Glee

With its ingratiating group of high-school misfits, snappy choreography and infectious soundtrack, Glee is one the most charming and refreshing programs on television. But it’s more than just a quirky hour of sing-along fun. It’s a harmonious blend of brilliant comedic interludes, painful love triangles and poignant teen drama. With a style both touching and authentic, Glee tackles difficult issues—teen pregnancy, disability, sexual orientation—without resorting to lectures. It lets the characters speak—or sing—for themselves. The grownups, too, never miss a beat. From budget squabbles and giant egos to forbidden love and fake pregnancies, they navigate both the ordinary and the melodramatic with a surprisingly credible blend of honesty, irony and whimsy. The sharp-tongued verbal battles between Sue Sylvester, championship-winning cheerleading coach, and Will Schuester, glee club director, produce memorable one-liners and demonstrate that adults can sometimes behave more childishly than children. While Schuester and his glee club may not always get what they want, they remind us every episode that we all have a song in our heart. For its heartwarming and hilarious portrayal of high school life set to contagious tunes, Glee receives a Peabody Award.