Fox is going to pilot the one-hour comedy
Glee, from
Nip/Tuck creator Ryan Murphy.
According to
Variety, the network is fast-tracking the project, which revolves around the world of high school glee clubs, and has ordered four additional scripts beyond the pilot. If all goes as planned, Fox hopes to have the show on the air by March, as a potential companion to
American Idol.
Casting has already begun on
Glee, which was created and written by Murphy, Brad Falchuk and Ian Brennan. The studio is 20th Century Fox TV.
Glee, which takes place in the Midwest, centers on Will, a Spanish teacher suddenly called upon to coach the glee club at the high school. The club is one of the worst in the nation -- but the adults and kids are inspired to turn things around.
Murphy's looking for a multicultural cast, as well as a mix of straight and gay characters.
The show's leads won't break out into song, but Murphy said the series will contain at least four songs per episode -- organically sung onstage by the choir. Taking a page from "Idol," the performers will croon popular, well-known tunes.
"No original music is being written," Murphy said. "It's like 'American Idol,' a form of karaoke. People like to see people singing songs they know."
"There's so much on the air right now about people with guns, or sci-fi, or lawyers running around," he said. "This is a different genre, there's nothing like it on the air at the networks and cable. Everything's so dark in the world right now, that's why 'Idol' worked. It's pure escapism."
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