Off-Broadway productions, including his portrayal of Link Larkin in Hairspray on Broadway, and most notably for his Emmy and Golden Globe nominated...
as glee club director Will Schuester, Jane Lynch
Jane Lynch
Jane Marie Lynch is an American comedian, actress and singer. She gained fame in Christopher Guest's improv mockumentary pictures such as Best in Show and is currently best known for playing the role of Sue Sylvester in the television series Glee...
as cheerleading coach Sue Sylvester, Jayma Mays
Jayma Mays
Jayma Suzette Mays is an American television and film actress, and singer. Mays' most prominent roles include that of Emma Pillsbury on the American television series Glee, recurring appearances on Ugly Betty and on Heroes as characters named Charlie.- Life and career :Mays was born Jamia Suzette...
as guidance counselor Emma Pillsbury
Emma Pillsbury
Emma Pillsbury is a fictional character from the Fox musical comedy-drama series Glee. Portrayed by actress Jayma Mays, Emma has appeared in Glee from its pilot episode, first broadcast on May 19, 2009. Emma was developed by Glee creators Ryan Murphy, Brad Falchuk and Ian Brennan...
, Jessalyn Gilsig
Jessalyn Gilsig
Jessalyn Gilsig is a Canadian actress known for her roles in the television series Boston Public, Nip/Tuck and as Will Schuester's ex-wife Terri Schuester in Glee...
as Will's former wife Terri Schuester
Terri Schuester
Terri Schuester is a fictional character from the Fox musical comedy-drama series Glee. The character is portrayed by actress Jessalyn Gilsig, and has appeared in Glee from its pilot episode, first broadcast on May 19, 2009. Terri was developed by Glee creators Ryan Murphy, Brad Falchuk and Ian...
and Dianna Agron
Dianna Agron
Dianna Agron is an American actress, best known for her portrayal of Quinn Fabray on the television series Glee.-Early life:Dianna Agron was born in Savannah, Georgia, and raised in San Antonio, Texas and San Francisco, California. She is the daughter of Mary and Ronald S. Agron, a general...
, Chris Colfer
Chris Colfer
Christopher Paul "Chris" Colfer is an American actor and singer known for his portrayal of Kurt Hummel on the television series Glee, for which he won a 2011 Golden Globe for Best Supporting Actor and was also nominated twice for an Emmy...
, Kevin McHale, Lea Michele
Lea Michele
Lea Michele Sarfati , known professionally as Lea Michele, is an American actress and singer. Michele began working professionally as a child actress on Broadway in productions such as Ragtime and Les Misérables. She originated the role of Wendla in the musical Spring Awakening and currently plays...
, Cory Monteith
Cory Monteith
Cory Allan Monteith is a Canadian actor and musician, best known for his role of Finn Hudson on the Fox television series Glee.-Early life:...
, Amber Riley
Amber Riley
Amber Patrice Riley is an American actress and singer best known for her role on the series Glee as Mercedes Jones.-Early life and career:...
, Mark Salling and Jenna Ushkowitz as glee club members Quinn Fabray, Kurt Hummel
Kurt Hummel
Kurt Hummel is a fictional character and one of the male leads in the Fox musical comedy-drama series Glee. Series creators Ryan Murphy, Brad Falchuk and Ian Brennan initially conceived of him as a fashionable gay countertenor who is routinely bullied at school...
, Artie Abrams
Artie Abrams
Artie Abrams is a fictional character from the Fox musical comedy-drama series Glee. The character is portrayed by actor Kevin McHale, and has appeared in Glee from its pilot episode, first broadcast on May 19, 2009. Artie was developed by Glee creators Ryan Murphy, Brad Falchuk and Ian Brennan...
, Rachel Berry, Finn Hudson, Mercedes Jones
Mercedes Jones
Mercedes Jones is a fictional character from the Fox popular musical comedy-drama series Glee. The character is portrayed by actress Amber Riley, and has appeared in Glee from its pilot episode, first broadcast on May 19, 2009. Mercedes was developed by Glee creators Ryan Murphy, Brad Falchuk and...
