Erin Balser - Dont Stop Believin: The Unofficial Guide to Glee

The opening riffs from an epic 1980s power ballad hit the hallways, piquing the interest of a dejected teacher, a malicious cheerleading coach and the resident bad boy. In the auditorium six misfit kids in matching red shirts and Converse sneakers twirl and wheel (literally!) to a song they have not only made their own but taken to heart Journeys Dont Stop Believin. They radiate joy with every note, much to the delight of the teacher and to the dismay of the cheerleading coach. William McKinley High Schools glee club has arrived. And so has Glee , becoming must-see TV for millions of self-proclaimed gleeks around the world.

Glee , the show about a misfit show choir, is a celebration of freaks, geeks and underdogs, and of passion, pride and creativity. Its about doing what you love and being proud of who you are, even if you dont always fit in. You know, the show choir thing, I think, is a metaphor for being different and embracing your difference and being able to express yourself no matter how hard or how much pain youre in, Glee s creator Ryan Murphy says. Its this metaphor that viewers everywhere connect with, looking at Rachel, Finn, Quinn, Kurt, Artie, Puck, Mercedes and Tina and seeing themselves (albeit with killer singing and dancing skills).

Glee is often compared to High School Musical , but its darker and more complex, and while the musical performances are similar to American Idol s, thats where that comparison ends too. Glee is a comedy, drama and musical all rolled into one. To find a comparable show, you need to go back to the 1980s and the success of Fame , which aired for one season on NBC before being syndicated for its five remaining seasons. Fame , like Glee , put the spotlight on a group of talented high school students aspiring to stardom. It explored mature themes, dealt with the difficulties of growing up and addressed the sacrifices we make for our dreams, highlighting these issues with a dynamic musical element. After Fame s television run ended, shows with a performing arts focus experienced a bit of a lull, but in the last decade theyve regained their place at center stage. And with Rachel Berryesque determination, theyre not giving up their marquee status any time soon. With the success of shows and movies like American Idol , So You Think You Can Dance , Americas Got Talent , Stomp the Yard , Step Up and the Fame film remake, it was only a matter of time before someone channeled the movement into a scripted television show.

When writer/director Ryan Murphy did just that in 2009, his show became an unstoppable force, with an average of 9.77 million viewers per episode, millions of song downloads, a live concert tour, a clothing line and so much more. The fans are in on the spin-off action too. From YouTube mash-up videos to fan cover songs, from Twitter trending to fan fiction: theres nothing Glee hasnt touched. Including us, the lucky gals writing this book.

We both became enamored of the show, mysteriously unavailable on each Wednesday (and then Tuesday) night, wearing Emma-inspired monochromatic outfits around town, dancing to Dont Stop Believin in the subway and suggesting Glee -only karaoke nights with friends. We went online to find people who felt the same way, started our own blogs and connected with fans, including role players, other bloggers and frequent forum users.

In fact, it was Glee that brought us together. Were both writers who pitched the idea of a Glee companion guide to ECW Press, a publishing house known for their great television books. ECW loved both proposals and thought that, together, we could create a book that every gleek would love to read. Mash-ups, as Glee has taught us, can be a beautiful thing.

As much as we love Glee , were the first to admit the show isnt perfect. Some lessons can be heavy-handed and some plot points fall flat. But Glee has guts and isnt afraid to make mistakes. Just like their characters, the creative minds behind the show push forward with originality, spunk and heart, knowing that doing what they believe in is worth the occasional slushie facial from their critics. Besides, emotional peaks and valleys are all part of a regular episode of Glee . Inspiring laughter one minute and tears the next (and sometime tears of laughter!), one episode of Glee takes viewers through more emotions than some television shows do over a whole season. No wonder we finish every episode with a song in our hearts!

Glee is a huge, complicated and fascinating world, both on-screen and off. It has an eclectic cast of Broadway stars and previously unknown actors, a complicated production process, tons of musical numbers and references to everything from 1930s Broadway to Justin Timberlake. Glee moves at a breakneck pace and its sometimes hard to keep up, let alone take it all in. But dont worry, were here to help you successfully navigate the halls of McKinley High.