Recently in Glee Category

Maybe it's the power of the title, but every time I think about "Glee" I get giddy. We were introduced to the Fox series in May, after an episode of "American Idol," and it was obvious from the start that we were confronted with something no less than magical.

It's the holy grail of primetime: A TV musical that works.

Oh, many have tried to combine musical numbers and mainstream TV. "Eli Stone" and George Michael - a noble effort. "Viva Laughlin" - a gamble that didn't pay off. "Cop Rock" - the less said, the better.

(I can't resist. Just one flashback. Remember when "Cop Rock" had a lineup of Hispanic suspects sing, "We're the local color with the coppertone skin / And you treat us like we're guilty of some terrible sin"?)

By contrast, "Glee" is pure joy to watch. Is there anything more uplifting than watching a group of teenage misfits belting out "Don't Stop Believin'"?

By Paige Wiser
pwiser@suntimes.com

Singing or dancing? TV viewers declared their preference last night with a click of the remote - and "American Idol" continues to dominate our evenings, with about 23.7 million viewers.

But "Dancing With the Stars" is getting a leg up. The final night of singing for "Idol" was actually the lowest-rated finale ever, even including its first season, when it aired in the summer. "DWTS" drew 20.1 million viewers, holding onto its audience from last year.

Interestingly, the new high school musical "Glee" had both singing [ital]and[unital] dancing, not to mention a cushy slot post-"American Idol." It was also promoted within an inch of its young life. "Glee" hooked a passable 9.9 million viewers - but FOX bragged that it was the No. 1 topic on Twitter all night.