, Noah "Puck" Puckerman
Puck (Glee)
Noah "Puck" Puckerman is a fictional character from the Fox musical comedy-drama series Glee. The character is portrayed by actor Mark Salling, and has appeared in Glee from its pilot episode, first broadcast on May 19, 2009. Puck was developed by Glee creators Ryan Murphy, Brad Falchuk and Ian...
and Tina Cohen-Chang, respectively. Heather Morris and Naya Rivera
Naya Rivera
Naya Marie Rivera is an American actress and singer known for her role in the musical comedy television series Glee, as cheerleader Santana Lopez.-Early life:...
, who portrayed the formerly recurring roles of Brittany Pierce
Brittany Pierce
Brittany Susan Pierce is a fictional character from the Fox musical comedy-drama series Glee. The character is portrayed by actress Heather Morris, and has appeared in Glee from its second episode, "Showmance", first broadcast on September 9, 2009. Brittany was developed by Glee creators Ryan...
and Santana Lopez, were promoted to series regulars, as was Mike O'Malley
Mike O'Malley
Michael Edward "Mike" O'Malley is an American actor and playwright who has appeared in films and television series. He hosted Nickelodeon GUTS, and he starred in the CBS comedy Yes, Dear...
as Kurt's father Burt Hummel
Burt Hummel
Burt Hummel is a fictional character from the Fox musical comedy-drama series Glee. The character is portrayed by actor Mike O'Malley, and first appeared on Glee in the fourth episode of the first season, "Preggers". Burt was developed by Glee creators Ryan Murphy, Brad Falchuk and Ian Brennan...
.
Supporting cast members Harry Shum, Jr.
Harry Shum, Jr.
Harry Shum, Jr. is an American dancer, actor, and choreographer. He is best known for his role as Mike Chang on the FOX television show Glee. He has appeared in dance films such as Stomp the Yard, You Got Served, Step Up 2: The Streets and Step Up 3D...
and Ashley Fink
Ashley Fink
Ashley Rae Fink is an American actress, known for her role as Lauren Zizes in the television series Glee, and also as Carter McMahon in Huge.-Personal life:...
had increased roles as New Directions members Mike Chang
Mike Chang
Michael "Mike" Chang, Jr. is a fictional character from the Fox musical comedy-drama series Glee. The character is portrayed by actor and dancer Harry Shum, Jr., and has appeared on Glee since the fourth episode in the first season, "Preggers", first broadcast on September 23, 2009...
and Lauren Zizes
Lauren Zizes
Lauren Zizes is a recurring fictional character from the Fox musical comedy-drama series, Glee. The character is portrayed by actress Ashley Fink, and has appeared in Glee since the season one episode "Wheels", first broadcast on November 11, 2009. Lauren was developed by Glee creators Ryan...
. Two recurring cast members from season one did not return: Dijon Talton's glee club member Matt Rutherford was written out as having transferred, and Patrick Gallagher
Patrick Gallagher (actor)
-Career:Gallagher is best known for his television roles as Det. Joe Finn in Da Vinci's Inquest, the alcohol salesman in Entourage, Leon in The Line, Farhod the Fierce in Pair of Kings, and Ken Tanaka in Glee, and his film roles as Awkward Davies in Master and Commander: The Far Side of the World...
's football coach Ken Tanaka was replaced by Dot-Marie Jones as Shannon Beiste. Returning secondary characters included Iqbal Theba
Iqbal Theba
Iqbal Theba is a Pakistani-American actor. Theba currently has a recurring role as Principal Figgins in the show Glee.-Life and career:Theba became a familiar face in the 1990s when he appeared in various TV shows and commercials in the United States....
as Principal Figgins, Stephen Tobolowsky
Stephen Tobolowsky
Stephen Harold Tobolowsky is an American actor. He is well known for his role as Ned Ryerson in Groundhog Day, as well as portraying Commissioner Hugo Jarry in Deadwood for nine episodes and Bob Bishop in Heroes for eleven episodes over the second and third seasons...
as former glee club director Sandy Ryerson, Romy Rosemont
Romy Rosemont
Romy Rosemont is a television actress who has appeared in multiple TV series, including Shark, Grey's Anatomy, CSI: Crime Scene Investigation, Prison Break and Private Practice. She got her break in 2010, playing Carole Hudson in the musical series Glee...
as Finn's mother Carole Hudson, Max Adler as school bully Dave Karofsky
Dave Karofsky
David "Dave" Karofsky, often referred to as Karofsky, is a recurring fictional character from the Fox musical comedy-drama series Glee. The character is portrayed by actor Max Adler, and has appeared in Glee since its first season episode "Mash-Up", first broadcast on October 21, 2009...
