When Glee burst onto screens in 2009, it made stars out of its ensemble.
But the legacy of the series has been marred by tragedy and scandals.
Cory Monteith died while the series was still on the air of a drug overdose.
Mark Salling killed himself after child pornography was found to be in his possession.
Naya Rivera was found dead in 2020 after being missing for days following a boating trip with her son.
The series will be examined on a new ID Discovery documentary.
“In May 2009, 10 young actors made their TV debut on ‘Glee,’” the clip for the three-part documentary The Price of Glee states.
“By 2020, all of them would be famous. And three of them would be dead.”
The series aims to take viewers inside the cast members’ lives on and off-set.
The project will use never-before-seen interviews.
“The cultural phenomenon and hit musical series Glee catapulted a cast of relative unknowns into international superstardom and literally rocked pop culture, but the show that sparked a new era of acceptance was also saddled with extreme devastation on the inside,” reads the show’s official description.
“Endless scandals, tabloid gossip and fatal tragedies plagued the rising stars on what was supposed to be the most joyful show on television. Now, ID pulls back the curtain on Glee to explore the harsh reality of fame with the three-part limited series, The Price of Glee.”
“Glee was a once-in-a-generation cultural phenomenon that bravely pushed up against social norms and generated groundbreaking discussions around sexuality, race, disability and family,” says Jason Sarlanis, President of Crime and Investigative Content, Linear and Streaming.
“Each music-filled week brought joy to so many people, but sadly, even one of the happiest shows on television couldn’t escape the dark underbelly of Hollywood and the frenzy of burgeoning social media.”
“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.”
All three episodes of the series will premiere Monday, January 16. at 9/8c on ID.
Will you be watching?
Check out the trailer below.
Paul Dailly is the Associate Editor for TV Fanatic. Follow him on Twitter.
