The central characters are glee club director Will Schuester (Matthew Morrison), cheerleading coach Sue Sylvester (Jane Lynch), Will's former wife Terri (Jessalyn Gilsig), guidance counselor Emma Pillsbury (Jayma Mays), and glee club members Rachel (Lea Michele), Finn (Cory Monteith), Artie (Kevin McHale), Kurt (Chris Colfer), Mercedes (Amber Riley), Tina (Jenna Ushkowitz), Puck (Mark Salling), and Quinn (Dianna Agron).

The musical scores used throughout the first season proved to be a commercial success, with over seven million copies of Glee cast single releases purchased digitally.

[1] In 2009, the Glee remake of "Don't Stop Believin'" became their first hit, and other covers quickly gained similar worldwide popularity, while the albums topped the charts in Ireland and other countries.

[36] When seeking to attain the rights to songs, early in the season Murphy was often requested to send out advanced scripts, but refused, not wanting to set a precedent for record labels having creative involvement in the show.

[citation needed] Cory Monteith portrayed Finn Hudson, star quarterback of the school's football team, who is blackmailed into joining the club.

[citation needed] Also playing club members were Amber Riley as Mercedes Jones, Chris Colfer as Kurt Hummel, Kevin McHale as Artie Abrams, and Jenna Ushkowitz as Tina Cohen-Chang.

[46] A number of secondary characters were also portrayed throughout the season, including Patrick Gallagher as Ken Tanaka, coach of the football team, Iqbal Theba as Principal Figgins, and Stephen Tobolowsky as former glee club director Sandy Ryerson.

[50][51] Naya Rivera and Heather Morris played Santana Lopez and Brittany Pierce, cheerleaders who joined the glee club with Quinn.

[52] Harry Shum, Jr. and Dijon Talton were initially hired for a single episode as football players Mike Chang and Matt Rutherford, but remained on the show as supporting members of the glee club.

[53] Guest stars from musical backgrounds were often featured on the show, including John Lloyd Young as wood shop teacher Henri St. Pierre, and Victor Garber and Debra Monk as Will's parents.

[45][56] Kristin Chenoweth played April Rhodes, a former member of the glee club who never finished high school and ended up hitting rock bottom.

[64] Gregg Henry and Charlotte Ross appeared as Quinn's parents, Russell and Judy Fabray, and Molly Shannon played Brenda Castle, an alcoholic astronomy teacher and badminton coach who clashed with Sue.

[68] The show's musical performances proved to be a commercial success, with over seven million copies of Glee cast single releases purchased digitally.

The site's consensus reads, "Entertaining, snarky, and full of heart, Glee is an addictive, toe-tapping musical dramedy that hits all the right notes.

[89] The Daily News's David Hinckley wrote that the show "isn't close to perfect" but "has likable characters, a good sense of humor and a reasonably deft touch with music.

"[91] James Poniewozik of Time ranked Glee the eighth best television show of 2009 out of ten reviewed, deeming it "transcendent, tear-jerking and thrilling like nothing else on TV".

[92] Entertainment Weekly's Ken Tucker ranked the season ninth out of ten, lauding its novelty,[93] while Lisa Respers France of CNN wrote that despite its "recipe for disaster" premise, the show's charm and bravado were enough to engage audiences.

[94] Variety's Brian Lowry was critical of the season's early episodes, highlighting acting and characterization issues,[25] stating that the show's talent was squandered by its uneven tone and deeming Glee a one-hit-wonder.

[95] Following the mid-season finale, Lowry wrote that while the series still had problems, its musical performances and cast were enough to keep him watching, and despite its issues, "TV would be poorer without Glee.

"[96] John Doyle of The Globe and Mail criticized the season's development, writing that while early episodes had been enjoyable, the show's success drew focus away from its characters and plot onto celebrity guest stars.

[97] Jean Bentley of MTV found the season uneven, writing that it began with a promising plot and impressive musical numbers, but became too "cheesy" and excessively sentimental.

[98] Raymund Flandez of The Wall Street Journal agreed that the season had definite highs and lows, but called the finale a "warm embrace that – let’s face it – you just don't want to let go.

"[99] After the episode "Showmance", the Parents Television Council named Glee the "Worst Show of the Week", deeming it inappropriate for teenagers due to its "sexually-charged adult" nature.

[100] Nancy Gibbs of Time magazine wrote that she had heard Glee described as "anti-Christian" by a youth minister, but commented that while almost all of the Ten Commandments are violated during the season, she found it insulting to teenagers to suggest that they would attempt to emulate what they saw on-screen.

[102] Falchuk responded that while he understood the concern and frustration of disability advocates, McHale had the singing and acting ability, talent and charisma required for the role.

[4] However, as Scott Collins for the Los Angeles Times noted, the other major networks besides Fox all opened the evening by airing a speech by President Barack Obama, disrupting regular viewing patterns.

[149] Special features include full length audition pieces from the pilot episode by Michele as Rachel and Riley as Mercedes, plus casting and choreography featurettes.