''The Glee Project'' is an American

reality television Reality television is a genre of television programming that documents purportedly unscripted real-life situations, often starring unfamiliar people rather than professional actors. Reality television emerged as a distinct genre in the early ...

series from

Oxygen Oxygen is the chemical element with the symbol O and atomic number 8. It is a member of the chalcogen group in the periodic table, a highly reactive nonmetal, and an oxidizing agent that readily forms oxides with most elements as ...

. It served as an audition for the

Fox Foxes are small to medium-sized, omnivorous mammals belonging to several genera of the family Canidae. They have a flattened skull, upright, triangular ears, a pointed, slightly upturned snout, and a long bushy tail (or ''brush''). Twelve sp ...

musical comedy series ''

Glee Glee means delight, a form of happiness. Glee may also refer to: * Glee (music), a type of English choral music * ''Glee'' (TV series), an American musical comedy-drama TV series, and related media created by Ryan Murphy * ''Glee'' (Bran Van 30 ...

'', and the prize for the winner was a minimum seven-episode arc in the following season of the show. The show's first season premiered in the US on June 12, 2011, and concluded on August 21, 2011. In Canada, the series began airing on Slice on June 26, 2011, and in the UK, the series began airing on

Sky 1 Sky One was a British pay television channel operated and owned by Sky Group (a division of Comcast). Originally launched on 26 April 1982 as Satellite Television, it was Europe's first satellite and non- terrestrial channel. From 31 July 1989, ...

on July 14, 2011. A second season aired in the US from June 5 to August 14, 2012. In July 2013, it was announced that ''The Glee Project'' would not return for a third season. ''Glee'' executive producers Ryan Murphy and

Dante Di Loreto Dante Di Loreto is an American film and television producer most notable for executive producing '' Glee'' and ''American Horror Story''. He is a two-time Primetime Emmy Award winner and for his work on ''Temple Grandin'' and ''The Normal Heart'' ...

executive produced for ''The Glee Project''. ''Glee'' casting director, Robert J. Ulrich, was casting director for the project, while ''Glee'' on-screen non-speaking accompanist,

Brad Ellis Brad Ellis is an American composer, musical director, singer, orchestrator, and jazz pianist. Ellis is perhaps most visible as Brad the mostly quiet pianist for the high school kids on '' Glee'', the Fox television show for which he is part of c ...

, helping Ulrich coach 80 potential candidates as seen in the music segment of "The Top 12" special that led into the pilot episode of season 1.

Contest process

Each episode of ''The Glee Project'' was given an overall theme and covered events that had taken place in about the time span of a week. The following is how the events were broadcast.

Homework assignment

Contestants were given a "homework assignment" that entailed learning and practicing segments of a chosen song. At the beginning of each episode, contestants performed their respective parts of the song in front of a mystery guest judge from the ''Glee'' cast. The contestant that completed the homework best was given a one-on-one session with the guest star and a principal part in the music video.

Music video (group performance)

Contestants then created a music video "inspired by the performances on ''Glee''". In preparation for the music video, contestants recorded parts of a song in a professional studio with vocal producer Nikki Anders (née Hassman). They also learned choreography from

Zach Woodlee Zach Woodlee (born April 27, 1977) is an American choreographer and dancer. He was choreographer and co-producer of the TV series '' Glee''. He has choreographed many other films such as '' Hairspray'' and '' Bedtime Stories''. Biography Earl ...

and/or Brooke Lipton, his assistant. The entire process was overseen by ''Glee'' casting director Robert J. Ulrich.

Callbacks

During callbacks, the top performing contestants were revealed. They were complimented on their performances and immediately called back. Then the remaining ones were critiqued by Robert J. Ulrich and Zach Woodlee, and also in the second season by Nikki Anders, about their performances. (Anders substituted for Woodlee in Ep. 8 of the first season.) Then the bottom three contestants were revealed as others were added to the callback list. They were then each assigned a different song that they will perform in hopes of being "saved". During season 1, Nikki visited each of the bottom in their dressing/rehearsal room to provide last minute feedback and a pep talk.

