It was one of the biggest TV series of the past decade that’s been making headlines ever since it first premiered on Fox in 2009. But despite scooping multiple Emmys and gaining an intense fandom during its heyday, the sparkle of Glee eventually became overshadowed by endless highly publicised controversies.

Now, a new documentary from Discovery+ will lift the curtain on the scandals surrounding the hit musical series – and away from the bright lights, key cast members will also be speaking out about what really went down behind the scenes.

Currently untitled, the new series will have access to core cast and crew members, who will share first-hand stories of their time on the comedy drama that aired between 2009 and 2015 and ran for over 100 episodes.

It will also reveal the “highs and lows” of the production and the on-set community, and feature “never-heard-before stories” from close family and friends.

While Glee faced declining ratings and criticism in its later seasons, it enjoyed enormous success in its early years. 

Co-created and executive produced by Ryan Murphy, the series followed a show choir of misfit teenagers at William McKinley High School in Lima, Ohio as they navigated competitions and personal crises.

Starring Matthew Morrison as the club’s coach Will Schuester, Lea Michele as high school performer Rachel Berry, and Jane Lynch as cheerleader coach Sue Sylvester, the show was praised for its exploration of topics of such as sexuality, race and bullying at a time when representation was sparse in the TV landscape.

Other cast members included Dianna Agron, Amber Riley, Chris Colfer, Kevin McHale, Jenna Ushkowitz, Heather Morris, Darren Criss, and Chord Overstreet, who became household names as the series grew in popularity.

The show went on to launch a reality competition series, live tours, a 3D movie and several successful cover singles, and also helped establish Murphy, who is behind this month’s Netflix hits Monster: The Jeffrey Dahmer Story and The Watcher, as one of the most prolific TV creators in the industry.

Although the show still maintains a beloved fandom, the series has been plagued by controversy, scandal and tragedy. The series looks set to address some of these topics, including the case of Mark Salling, who played “bad boy” Noah Puckerman. In 2018, he took his own life after pleading guilty to possession of images of child sex abuse. 

In 2020, Naya Rivera, who played lesbian cheerleader Santana Lopez, tragically died while on a boating trip with her four-year old son Josey.

The series will also cover the 2013 death of Cory Monteith, who played footballer Finn Hudson, from an accidental heroin overdose.

His then-girlfriend Lea Michele faced allegations of on-set bullying and racism from several of her cast members. She later released a public apology. 

There’s no word on a release date just yet, but we’ll be sure to keep you updated.

Images: Fox; Getty