Before the behind-the-scenes controversies, gossip, and tragedies, and before later seasons became a Top 40 covers parade, "Glee" was a true phenomenon and a unique voice in the pantheon of teen TV. A knife-sharp satire of high school social hierarchies, the adults who should know better but don't, and the indignities of being 16, "Glee" combined a big voice with an even bigger heart. Even at its most melodramatic, it tried to give thoughtful consideration to messy, complicated topics like sex and sexuality, addiction, death and grief, and dreams both achieved and denied. By finally cracking the formula for making a musical TV show, "Glee" launched its stars into international-star status and finally, finally made the geeks cool.
