Smallscreen News

Sue Sylvester Superstar: How Glee's Jane Lynch does Vogue

By April MacIntyre Apr 14, 2010, 4:48 GMT

Jane Lynch is Sue Sylvester, superstar, courtesy of FOX

FOX's "Glee" is a blast of mirth and music that has been lacking in television for a very long time. No other show looks or sounds like it, and the quality of the musical numbers has even the most hardened musical theater haters stopping and listening, karaoke singing to the infectious renditions of pop hits.

Forget what you might have read by other critics, that there is too much music this time out, or the changes experienced by the cast are shocking. This season is punctuated by longing for love and acceptance.

And then there's Sue Sylvester, (Jane Lynch), whose slyly delivered slams are so pitch perfect and astoundingly clever you have to give it to Jane, she's this generation's Betty White. Those are some big comedic shoes to fill, and Ms. Lynch is on a roll these days.

After a midseason break, tonight (Tuesday April 13) was the Hell-O return for the Cheerios and the Glee-sters, and the teachers and administrative staff who are running the show at McKinley High School.

"Glee" is now a cottage industry and a sold-out tour, with a best selling CD and a Golden Globe, a Screen Actors Guild award, and a Peabody to boot, A PEABODY!

The show speaks to people in other countries too, wildly popular in Europe and Down Under. Madonna adores the show, and top talent now vys to be included in future produced song sequences that blow you away with how good they are choreographed and produced.

Next week, the show reverts to its usual 9-to-10 slot on Tuesdays.

The premiere tonight sees the tortured love affair between Cory Monteith and Lea Michele go through some Sturm und Drang, and brings in two vile characters, (one vile, one dim actually) Cheerios cheerleaders Brittany (dim) and Santana Lopez (vile), sic-ed on the couple by conniving, blackmailing Sue Sylvester to dilute the talent pool of the Glee club.

Also new to the cast is Jonathan Groff, who sings a Lionel Richie standard with Lea that is drop dead fabulous.

Love to see that Chris Colfer and Amber Riley bond and are each other's "backs" as the two navigate self confidence/body image and family issues.

"Glee" is a shout to the world for all of us to come to the cool kids table and just be seen as a fellow human, not a gender, sexual preference, color or handicap. It's a remarkable effort.

Next week's all-Madonna episode is the epitome of Sue's new-found hubris aided by a Mickey Finn, a spiked drink that bought her Carte Blanche to terrorize everyone in the school. Her "Vogue" video was the brainchild of actors Chris Colfer and Amber Riley, who gussy up the harridan.