Last chance performance

The bottom three of the week performed their assigned songs in front of Ryan Murphy himself. With input from Woodlee, Ulrich, and Anders (in the second season) a decision was made and one of the bottom three was eliminated. During the next to last episode of each season Ryan didn't include the mentors; instead he invited co-creator Ian Brennan to join him. In the final episodes, Murphy, Woodlee, Ulrich, Anders, and Brennan were also joined by several of the guest mentors, writers, and cast members.

Final callbacks

Unlike most reality competition shows, contestants were not directly informed of their elimination, nor did they wait for extended tension-filled pauses to hear the results one by one. Rather, the bottom three were notified when "the list is up" and discovered their fate as they found their name on the list. Afterwards, the eliminated contestant sang lead vocals in "

Keep Holding On "Keep Holding On" is a power ballad by Canadian singer-songwriter Avril Lavigne, appearing as the last track on Lavigne's third studio album, ''The Best Damn Thing'' (2007), which was released on April 17, 2007. Lavigne has described the rest ...

" by Avril Lavigne with the remaining contestants singing the background vocals.

Season one (2011)

Although originally planned to begin broadcasting in late May 2011, ''The Glee Project'' premiered on June 12, 2011, and aired a two-hour extended premiere where the first hour showed the audition process and selection of the twelve contenders, and the second hour was the first episode of the series. The Canadian and UK premieres were also in the same two-hour extended format: in Canada, the series began airing on Slice on June 26, 2011, and in the UK, the series began airing on Sky One on July 14, 2011.

Damian McGinty Damian Joseph McGinty Jr. (born 9 September 1992) is an Irish singer and actor. McGinty has been performing for over a decade, and a member of the group Celtic Thunder for thirteen years starting when he was fourteen. On 21 August 2011, McGinty ...

and

Samuel Larsen Samuel Peter Acosta Larsen (born August 28, 1991) is an American actor and singer. On August 21, 2011, Larsen won the reality competition program '' The Glee Project'' on the Oxygen network, which led to his having a recurring role as Joe Hart on ...

were both proclaimed the winners of the first season, each winning a seven-episode arc. Runners-up

Lindsay Pearce Lindsay Heather Pearce (born April 30, 1991) is an American actress and singer best known for her work in musical theatre. She made her Broadway debut as Elphaba in ''Wicked'' in February 2020 and later made her national tour debut as Janis Sar ...

and Alex Newell were given prizes of a two-episode arc on ''Glee'', and Cameron Mitchell, who quit the competition in episode 7, won the "fan favorite" competition and the associated $10,000 prize. Pearce's two-episode arc, as a Rachel Berry-esque girl named Harmony, consisted of the season premiere episode "

The Purple Piano Project "The Purple Piano Project" is the premiere episode of the third season of the American musical television series '' Glee'', and the forty-fifth overall. The episode was written by series co-creator Brad Falchuk, directed by Eric Stoltz, and first ...

" and the eighth episode " Hold On to Sixteen", while McGinty began his arc as

Rory Flanagan Rory Flanagan is a recurring fictional character from the Fox musical comedy-drama series '' Glee''. The character is portrayed by actor Damian McGinty, and appeared in ''Glee'' starting with its third season episode " Pot o' Gold", first broa ...

, an Irish exchange student, in the fourth episode " Pot o' Gold"; McGinty was retained on the show beyond his seven-episode prize. Larsen debuted on Glee in the thirteenth episode, "

Heart The heart is a muscular organ in most animals. This organ pumps blood through the blood vessels of the circulatory system. The pumped blood carries oxygen and nutrients to the body, while carrying metabolic waste such as carbon dioxide to t ...

", as a transfer student named

Joe Hart Charles Joseph John Hart (born 19 April 1987) known professionally simply as Joe Hart is an English professional footballer who plays as a goalkeeper for Scottish Premiership club Celtic. He began his career at his hometown club Shrewsbury T ...

, also appearing beyond his original seven-episode stint. Newell's first appearance was in the April 17, 2012, episode "

Saturday Night Glee-ver "Saturday Night Glee-ver" is the sixteenth episode of the third season of the American musical television series '' Glee'', and the sixtieth overall. Written by Matthew Hodgson and directed by Bradley Buecker, the episode aired on Fox in the Uni ...

". They played

Wade Adams Unique Adams is a fictional character from the Fox musical comedy-drama series ''Glee'' who first appeared in "Saturday Night Glee-ver", the sixteenth episode of the show's third season. Portrayed by actor Alex Newell, Unique is notable for b ...