, Jonathan Groff
Jonathan Groff
Jonathan Drew Groff is an American singer-songwriter, stage, television and film actor. He originated the role of Melchior Gabor in the stage musical Spring Awakening and appeared as Jesse St...
as Rachel's ex-boyfriend Jesse St. James, and Kristin Chenoweth as former glee club star April Rhodes. The season introduced several new recurring characters; Charice appeared as Sunshine Corazon, a foreign exchange student from the Philippines
Philippines
The Philippines , officially known as the Republic of the Philippines , is a country in Southeast Asia in the western Pacific Ocean. To its north across the Luzon Strait lies Taiwan. West across the South China Sea sits Vietnam...
and a rival to Rachel; John Stamos
John Stamos
John Phillip Stamos is an American actor, singer and musician best known for his work in television, especially in his starring role as Jesse Katsopolis on the ABC sitcom Full House. Since the cancellation of that show in 1995, Stamos has appeared in numerous television films and series. From 2006...
played dentist Carl Howell, a love interest for Emma; Chord Overstreet
Chord Overstreet
Chord Overstreet is an American actor, singer and musician, best known for his role as Sam Evans on the television series Glee.-Early life:...
was cast as transfer student Sam Evans
Sam Evans
Sam Evans is a recurring fictional character from the Fox musical comedy-drama series Glee. The character is portrayed by actor Chord Overstreet, and appeared on Glee starting with the second season premiere episode entitled "Audition", first broadcast on September 21, 2010, and ending with that...
; Cheyenne Jackson
Cheyenne Jackson
Cheyenne Jackson is an American actor and singer. He started in regional theater when he moved to Seattle, and after moving to New York City, made his 2002 Broadway theatre debut understudying both male leads in the Tony Award-winning musical Thoroughly Modern Millie...
played Dustin Goolsby, the coach of rival glee club Vocal Adrenaline; Darren Criss
Darren Criss
Darren Everett Criss is an American actor, singer-songwriter, musician, composer, and a founding member and co-owner of the theater company StarKid Productions. He currently portrays Blaine Anderson, an openly gay high school student, on the FOX television series Glee...
appeared as Blaine Anderson, lead singer of rival glee club the Dalton Academy Warblers, and Gwyneth Paltrow
Gwyneth Paltrow
Gwyneth Kate Paltrow is an American actress and singer. She made her acting debut on stage in 1990 and started appearing in films in 1991. After appearing in several films throughout the decade, Paltrow gained early notice for her work in films such as Se7en and Emma...
played substitute teacher Holly Holliday
Holly Holliday
Holly Holliday is a recurring fictional character from the Fox musical comedy-drama series, Glee. The character is portrayed by actress Gwyneth Paltrow, and appeared three times during the show's the second season. Holly is Paltrow's first-ever role in a scripted television show...
.
Meat Loaf
Meat Loaf
Michael Lee Aday , better known by his stage name, Meat Loaf, is an American hard rock musician and actor...
and Barry Bostwick
Barry Bostwick
Barry Knapp Bostwick is an American actor and singer. He is known for playing Brad Majors in the 1975 cult classic The Rocky Horror Picture Show, replacing Peter Scolari as Mr. Tyler in the sitcom What I Like About You, and playing mayor Randall Winston in the sitcom Spin City...
, who both starred in The Rocky Horror Picture Show
The Rocky Horror Picture Show
The Rocky Horror Picture Show is the 1975 film adaptation of the British rock musical stageplay, The Rocky Horror Show, written by Richard O'Brien. The film is a parody of B-movie, science fiction and horror films of the late 1940s through early 1970s. Director Jim Sharman collaborated on the...
, appeared in Glee Halloween Rocky Horror tribute episode, playing right-wing television station managers and colleagues of Sue. Adam Kolkin portrayed an eight-year old Kurt in the third episode
Grilled Cheesus
"Grilled Cheesus" is the third episode of the second season of the American television series Glee, and the 25th episode overall. It was written by Brad Falchuk, directed by Alfonso Gomez-Rejon, and premiered on the Fox network on October 5, 2010...
of the season, and in the seventh episode, kindergarten-aged actors portraying child versions of New Directions were featured. Sue Sylvester's mother Doris Sylvester was also introduced this season, played by Carol Burnett
Carol Burnett
Carol Creighton Burnett is an American actress, comedian, singer, dancer and writer. Burnett started her career in New York. After becoming a hit on Broadway, she made her television debut...
