Glee: The Complete First Season

Through the course of its initial 13 episodes and another 9 that aired in the spring of 2010, Glee transfixed its audiences with its offbeat combination of humor and drama and its musical numbers, ranging from Broadway to classic rock to rap, or even merging them together in the show's famous "mash-ups." Michele and Morrison, both with Broadway résumés, get the biggest credits (check Michele's roof-raising "Don't Rain on My Parade" or her "Defying Gravity" duel with Colfer), but the whole cast sings and dances with skill and heart. It didn't take long for entertainment powerhouses of all stripes to take an interest in Glee, either as contributors (such as Madonna, who lent her music to a full episode) or as guest stars. Broadway star Kristin Chenoweth makes numerous appearances as glee-club alumna April Rhodes (none better than her duet with Morrison of "One Less Bell to Answer" and "A House Is Not a Home"), and in the season's best episode, "Dream" (directed by Joss Whedon), Neil Patrick Harris and Idina Menzel (Chenoweth's Wicked costar) sing terrific duets with Morrison and Michele, respectively. Other guest stars, to often-humorous effect, include Josh Groban, Molly Shannon, Eve, and Olivia Newton-John. At the end of the season, well-deserved Emmy wins went to director-creator Ryan Murphy (Nip/Tuck), Lynch, and Harris, and Morrison, Michele, Colfer, and Chenoweth also earned nominations. --David Horiuchi