, a

transgender A transgender (often abbreviated as trans) person is someone whose gender identity or gender expression does not correspond with their sex assigned at birth. Many transgender people experience dysphoria, which they seek to alleviate through ...

member of the rival Vocal Adrenaline show choir, and appeared briefly in "

Props A prop, formally known as (theatrical) property, is an object used on stage or screen by actors during a performance or screen production. In practical terms, a prop is considered to be anything movable or portable on a stage or a set, distinc ...

", returning a few more times before transferring to McKinley High for the series' fourth season and becoming a series regular for its fifth season. McGinty, Larsen, Pearce and Newell were chosen to sing on the 2011 ''Glee'' Christmas album, '' Glee: The Music, The Christmas Album Volume 2''.

Contenders

Episodes

Contender progress

;Key SAFE The contender was not at risk of elimination.
WIN The contender won the homework assignment and was not at risk of elimination.
W/R The contender won the homework assignment but was at risk of being eliminated.
RISK The contender sang for Ryan and was immediately safe.
RISK The contender was at risk of being eliminated.
ELIM The contender was eliminated.
W/E The contender won the homework assignment but was eliminated.
QUIT The contender quit the competition.
SAVED The contender was to be eliminated, but was saved due to another contender quitting.
WINNER The contender won a 7-episode arc on ''Glee''.
HIGH The contender was called back without any notes.
W/H The contender won the homework assignment and was high on the main challenge.
W/L The contender won the homework assignment and was low on the main challenge.
LOW The contender was in risk of going to the bottom three but was ultimately safe. Used from the third episode forward when 4 people are being judged.
RUNNER-UP The contender won a 2-episode arc on ''Glee''.

Season two (2012)

Casting for a second season was announced after the first season finale. The season pickup was confirmed on January 17, 2012, at which time it was stated that the second season would feature fourteen contestants, an increase of two from the twelve in the first season. On January 21, 2012, Lea Michele revealed that she would be the guest mentor for the season premiere. Other guest mentors will include season 1 co-winner Samuel Larsen (

Cory Monteith Cory Allan Michael Monteith (; May 11, 1982 July 13, 2013) was a Canadian actor and musician who played Finn Hudson on the Fox television series '' Glee''. As an actor based in British Columbia, Monteith had minor roles on television series bef ...

(

Finn Hudson Finn Christopher Hudson is a fictional character from the Fox musical comedy-drama series '' Glee''. The character was portrayed by Cory Monteith and first appeared on television when ''Glee'' premiered its pilot episode on Fox on May 19, 2009 ...

Naya Rivera Naya Marie Rivera (; January 12, 1987July 8, 2020) was an American actress, singer, and model. Recognized for her work on the popular musical comedy-drama series '' Glee'', she received various awards, including a Screen Actors Guild Award and ...

(

Santana Lopez Santana Lopez is a fictional character from the Fox musical comedy-drama series '' Glee''. The character was portrayed by Naya Rivera, and has appeared in ''Glee'' from its pilot episode, first broadcast on May 19, 2009. Santana was developed by ...

Jane Lynch Jane Marie Lynch (born July 14, 1960) is an American actress, comedian and author. She is known for starring as Sue Sylvester in the musical comedy series '' Glee'' (2009–2015), which earned her a Primetime Emmy Award. Lynch also gained recog ...

(

Sue Sylvester Susan "Sue" Rodham Sylvester is a fictional character of the Fox musical comedy-drama series, '' Glee''. The character is portrayed by actress Jane Lynch, and appears in ''Glee'' from its pilot episode, first broadcast on May 19, 2009, through ...

), Amber Riley (

Mercedes Jones Mercedes Jones is a fictional character from the Fox popular musical comedy-drama series '' Glee''. The character is portrayed by actress Amber Riley, and has appeared in ''Glee'' from its pilot episode, first broadcast on May 19, 2009. Merced ...

Chris Colfer Christopher Paul Colfer (born May 27, 1990) is an American actor, singer, and author. He gained international recognition for his portrayal of Kurt Hummel on the television musical '' Glee'' (2009–2015). Colfer's portrayal of Kurt received cr ...

