Glee’s double act

The first thirteen episodes of Glee are in the can. Jane Lynch and Matthew Morrison are waiting to hear if FOX will pick up the rest of the season*, ‘the back nine’ as it is called.

So in the relative downtime they are busy with a whirlwind promo visit of Australia, juggling press interviews, radio and TV spots, a visit to Idol, sightseeing and more interviews.

They also spoke with TV Tonight about the new music-dramedy from FOX, co-created by Ryan Murphy (Nip / Tuck, Popular, Running with Scissors). With Murphy on board as showrunner, Lynch says he was the key reason she signed on as bitchy cheerleading coach Sue Sylvester.

“That’s why I took it. It was all because of him. It was a great script and everything of course,” she says. “But I did an episode of Popular back in about 1998 and I loved working with him. So when he asked me to do this I did not hesitate.

“He really knows how to go to the dark side, and the odd side and make things kind of off centre and weird. But this show has more heart, I think, than anything he’s ever done.

“There’s relationships, people getting into high school trouble, getting supported by friends, turned away by some friends. There’s a lot of stuff going on with the kids emotionally.”

Murphy, who also directed the pilot, is known as a writer who invests in high emotion, sassy storytelling and characters wearing their hearts on their sleeve. It’s been a long time since a musical TV drama has succeeded, but if anyone can do it it is surely Murphy.

“The music is the big link of the show,” says Morrison. “It’s great hearing a song and seeing how it fits into the episode. Popular songs that everyone knows mesh perfectly with the story we’re trying to tell.”

“Ryan picks all the music,” agrees Lynch. “This show is his personal iPod!

“He always goes to some emotional truth that maybe people don’t even acknowledge in themselves. And I love that about him.”

Lynch’s character serves as the nemesis to Morrison’s earnest Glee Club director. While the show soaks up the comic timing of Lynch, who has appeared in Best in Show, 40 Year Old Virgin, A Mighty Wind, The L Word and Two and a Half Men, it will also pause to give her character a little more depth.

“She enjoys squashing the spirit of the Glee kids, but she will have a couple of moments of vulnerability. You gotta have that otherwise it gets boring. You’ve got to see where she’s coming from on some emotional level, but not for very long. She’s not going to be giving out many of hugs. And as soon as she softens she’ll stab somebody in the back.”

“Probably me,” adds Morrison.

Morrison’s Broadway background was a perfect warm-up for his role in Glee.

“I’ve done six Broadway shows did Hairspray, Rocky Horror, Once Upon a Mattress as a TV movie with Tracey Ullman and Carol Burnett. So this is a perfect transition,” he says.

“My character is that kind of happy go lucky, optimistic teacher who’s found himself taking over this club of outcasts. It’s my goal to try and make it great again and to deflect all the adversity that is coming my way.”

“Which is probably me,” Lynch chimes in.

Yes these two have clearly developed a rapport that is very evident. In some scenes they are even given freedom to improvise.

“We do scenes where we have the Principal referee our ‘fights.'” says Lynch. “Usually Ryan or whoever is directing let’s us go off. Also there was one smackdown where we’re in the auditorium and we really went after each other.”

“Jane’s a comic genius so I’m just doing everything I can to not laugh. She’s ridiculous,” Morrison insists.

“He’s throwing stuff too. And he loses it a couple of times,” says Lynch.

“I push him over the edge a lot because I lead him to believe that I’m going to be fair and equitable with him and then I stab him in the back. I n-e-v-e-r, e-v-e-r follow through on my word to be fair. Ever. And he believes me everytime that I will be fair.”

Glee was developed by Murphy and writers Brad Falchuk and Ian Brennan -from an idea by the latter.

“Ryan loved the story, he was in Glee Club in high school and he met Ian Brennan who had this idea for a Glee Club movie. They decided to make it into a series after they met and talked about it,” Lynch explains.

FOX, which has had such success with American Idol, is said to have jumped at the script within 15 hours of receiving it. The pilot premiered in the US following the American Idol finale, an idea TEN replicated following MasterChef‘s finale.

Lynch says shows like American Idol demonstrate that music is a great equaliser.

“It’s about the underdog having their voice and normal people stepping up and taking the chance and letting their voice be heard. They’re overcoming prejudices and boundaries and that’s what our show is about too.”

Morrison adds: “With the success of the show a lot of artists are trying to get their songs onto our show, because it’s great for them as well.”

So, with its mix of show tunes and pop songs, could we expect any Australian songs?

“Peter Allen tunes?” thinks Morrison.

“I love Air Supply tunes, I didn’t know they were Australian,” says Lynch. “I’m allllll out of lovvvvvve….!”

For now Lynch and Morrison have simply been enjoying their Aussie hosting accompanied by their eight co-stars. Then it’s back to the US where they will await word of that back nine. Lynch says FOX’s schedule will probably give the network some breathing space to make a decision.

“I’ve heard, and you know what I hear usually ends up not being true,” she says, “but I’ve heard we’re going to go into the Baseball World Series. FOX covers that. We’ll have had three episodes air before that happens. And then we go off the air for about three weeks or something. But it might be in that time that they’ll re-assess.”

With Ryan Murphy at the helm, there hardly seems any need to wait.

Glee airs 7:30pm Thursdays on TEN.

Update: * FOX has announced today it has picked up the series for a full season, the first pick-up of the 2009 Fall Season.