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"Don't stop believing"! Back in 2009, Glee became a phenomenon for its memorable music performances and its groundbreaking representation in the YA scene. The Ryan Murphy hit series was centered on the New Directions, a glee club formed by a group of outcasts with big dreams. In the same way that the show brought levity to the screen with its up-tempo covers and positive outlook on social issues, its legacy has been undermined by tumultuous behind-the-scenes drama and the tragic deaths of actors Cory Monteith, Naya Rivera, and Mark Salling. Investigation Discovery's (ID) latest docuseries, entitled The Price of Glee, will detail a few of the controversies related to the comedy series from the perspective of family members and the crew. Here is everything that we know so far about the three-part series and the responses it has received from the cast and the fans.
When Is The Price Of Glee Coming Out?
It won't be long until the ID original airs on TV. The three-part documentary will come out on January 16, 2023, at 9 pm EST/8 pm CST on the ID channel. The Price of Glee will also be available to stream through Discovery+ on the same day as its release on cable. Those interested in subscribing to the streaming service to watch the series can do so by paying a monthly fee of $4.99 for a plan that includes ads or $6.99 for the ad-free option.
Watch The Price Of Glee Trailer
The limited series' official trailer pulls back on the curtain of Glee by including perspectives of people from the outside looking in. From crew members to immediate family relatives of the cast, the documentary explores the ensemble's rise to fame and the tragic outcome that succeeded it for three of the show's leads. The teaser focuses primarily on the stars' deaths, as well as how their losses have affected the people around them.
What Is The Price Of Glee About?
As previously mentioned, The Price of Glee is centered on the deaths of three actors who were involved in the series. Monteith passed away after a drug overdose in 2013, while the series was still running. Once Glee wrapped up in 2015, its relevancy in the public eye remained through multiple accounts of drama on the set and due to the fact that two other actors died a few years later. Salling, who played the problematic Noah Puckerman in the show, committed suicide in 2018 after pleading guilty to possession of child pornography. In 2020, Rivera (known for her role as Santana Lopez) accidentally drowned during a boat trip in Saint Piru with her son. All of these incidents are discussed at length in the docuseries, with further details on what led to these tragic losses.
The ID original will also expand on the "Glee curse" theory, which originated from the amount of negative coverage of what took place both on set and after the finale aired. This approach of the documentary has left many fans and cast members upset due to its sensationalistic take. Instead of focusing on the fatalities through an investigative lens, the production seems to base itself on a conspiracy that is not backed up by evidence. Fans are also calling out on how the limited series seems to group Monteith and Rivera's accidental deaths with Salling's premeditated passing, which happened while he was awaiting sentencing.
Who Is Making The Price of Glee?
The Price of Glee is a docuseries made by Investigation Discovery to address the drama and fatalities linked to the Ryan Murphy series. Jason Sarlanis, President of Crimes and Investigative Content, Linear and Streaming, issued a statement to further explain the purpose of its creation.
“While celebrating the show’s indelible mark on pop culture and its unprecedented success, The Price of Glee takes a hard look at the intense pressure that results from being catapulted into superstardom and sheds new light on the terrible tragedies that befell the cast and crew of Glee.”
Are Any Glee Cast Members Involved With the Docuseries?
The backlash over the documentary is not just coming from the fans. A few cast members have spoken out against The Price of Glee, deeming it disrespectful to their costars' legacy. They were also reportedly taken aback by its lack of insight coming directly from the ensemble. While the trailer rightfully notes that Glee propelled the careers of its main cast, it does not feature any first-hand accounts from those who starred in the show. When the announcement of the docuseries came out, Glee alum Kevin McHale was quick to stop the misinformation that cast members were involved in it.
McHale and former costar Jenna Ushkowitz currently host a podcast called "And That's What You Really Missed" to talk about the resurgence of the series during the pandemic. In an interview with Buzzfeed, the actress said the following about the ID original:
“In terms of the Discovery+ documentary, it feels even more important, to me at least, to do the podcast because we were the ones who were there. And we were the ones experiencing this. And we know what really happened."
While doing press for Falling for Christmas, Chord Overstreet also came forward to dismantle the rumors that the cast was included in the project. This is what the actor said during his participation in the Elvis Duran Show.
"I think that everyone that did that show and experienced it doesn't have anything to do with that from what I know...We're all really close, and you know, pretty much like family and nobody knows anything about that. I think it is a little bit of just trying to get people to watch something."
Becca Tobin, another actress from the comedy hit, shared her thoughts on the documentary back in August during her participation on the Everything Iconic with Danny Pellegrino podcast. She spoke about the reason why the cast wouldn't be interested in being a part of a "tell-all".
“Here’s the thing though, this is why it will never happen. It doesn’t matter what happened on that set. At the end of the day, it’s a family. It’s like a big dysfunctional family and there is a loyalty there. Like mob mentality. Where I’m like I don’t care how much I hated this person at work. There’s something that runs so deep in my blood that I could hate you so much, but I don’t hate you enough. I don’t hate us enough to go do that.”