. Journalist Katie Couric
Katie Couric
Katherine Anne "Katie" Couric is an American journalist and author. She serves as Special Correspondent for ABC News, contributing to ABC World News, Nightline, 20/20, Good Morning America, This Week and primetime news specials...
made a guest appearance as herself when she interviewed Sue Sylvester
Sue Sylvester
Susan "Sue" Sylvester is a fictional character of the Fox musical comedy-drama series, Glee. The character is portrayed by actress Jane Lynch, and has appeared in Glee from its pilot episode, first broadcast on May 19, 2009. Sue was developed by Glee creators Ryan Murphy, Brad Falchuk, and Ian...
during "The Sue Sylvester Shuffle
The Sue Sylvester Shuffle
"The Sue Sylvester Shuffle" is the eleventh episode of the second season of the American musical television series Glee, and the 33rd episode overall. It was written by Ian Brennan, directed by Brad Falchuk, and was broadcast immediately following Super Bowl XLV on February 6, 2011...
".
A reality series
Reality television
Reality television is a genre of television programming that presents purportedly unscripted dramatic or humorous situations, documents actual events, and usually features ordinary people instead of professional actors, sometimes in a contest or other situation where a prize is awarded...
featuring open auditions for the show was intended to air on Fox in advance of the season, but was cancelled due to Murphy's desire to concentrate on the main series, and fear that the distraction of the reality show may damage Glee. The idea was picked up by Oxygen
Oxygen (TV channel)
Oxygen is an American cable television specialty channel with television programming marketed towards women, with a format similar to Lifetime.- History :...
, and The Glee Project
The Glee Project
The Glee Project is an American reality television series from Oxygen. It serves as an audition for the FOX TV series Glee. Although originally planned to begin broadcasting in late May 2011, The Glee Project premiered on June 12, 2011...
is now set to air in June 2011. The winner will receive a multi-episode guest-starring role in Glee third season.
Music
Glee second season saw a shift toward covering more Top 40 songs than the first, in an effort to appeal more to the 18–49 demographic. Having used 2010 songs such as Bruno MarsBruno Mars
Peter Gene Hernandez , better known by his stage name Bruno Mars, is an Filipino-American singer-songwriter and record producer. Raised in Honolulu, Hawaii by a family of musicians, Mars began making music at a young age...
' "Just the Way You Are
Just the Way You Are (Bruno Mars song)
"Just the Way You Are" is a song by American singer-songwriter Bruno Mars, and is the lead single from his debut studio album, Doo-Wops & Hooligans. It was released in the United States on July 20, 2010. It has also received airplay from AOL Radio's New Pop First station. The song was written by...
" and Cee Lo Green's "Forget You", music supervisor PJ Bloom commented, "We're using songs on the show the same time they're charting as new hits." He described the process behind selecting songs, clearing rights, recording, and filming numbers as taking as little as a few weeks to complete. Producer Adam Anders revealed that production and planning even occurs before rights for songs are cleared, as Glee creators are offered listens of upcoming songs in advance by publishers and record labels.
The extended play
Extended play
An EP is a musical recording which contains more music than a single, but is too short to qualify as a full album or LP. The term EP originally referred only to specific types of vinyl records other than 78 rpm standard play records and LP records, but it is now applied to mid-length Compact...
(EP) Glee: The Music, The Rocky Horror Glee Show
Glee: The Music, The Rocky Horror Glee Show
-Credits and personnel:Persons responsible for the project are as follows.*Adam Anders – arranger; engineer; producer; soundtrack producer; vocals*Alex Anders – engineer*Nikki Anders – vocals*Peer Åström – arranger; engineer; mixing; producer...
was released mid-October 2010 to accompany the fifth episode. Glee: The Music, The Christmas Album
Glee: The Music, The Christmas Album
Glee: The Music, The Christmas Album is the fourth soundtrack album by the cast of the American musical television series Glee. The album was released on November 9, 2010 and accompanies the season two Christmas episode "A Very Glee Christmas", aired December 7, 2010. Dante Di Loreto and Brad...
