The New York Daily News is reporting that the Glee fall premiere, set for September 19 may be delayed until November in the wake of the sudden death of its star, Cory Monteith.
Fox officials began talks Monday about how to handle the death of “Glee” star Cory Monteith. One of the show’s breakout stars, Monteith was found dead Saturday, alone in a Vancouver hotel room.
One idea that is said to be getting a serious look is to delay production for about a month, “to let everyone breathe,” a Fox source said. That move would force the show to miss its original production start date next week.
Monteith had been expected to play a major role in the first two episodes of the series next fall. In an unusual step, both episodes were written before cast and crew took the summer off.
Past Glee finales took place at the end of the school year, in real time, with the action picking up in the fall at the beginning of the new school year. The situation is complicated, by the decision of producers to extend the school year into the new season. The action was supposed to pick up exactly where it left off, with Blaine (Darren Criss) about to propose to Kurt (Chris Colfer) and Rachel (Lea Michele) waiting to hear whether she was cast in a revival of Funny Girl.
Cory missed the last 3 episodes, due to his rehab stint. His sudden disappearance from the plot was never explained, so that gives the producers a little wiggle room to work with.
I can’t imagine Cory’s death NOT being written into the storyline. Having Finn take off for parts unknown, never to be heard from again, would make no sense in the context of the show. Glee is notorious for its continuity problems and inconsistent character development. But saying goodbye to a major character, especially in the aftermath of the death of the beloved actor who played him, HAS to be done RIGHT.
I like the idea of delaying the season. Not only does it give the writers the time to do things right, but it gives the cast and crew time to deal with their grief. If Cory’s character dies, I hope it’s written in a way that doesn’t force the cast, particularly his real life girlfriend, Lea Michele, to relive the pain of his death all over again.
It’s a tough situation all the way around.
