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Glee busts out in song for sophomore season on FOX

By April MacIntyre Jan 11, 2010, 18:16 GMT

LOVE LOVE Jane Lynch - "Glee" © Rick Stephens / PR Photos

FOX has shouted their "Glee"-ful noise as the quirky 'musicomedy' of McKinley High’s Glee Club is to have a second season, it was announced today by Kevin Reilly, President, Entertainment for Fox Broadcasting Company.

TCA Monday is FOX day, as the casts of all the FOX series are at the Langham in Pasadena to share tidbits and insight into the upcoming seasons of their respective shows.

"Glee" is nothing short of a TV phenomenon, with two certified Gold albums and more than 4 million song downloads.  The show stars comedic genius actress Jane Lynch, and has received four Golden Globe nominations, including one for Best Television Series – Musical or Comedy; a Screen Actors Guild nomination for Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Comedy Series; two Directors Guild of America Award nominations; and a Writers Guild of America nomination for Best Comedy Series and Best New Series.

Even the American Film Institute named "Glee" one of the Top 10 TV Programs of the Year, along with snagging a People’s Choice Award for Favorite New TV Comedy.

Jane Lynch is joined by cast members Dianna Agron, Chris Colfer, Jessalyn Gilsig,  Jayma Mays, Kevin McHale, Lea Michele, Cory Monteith, Matthew Morrison, Amber Riley, Mark Salling and Jenna Ushkowitz.

“We’ve loved Glee ever since it was a pilot script, so it’s been an incredible thrill to watch the show take root and see audiences embrace these characters in such a huge way this season,” said Reilly. “The show is a true and rare gem in television. We couldn’t be more proud of what Ryan Murphy and the Glee team have created so far, and can’t wait to see what they come up with for Season Two.”

Replicating and expanding on the process used to discover the stars from Season One, the series’ executive producers will begin a nationwide casting search this February to fill three new roles that will be added to the show’s second season.

According to FOX publicity, "this unique casting search and process will be chronicled in a multi-part special that will air leading up to the premiere of the series’ second season in fall 2010 on FOX, and the new cast members will be revealed in the premiere episode." 

“Glee has always been about finding new fresh exciting voices. Our second season search for young talent will be in the vein of our first season. We launched a nationwide search for talent for our first season with great unexpected results, and Season Two expands that search in an even bigger way,” said executive producer and creator Ryan Murphy.

He added, “Anybody and everybody now has a chance to be on a show about talented underdogs. No matter who you are – a Broadway talent or a struggling singing waiter with a dream in the Midwest – you now have an opportunity to make that dream come true by posting your talent video and showing us what you can do. ALL the roles will be chosen from the video audition process, which is exciting and unprecedented. We want to be the first interactive musical comedy on television, and the search is ON.”

“Glee is the hottest new show of the season, and it’s amazing to look back at the audition tapes of those stars as they were being discovered,” said Mike Darnell, President of Alternative Entertainment for FOX.

“Just like Glee, there’s never really been an unscripted program like this on television before. The stakes are real, and it’s going to be incredibly compelling to watch the lives of these unknowns transformed before our eyes.”

Glee returns with all-new episodes on a new night beginning Tuesday, April 13 (9:00-10:00 PM ET/PT) on FOX.