, featuring winter holiday-themed songs, was released on November 9, 2010, and Glee: The Music, Volume 4, featuring recordings from the first half of the season, was released at the end of that month. An additional EP tied to the Super Bowl tribute episode was planned but never came to fruition; Glee: The Music, Volume 5, featuring recordings from that Super Bowl episode through the Regionals competition episode, was released in early March 2011. Another soundtrack album, released on April 19, 2011, features the Dalton Academy Warblers: Glee: The Music Presents the Warblers
Glee: The Music Presents the Warblers
Glee: The Music Presents the Warblers is the seventh soundtrack album by the cast of Glee, a musical comedy-drama television series that airs on Fox in the United States. Released through Columbia Records on April 19, 2011, it contains thirteen covers: eleven accompanying performances from the...
. The final CD accompanying the season, Glee: The Music, Volume 6
Glee: The Music, Volume 6
Glee: The Music, Volume 6 is the eighth soundtrack album by the cast of the American musical television series Glee, released on May 23, 2011 through the Twentieth Century Fox Film Corporation and Columbia Records...
, was released on May 23, 2011.
Second season musical releases attained some chart success. Glee: The Music, The Rocky Horror Glee Show peaked at number six on the Billboard 200
Billboard 200
The Billboard 200 is a ranking of the 200 highest-selling music albums and EPs in the United States, published weekly by Billboard magazine. It is frequently used to convey the popularity of an artist or groups of artists...
with 48,000 copies sold. It marked the lowest debut and sales for the cast in the United States, but the highest position ever reached for a Rocky Horror album. Glee: The Music, The Christmas Album and Glee: The Music, Volume 5 both peaked at number one, in Canada and Australia respectively; the highest charting album in the US was Glee: The Music Presents the Warblers at number two. The Christmas album was certified platinum in the US, and Glee: The Music, Volume 4 has nearly achieved double platinum certification in Australia. The cast's cover of "O Holy Night
O Holy Night
"O Holy Night" is a well-known Christmas carol composed by Adolphe Adam in 1847 to the French poem "Minuit, chrétiens" by Placide Cappeau , a wine merchant and poet, who had been asked by a parish priest to write a Christmas poem...
" debuted at number one on the Holiday Digital Songs chart. The highest charting single was the cast's original song "Loser Like Me
Loser Like Me
"Loser Like Me" is a song performed by the cast of American television series Glee, taken from their sixth soundtrack album, Glee: The Music, Volume 5. The song was written by the series' music producer Adam Anders, Swedish pop music producer Max Martin, and Peer Åström, Savan Kotecha, and Johan...
" which debuted at number six on the Billboard Hot 100
Billboard Hot 100
The Billboard Hot 100 is the United States music industry standard singles popularity chart issued weekly by Billboard magazine. Chart rankings are based on radio play and sales; the tracking-week for sales begins on Monday and ends on Sunday, while the radio play tracking-week runs from Wednesday...
. The single sold 210,000 downloads in that week, the largest after the Cast's cover of Katy Perry
Katy Perry
Katy Perry is an American singer, songwriter and actress. Born in Santa Barbara, California, and raised by Christian pastor parents, Perry grew up listening to only gospel music and sang in her local church as a child. After earning a GED during her first year of high school, she began to pursue a...
's "Teenage Dream", which sold 214,000 downloads its first week in the US, and beat the previous first-week sales record of 177,000 held by debut single "Don't Stop Believin'
Don't Stop Believin'
"Don't Stop Believin is a popular song by the American rock band Journey, originally released as a single from their 1981 album Escape, which became a #9 hit on the Billboard Hot 100 on its original release. It re-entered the UK Singles Chart in 2009 as a result of increased prominence of digital...
", which had hit number four on the Hot 100. "Empire State of Mind
Empire State of Mind
"Empire State of Mind" is a song by American rapper and hip hop artist Jay-Z, featuring vocals and a chorus from R&B and soul singer Alicia Keys. It was released as the third single from Jay-Z's 11th studio album The Blueprint 3 by his Roc Nation label in October 2009...
" marked the highest first-day sales of any Glee song at the time with 106,000 downloads in the US over the week following its release.
