Fox’s newest series Glee delivers a show stopping pilot that plays like a combination of High School Musical, The Breakfast Club and Hairspray. Created by Ryan Murphy, who is noted for his work in Nip/Tuck and Popular, Glee was highly publicized and advertised by promos following American Idol in an attempt to increase the number of viewers. The first episode of Glee offers a surprisingly charming mix of sarcasm, wit and insightful comments.

The story is centered around high school teacher Will Schuester, played by Matthew Morrison, as he attempts to bring the practically non-existent singing Glee Club back to life. The star of the club is the wannabe diva Rachel, played by Lea Michele, who possesses a considerable talent for singing but lacks social skills. This makes her a target for cruel remarks from the cheerleaders.

However the Glee Club does not really take off until Schuester blackmails the school’s football quarterback Finn, played by Corey Monteith, into becoming the male lead. With the discovery of Finn’s amazing voice, the Glee Club is complete. Although Michele has a lot experience from Broadway and possesses a clear and experienced voice that perfectly fits her role, Monteith falls short of his supposed talent. We are reminded over and over again that Finn is the amazing undiscoverered star whose voice stuns both Schuester and Rachel, yet Monteith has merely an adequate voice that is automatically overwhelmed by Michele’s during the final song of the episode.

Despite Monteith’s mediocre singing abilities, the choreographed performances during the episode are sure to please viewers accustomed to watching shows like American Idol and Dancing with the Stars. It cleverly mixes the oldies with the newbies, including Amy Winehouse’s “Rehab” and Journey’s “Don’t Stop Believing”. The soundtrack itself will be a hit even if the series fails to impress. The characters’ interpretation of the classic songs was so catchy that I found myself humming the inspiring tunes for the rest of the day.

Glee’s strength lies in its ability to include a slightly cynical mockery of the way society works, while also keeping the original cliched cast of high school students. Murphy makes sure to alternate between the cutesy inspirational scenes so reminiscent of High School Musical and the sarcastic jabs aimed at the outcast statuses of the characters. The pilot offers viewers hope that the show will become a charming series that showcases an unoriginal idea in an original way. A new show with heart, attitude and amazing musical numbers, Fox’s newest series Glee promises to be a smash hit this coming fall.