Is ‘Glee’-mania too much too soon?

This article was originally on a blog post platform and may be missing photos, graphics or links. See About archive blog posts.

‘GLEE’ COUNTDOWN: 3 DAYS

We’ve caught “Glee” fever over here on Show Tracker -- like we ever lost it. To celebrate the hit show coming back to finish its already successful freshman season, we wanted to offer a few gleeful nuggets to get fans ready for Tuesday.

A new episode of “Glee” hasn’t aired on TV screens since December, but you wouldn’t know that. Though it’s been a lengthy four months since the fall finale of the musical juggernaut the cast hasn’t exactly stayed away during the hiatus.

Matthew Morrison scored a record deal, the show snagged a few trophies, there was the not-so-surprising second season renewal and the cast even sang and dance at the White House and on Oprah – all within one week. With a four-city tour in the works and a nationwide casting call currently underway for new characters on the show, has “Glee”-mania gone overboard?

“I don’t know exactly what we can do about it. It’s sort of like we’re here, get on the conference call; there are 35 reporters that would like to speak to you. We’re going to talk to them. If the President asks you to come or Oprah asks you to come, you’re not going to say no,” co-creator and executive producer Brad Falchuk said.

Falchuk said the goal is to make the best possible stories keep the characters interesting, which is what the crew focuses on – not the threat of the show getting overexposed.

“All that stuff doesn’t mean a lot, when Ian [Brennan], Ryan [Murphy, co-creator and executive producer], and I get in a room and we’re writing or when we get on the set and we’re working with the actors, it’s sort of none of that outside stuff really means that much,” Falchuk said. “We just have to sort of do our best. And so we don’t worry too much about it, because I don’t think there’s anything we can do about it.

Co-creator and executive producer Ian Brennan said it’s all about keeping the show fresh.

“And particularly like Ryan and Brad they both have a real good taste of keeping things … If we keep things interesting for us, and as long as we don’t get bored with it, I think we’ll be fine,” Brennan said. “And they’re really good, Ryan in particular, just kind of mixing it up and keeping it interesting. So I don’t worry so much about that.”

With the cast seemingly so accessible, is there any concern that Fox is offering too much?

“Well our marketing department at Fox is really actually quite amazing what they’re able to do. And also we are incredibly involved with all of that, what material goes out, and especially Ryan is intensely involved with what gets out, what doesn’t get out. And I happen to not think that, because I see all of those clips and what’s going to be put out and what story points are going to be revealed, that the experience of sitting down for that hour and watching, actually experience the show as we intend you to experience and the moments we want you to feel,” Falchuk said.

Falchuk said he’s not worried that numerous teaser clips have been released for the back nine episodes. He said the experience for viewers isn’t being spoiled.

“You can see a clip … it’s not the same as when you’ve been on that ride of the episode and what’s the emotional moment, the emotional impact of that song at that minute 31 as opposed to just seeing a little bit of the clip of it,” Falchuck said. “You sort of need to sort of feed that beast. So we don’t get too concerned about that.”

-- Gerrick D. Kennedy (Follow me on Twitter @GerrickKennedy)

Top photo: The cast of ‘Glee,’ which returns to TV Tuesday.

Bottom photo: ‘Glee’ stars perform at the White House for the annual Easter Egg Roll. Credit: Fox

Related:

Complete Showtracker coverage of ‘Glee’