The record for most appearances by a group on the Billboard Hot 100, previously set by The Beatles
The Beatles
The Beatles were an English rock band, active throughout the 1960s and one of the most commercially successful and critically acclaimed acts in the history of popular music. Formed in Liverpool, by 1962 the group consisted of John Lennon , Paul McCartney , George Harrison and Ringo Starr...
, was broken when six songs from Glee: The Music, Volume 4 debuted on the chart the week of October 16, 2010. This feat also placed the cast third overall among all artists, behind James Brown
James Brown
James Joseph Brown was an American singer, songwriter, musician, and recording artist. He is the originator of Funk and is recognized as a major figure in the 20th century popular music for both his vocals and dancing. He has been referred to as "The Godfather of Soul," "Mr...
and Elvis Presley
Elvis Presley
Elvis Aaron Presley was one of the most popular American singers of the 20th century. A cultural icon, he is widely known by the single name Elvis. He is often referred to as the "King of Rock and Roll" or simply "the King"....
. Four songs debuted on November 18, 2010, which pushed the number of appearances to ninety-three, surpassing Brown's accomplishment to land at second. On February 16, 2011, it was announced that Glee had increased its Hot 100 appearances to 113 songs, therefore beating Elvis and now has the Most Hot 100 entries. The season's cover versions had a positive effect on some of the original recording artists. Following the broadcast of "Britney/Brittany", sales of the Spears songs covered increased by 35,000 units, with "Stronger
Stronger (Britney Spears song)
"Stronger" is a song by American recording artist Britney Spears, taken from her second studio album Oops!... I Did It Again . It was released on November 13, 2000, by Jive Records as the third single of the album. After meeting up with producers Max Martin and Rami in Sweden, the singer recorded...
" rising by 1,160 percent, and her greatest hits album
Greatest Hits: My Prerogative
Greatest Hits: My Prerogative is the first greatest hits album from American singer Britney Spears, released on November 1, 2004 by Jive Records. The compilation was released in two different formats, a standard edition and a limited edition containing a bonus disc with remixes. A compilation DVD...
increasing by 413 percent.
Critical response
While MetacriticMetacritic
Metacritic.com is a website that collates reviews of music albums, games, movies, TV shows and DVDs. For each product, a numerical score from each review is obtained and the total is averaged. An excerpt of each review is provided along with a hyperlink to the source. Three colour codes of Green,...
gave the season a Metascore—a weighted average based on the impression of 11 critical reviews—of 76/100, signifying generally favorable reviews, this score is based on reviews dated September and October of 2010, and reflective of the first few episodes only. The season as a whole received mixed reviews from critics who covered the show over the course of the season. Robert Canning of IGN
IGN
IGN is an entertainment website that focuses on video games, films, music and other media. IGN's main website comprises several specialty sites or "channels", each occupying a subdomain and covering a specific area of entertainment...
wrote that the "New York" season finale "was a decent close to an enjoyable season", while The Atlantic Meghan Brown called it "an uneven end to an uneven season", and her colleague Kevin Fallon said that season two was "undeniably frustrating" but "there was still ample reason to tune in and enjoy". Anthony Benigno of The Faster Times
The Faster Times
The Faster Times is an online newspaper launched by Sam Apple on July 9, 2009. Many print newspapers were going out of business and reporters were losing their jobs. The New York Times reported that in this climate, Apple was able to recruit professional writers guaranteeing them 75% of revenue...
gave the season a "C+", but noted that he was "an easy grader". The A.V. Club
The A.V. Club
The A.V. Club is an entertainment newspaper and website published by The Onion. Its features include reviews of new films, music, television, books, games and DVDs, as well as interviews and other regular offerings examining both new and classic media and other elements of pop culture. Unlike its...
Todd VanDerWerff gave the season a slightly better "B−", and stated: "The season opened and closed strong, but the middle section was mushy and filled with plenty of episodes that just didn’t work." Brett Berk of Vanity Fair
Vanity Fair (magazine)
Vanity Fair is a magazine of pop culture, fashion, and current affairs published by Condé Nast. The present Vanity Fair has been published since 1983 and there have been editions for four European countries as well as the U.S. edition. This revived the title which had ceased publication in 1935...
summed up as follows: "The quality of Glee’s second season has been something like the topography of Utah, or the acting career of Amanda Peet—blandly passable and relying on its good looks, but stumbling occasionally upon unfathomable idiosyncrasy, whose presence is at once baffling, frightening, and a bit melancholy—in a good way."
