It’s hard to believe that it’s been 10 years since the Slushy epidemic at McKinley High! Glee premiered on May 19, 2009, on Fox, where it ran for six seasons. At the time, there was nothing like it – and no one related to the students and the teachers like the cast.
“What I miss most of all is the message and how every kid who watched that show – including adults in some situations – had some character that they deeply identified with,” Jane Lynch, who played Coach Sue Sylvester, says in the new issue of Us Weekly. “I think that’s why it moved people so much. Those issues were spoken to through music, and music moves.”
She also reminisced about shooting the pilot when the cast stood on stage and sang Journey’s “Don’t Stop Believin’” in red T-shirts – the song that became an anthem for the show. “They were on an empty stage, and I was so touched by that. I was so touched by the rawness of the emotion of the song and what it took to get those kids together and they did it on their own. They did it without Mr. Schu. That commitment, like, ‘Let’s put on a show, in spite of all the crap that went on in that high school, getting Slushies in the face and being made fun of,’ and I remember watching them shoot that going, ‘Huh! This is special.’”
Matthew Morrison, who appeared as Mr. Will Schuester, also reveals his memories of dancing on stage during the comedy. “I could dance in the rain with Gwyneth Paltrow all day long,” he tells Us. “Dancing with Harry Shum Jr. then make him laugh – the number we did was one of my favorite numbers and so much fun!”
While it’s only been four years since the show ended, “this country needs Glee now more than ever,” Lynch says. “It’s such a terrific blueprint for a show.”
For more from Morrison and Lynch, including their thoughts on a reboot, watch our video above and pick up Us Weekly, on stands now.
