Fox has something to sing about. Musical dramedy Glee has been renewed for a fifth and sixth season, the network announced Friday.
“Glee debuted as the first and only successful musical comedy series on television, and more than four years later, it continues to defy genres, break new ground and have a significant impact on popular culture,” Fox entertainment chairman Kevin Reilly said in a statement announcing the news. “Week in and week out, Ryan Murphy, Brad Falchuk, Ian Brennan, Dante DiLoreto and the entire Glee team deliver a series that not only delights and surprises fans, but also inspires them to talk about, share, debate and engage with the show — and I’m absolutely thrilled to have them on board for another two seasons.”
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Reilly first hinted that the renewal could be for multiple seasons in January, telling reporters that it was a “real possibility” that he would pick up the musical for multiple seasons. “We’re going to negotiate now for the fifth season and beyond,” he said at the time.
The Lea Michele starrer has been a sturdy performer for the network in its new Thursdays at 9 p.m. slot, where it has featured more mature themes including last week’s controversial school shooting hour as the series split its focus between McKinley High and New York. In its fourth season, Glee is averaging a 3.6 rating in the advertiser-coveted adults 18-49 demographic and 8.7 million total viewers. It’s ranked as a top 10 comedy among the metric and overall among adults 18-34.
The musical series, which this season marked its 500th musical performance, remains a valuable commodity for Fox and sibling studio 20th Television, with music sales also serving as a cash cow. More than 53 million Glee tracks have been downloaded and more than 13 million albums have been sold worldwide, including two platinum and give gold albums. The Glee cast also holds the record for the most singles to ever enter the Billboard Hot 100 chart with 203 tracks to date, surpassing the records previously held by Elvis Presley, the Beatles and James Brown.