(

Kurt Hummel Kurt Elizabeth Hummel is a fictional character from the Fox musical comedy-drama series '' Glee''. Series creators Ryan Murphy, Brad Falchuk and Ian Brennan initially conceived of him as a fashionable gay countertenor who is routinely bullied ...

Dianna Agron Dianna Elise Agron ( ; born April 30, 1986) is an American actress and singer. After primarily dancing and starring in small musical theater productions in her youth, Agron made her screen debut in 2006, and in 2007, she played recurring charac ...

(

Quinn Fabray Quinn Fabray is a fictional character from the TV series '' Glee''. The character is portrayed by actress Dianna Agron, and has appeared in ''Glee'' from its pilot episode, first broadcast on May 19, 2009. She is the cheerleading captain at the ...

) and returning season 1 mentors

Darren Criss Darren Everett Criss (born February 5, 1987) is an American actor, singer, and songwriter. He rose to fame starring on the television series '' Glee'' (2010–2015) and received Emmy and Golden Globe acting awards for his leading role as spree ...

(

Blaine Anderson Blaine Devon Anderson is a fictional character from the American musical comedy-drama television series '' Glee''. Played by Darren Criss, Blaine was introduced in the sixth episode of the second season as the openly gay lead singer of the Dal ...

) and Kevin McHale (

Artie Abrams Arthur "Artie" Abrams is a fictional character from the Fox musical comedy-drama series '' Glee'' portrayed as the "glue" of the glee club. The character is portrayed by actor Kevin McHale, and appeared in ''Glee'' since its pilot episode, fir ...

). The second season premiered in the US on June 5, 2012, and ran for eleven weeks, concluding on August 14, 2012. There was one winner for the season:

Blake Jenner Blake Alexander Jenner (born August 27, 1992) is an American actor. Jenner won the second season of Oxygen's ''The Glee Project'' and, as a result, portrayed Ryder Lynn on the Fox musical comedy-drama series '' Glee''. He has since had starrin ...

won the seven-episode arc on ''Glee''. He made his first appearance in the fifth episode of season four, "

The Role You Were Born to Play "The Role You Were Born to Play" is the fifth episode of the Glee (season 4), fourth season of the American musical television series ''Glee (TV series), Glee'', and the seventy-first episode overall. It was written by Michael Hitchcock and direct ...

", as a McKinley student named Ryder Lynn. He was a recurring character for 18 episodes on season 4 and was promoted to series regular on season 5. Ali Stroker, the runner up, also made an unexpected first appearance in the fourth season episode, "

I Do I Do may refer to: * "I do", a phrase used in some marriage vows; used by brides and grooms in response to questions posed by either the officiant or the other marriage partner Film and TV Film * ''I Do'' (1921 film), a silent comedic short f ...

", as Betty Pillsbury. Dani Shay, who was the third person eliminated, was previously a contestant on

America's Got Talent (season 6) The sixth season of American talent show competition series ''America's Got Talent'' was broadcast on NBC from May 31 to September 14, 2011. No major changes were made in the program's format, although a number of participants who auditioned la ...

going as far as the quarter-finals.

Contenders

Episodes

Contender progress

;Key SAFE The contender was not at risk of elimination.
WIN The contender won the homework assignment and was not at risk of elimination.
FIRST The contender was called first on the callback list.
W/H The contender won the homework assignment and was HIGH on the main challenge.
W/F The contender won the homework assignment and was first called back on the list.
HIGH The contender was called back without any notes.
W/L The contender won the homework assignment and was LOW on the main challenge.
W/R The contender won the homework assignment but was at risk of being eliminated.
LOW The contender was in risk of going to the bottom three but was ultimately safe.
RISK The contender sang for Ryan and was immediately safe.
RISK The contender was at risk of being eliminated.
OUT The contender was eliminated.
W/O The contender won the homework assignment but was eliminated.
QUIT The contender quit the competition.
WINNER The contender won a 7-episode arc on ''Glee''.
RUNNER-UP The contender was crowned a runner-up.

International syndication

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Glee Project, The 2011 American television series debuts 2012 American television series endings 2010s American music television series 2010s American reality television series American television spin-offs English-language television shows Reality television spin-offs Singing talent shows Television series by Embassy Row (production company) Television series by Sony Pictures Television Glee (TV series) Oxygen (TV channel) original programming