Several episodes drew complaints from advocacy group
Advocacy group
Advocacy groups use various forms of advocacy to influence public opinion and/or policy; they have played and continue to play an important part in the development of political and social systems...
s. The Parents Television Council
Parents Television Council
The Parents Television Council is a U.S. based advocacy group founded by conservative activist L. Brent Bozell III in 1995 using the National Legion of Decency as a model...
named "Britney/Brittany", "Blame It on the Alcohol" and "Sexy" the worst shows of their respective weeks of broadcast, due to their overt sexual content. "Sexy" was also criticized by the children's charity Kidscape
Kidscape
The London-based charity Kidscape was established in 1985 by child psychologist Michele Elliott. Its focus is on children’s safety, with an emphasis on the prevention of harm by equipping children with techniques and mindsets that help them stay safe....
for the "wholly inappropriate" inclusion of a song by convicted sex offender Gary Glitter
Gary Glitter
Gary Glitter is an English former glam rock singer-songwriter and musician.Glitter first came to prominence in the glam rock era of the early 1970s...
. The Gay & Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation objected to the use of the pejorative term "tranny" in "The Rocky Horror Glee Show", and "The Substitute" was ill-received by the National Alliance on Mental Illness
National Alliance on Mental Illness
The National Alliance on Mental Illness was founded in 1979 as the National Alliance for the Mentally Ill. NAMI is a nation-wide American advocacy group, representing families and people affected by mental illness as a non-profit grass roots organization and has affiliates in every American state...
for its humorous depiction of bipolar disorder
Bipolar disorder
Bipolar disorder or bipolar affective disorder, historically known as manic–depressive disorder, is a psychiatric diagnosis that describes a category of mood disorders defined by the presence of one or more episodes of abnormally elevated energy levels, cognition, and mood with or without one or...
.
Ratings
A January 2011 feature in The Hollywood ReporterThe Hollywood Reporter
Formerly a daily trade magazine, The Hollywood Reporter re-launched in late 2010 as a unique hybrid publication serving the entertainment industry and a consumer audience...
asserted that Glee had become the most-watched program of U.S.-origin in the UK.
Accolades
During its second season, Glee was nominated for forty-five awards. It won in three categories at the 68th Golden Globe Awards68th Golden Globe Awards
The 68th Golden Globe Awards was broadcast live from the Beverly Hilton Hotel in Beverly Hills, California on January 16, 2011, by NBC. The host was Ricky Gervais....
, from five nominations, and in two categories at the 37th People's Choice Awards
37th People's Choice Awards
The 37th People's Choice Awards, honoring the best in popular culture for 2010, were held on January 5, 2011 at the Nokia Theatre in Los Angeles, California, and were broadcast live on CBS at 9:00 pm ET...
, from four nominations. Its five nominations at the Satellite Awards 2010
Satellite Awards 2010
The 2010 Satellite Awards, honoring the year's outstanding performers, films, television shows, DVDs, and interactive media, were presented by the International Press Academy at the Hyatt Regency Century Plaza in Los Angeles on Sunday, December 19, 2010...
and three at the 17th Screen Actors Guild Awards
17th Screen Actors Guild Awards
----Best Cast - Motion Picture: The King's Speech----Best Cast - Drama Series: Boardwalk Empire----Best Cast - Comedy Series: Modern Family...
produced no wins, nor did two nominations at the NAACP Image Award
NAACP Image Award
An NAACP Image Award is an accolade presented by the American National Association for the Advancement of Colored People to honor outstanding people of color in film, television, music, and literature....
s. Glee garnered nine nominations at the AfterEllen.com and AfterElton.com Visibility Awards, of which it won four. It was awarded a further four awards by the Gay and Lesbian Entertainment Critics Association at the 2011 Dorian Awards, with the TV Comedy Performance of the Year accolade resulting in a tie between Colfer and Lynch. Series producer Alexis Martin Woodall won the Television Produced By A Woman accolade at the WIN Awards, where Glee was nominated for three awards in total.
Glee was named one of the American Film Institute
American Film Institute
The American Film Institute is an independent non-profit organization created by the National Endowment for the Arts, which was established in 1967 when President Lyndon B. Johnson signed the National Foundation on the Arts and the Humanities Act...
