GLEE
Tv Study
Media Studies 20
Who are the losers in your school? How do you know that? Does it matter how they
look, who their friends are, what clubs they belong to or their family situation? What
makes you popular in our school? Is it who you hang out with? The clothes you wear?
The car you drive? What teams or clubs you are in?
Television does a great job of giving us a world we can escape to for a short length of
time during the course of show. Sometimes though, the realities of our world creeps
into what we see on TV.
The show “Glee” has started to become quite popular during its time slot on FOX with
its viewers. Why? Is it because of the music? Is it because of the characters? Is it
because of the humor? Is it because of the storyline? Is it because that it does a
decent job of showing the issues that teens face while they are in high school and how
they deal with it?
Those are a lot of questions that keep people tuning in every Wednesday night.
Over the next number of weeks, we are going to have a TV study on this show. You will
be in charge of keeping track of each episodes questions (which will be given to you
before we watch the show). Remember, these questions are “opinion” questions which
means that each of you will have a different answer based on your own view point.
I do expect a lot of thought into these answers as I always like to ask the “Why?”
Each handout will be worth 10 marks to you. There are 13 episodes. This means, at
the end of this project, there will be 130 marks given to you. Your thoughts an opinions
is what gets you to those 10 marks ever week (we will watch 1 episode per week, in this
class).
Do your best in answering the questions. Take them home over the weekend and work
on them. I will ask them to be handed in on Monday.
Episode 1 (pilot episode)
**Please use full and complete answers in your questions.**
1. What does the term “pilot episode” mean in terms of a TV show?
Pilot episode tells you what’s going to happen in the season, and it leads you onto
watching the show more.
2. What is the setting for the show? Why do you think the writer’s of the show chose
this setting to tell their story?
McKinley high school is the setting, I think she chose this setting because glee clubs are
in high schools and they’re target audience is teenagers and we can relate with the
drama.
3. In your own words, what is this show about? You don’t have to make this too long.
Just a paragraph will do.
This show is about different clicks getting together and working as one, and it says to
younger teenagers/ the target audiences that it’s okay to do what you want, and not just
because you’re popular or a “loser” you can’t do it, and to do what you believe in, not
what your pressured into.
4. Who are three characters that appeal to you in this show and why?
a. Mr.Schuester because he knows what to believe in, and he proves to people you can
have fun no matter what, and who you hang out with and to give people a chance.
b. Finn because he stands up for other people and cares about bullying and helps kids
out with it.
c. Mercedes because she is tough and she knows how to get around what is right and
not what they are doing, she believes everyone should have a chance to sing equally.
5. What does the music have to do with this show? Is it used for something other than
just having something for the characters to sing. Think about, and listen to, the songs
that they are singing.
Music can relate to anyone and most teens listen to it, so they know that we’ll be
interested in a show that relates real drama to songs we hear every day, but they
brought a different way in for you to think about it.