Gleek out! Fox has just announced that it has picked up its popular musical series from co-creator Ryan Murphy for two more seasons.
“'Glee' debuted as the first and only successful musical comedy series on television, and more than four years later, it continues to defy genres, break new ground and have a significant impact on popular culture,” said Fox Broadcasting Company's entertainment chairman in a statement.
“Week in and week out, Ryan Murphy, Brad Falchuk, Ian Brennan, Dante Di Loreto and the entire 'Glee' team deliver a series that not only delights and surprises fans, but also inspires them to talk about, share, debate and engage with the show – and I’m absolutely thrilled to have them on board for another two seasons,” he continued.
While the series has performed well over its four seasons on the network, its viewership has flagged a bit. Thursday's new episode saw a slight 6 percent dip in the ratings, but still earned the top spot of the night in the advertiser-coveted 18-49 demographic.
“'Glee' has been a signature series for the studio since its launch four years ago and we couldn’t be happier that Fox has ordered two more seasons,” said Twentieth Century Fox Television chairmen Dana Walden and Gary Newman jointly. “Ryan, Brad, Ian and Dante have created something that is far larger than a television show; it’s a global entertainment brand which continues to touch millions around the world. From its chart-topping musical numbers to its inventive storytelling and rich, complex characters, 'Glee' rewrote the rules of what network television could be, and we are enormously proud to be the studio behind it.”
“I am very grateful to Kevin, Dana and Gary for their incredible support of this series from the beginning,” Murphy added. “But, I also want to thank our loyal audience, whose passion and enthusiasm continue to amaze and inspire us.”
In March, the series celebrated its 500th performance with "Shout." This season, the series passed another milestone as several of its characters graduated and passed the New Directions torch to several new players.
The series' soundtrack also continues to do well with music lovers. The show has more than 53 million songs downloaded and has sold more than 13 million albums worldwide, going platinum twice and gold five times.
With this season renewal, it remains to be seen what Oxygen will do with its reality competition, "The Glee Project," which gives its winners a recurring role on the Fox series and is produced by Ryan Murphy. Last week, the cable channel announced that a series renewal was pending a "Glee" pickup amid reports of the competition show's cancelation.
"Glee" is produced by Ryan Murphy Television in association with 20th Century Fox Television. Murphy, Falchuk, Brennan and Di Loreto serve as executive producers.
"Glee" airs Thursdays at 9/8c after Fox's "American Idol."