Television Programs of the Year at the 2010 AFI Awards, and tied with Modern Family
Modern Family
Modern Family is an American television comedy series created by Christopher Lloyd and Steven Levitan, which debuted on ABC on September 23, 2009. Lloyd and Levitan serve as showrunner and executive producers, under their Levitan-Lloyd Productions label...
for the Outstanding Comedy Series accolade at the 22nd GLAAD Media Awards
22nd GLAAD Media Awards
The 22nd GLAAD Media Awards is the upcoming 2011 annual presentation of the media awards presented by the Gay & Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation. The awards seek to honor films, television shows, musicians and works of journalism that fairly and accurately represent the LGBT community and issues...
. Series costume designer Lou Eyrich received the Outstanding Contemporary Television Series award at the Costume Designers Guild Awards 2010
Costume Designers Guild Awards 2010
The 13th Costume Designers Guild Awards, honoring the best costume designs in film and television for 2010, were given on February 22, 2011 at the Beverly Hilton Hotel in Beverly Hills...
, and casting directors Robert J. Ulrich, Eric Dawson and Carol Kritzer won the CSA Media Access Award and for casting performers with disabilities. The series was additionally nominated in the International TV Show category at the British Academy Television Awards 2010
British Academy Television Awards 2010
The 2010 British Academy Television Awards were held on 6 June 2010. The nominations were announced on 10 May.This year new awards were added including the award for Best Actor/Actress in a Supporting Role. Graham Norton hosted the ceremony...
, for International Breakthrough Act at the 2011 BRIT Awards
2011 BRIT Awards
The 2011 BRIT Awards was held on Tuesday 15 February 2011.It was the 31st edition of the British Phonographic Industry's annual pop music awards. The award ceremony was held at The O2 Arena...
, and in the Digital Choice category at the 2011 National Television Awards
National Television Awards
The National Television Awards is a British television awards ceremony, broadcast by the ITV network and initiated in 1995. The National Television Awards are the most prominent ceremony for which the results are voted on by the general public. Because of the way the awards are decided, winners are...
. Lynch was nominated for Comedy Actress – TV at the inaugural Comedy Awards
The Comedy Awards
The Comedy Awards is an annual award ceremony run by the American television network Comedy Central, honoring the best of comedy. The first ceremony took place on March 26, 2011 and aired on April 10 on CMT, Comedy Central, Logo, Spike TV, TV Land and VH1...
. Brennan, Falchuk and Murphy received a Comedy Series nomination at the 2011 Writers Guild of America Awards, and they, along with Di Loreto and Kenneth Silverstein, were nominated for The Danny Thomas Award for Outstanding Producer of Episodic Television – Comedy at the Producers Guild of America Awards 2010
Producers Guild of America Awards 2010
The 22nd Producers Guild of America Awards, given on January 22, 2011, honouring the best film and television producers of 2010.-Theatrical Picture:The King's Speech*127 Hours*Black Swan*Inception*The Fighter...
.
Home video releases
Glee: Season 2, Volume 1 contains the first ten episodes of the season. It was released as a three-disc box set on Region 1 DVD in the US and Canada on January 25, 2011, on Region 4 DVD in Australia and New Zealand on March 23, 2011, and on Region 2 DVD in the UK and Ireland on April 4, 2011. The special features include a DVD-exclusive song from "The Rocky Horror Glee Show". The final twelve episodes of the season are collected on Glee: Season 2, Volume 2, which was released in the US on September 13, 2011, and includes several special features such as "Building Glee Auditorium" with Cory Monteith and "Shooting Glee in New York City"; Glee: The Complete Second Season was released on the same day in DVD and Blu-ray, and contains all the special features from the second season's first and second DVD volumes. The two DVDs and full-season Blu-ray were released in the UK on September 19, 2011. Amazon.comAmazon.com
Amazon.com, Inc. is a multinational electronic commerce company headquartered in Seattle, Washington, United States. It is the world's largest online retailer. Amazon has separate websites for the following countries: United States, Canada, United Kingdom, Germany, France, Italy, Spain, Japan, and...
began taking pre-orders for the complete season box set on Blu-ray and DVD in September 2010, the week the season premiered.