Amazing Cast Photos For Season 2 Of AMERICAN HORROR STORY

Last fall, I kept hearing raves about Ryan Murphy's AMERICAN HORROR STORY. However, it didn't sound like something I'd be interested in as I'm not a big horror fan. But I checked it out anyway (probably because of Dylan McDermott!) and was instantly hooked. 

With its mix of real-life history (the Lindberg baby, the Black Dahlia) and fictional kinkiness (the Rubberman), it was the craziest show I had seen on television in a very long time...or quite possibly the craziest show I'd ever seen on television. But one of the most shocking things about it to me was that Ryan Murphy had revived a genre of TV that has been listed as dead for decades; the anthology series. Despite valiant attempts in the 80s to revive it with Spielberg's AMAZING STORIES and reboots of THE TWILIGHT ZONE, anthology was deemd un-doable. 

But much like he did with GLEE ((which essentially revived the also dead variety show genre), Murphy covered his tracks a bit and pretended the show was a series.  At least in the first season. That pretense seems to be over with Season 2 as the show has an entirely new setting (an instituational asylum) and new roster of characters, though Jessica Lange and a couple other cast members are returning but in utterly different roles.  The photos posted on EW's website this week give some tantalizing clues as to what's to come this year. Jessica Lange as a nun looks awesome and Joeseph Fiennes as a priest looks weirdly hot.  I can't wait for this one to air--it might even convince me to buy Hulu plus as the 10-day waiting period was killing me last fall!

The Half-Billion Dollar Business Named GLEE

This week's edition of The Hollywood Reporter has a fascinating story on the business of GLEE.  This show, which was one of the biggest risks the FOX network took when it premiered back in 2008, has become a half-billion dollar business for the network second only to their American Idol franchise.  And it is that rare thing in television these days....a cross-generational hit with everyone from 8 year olds to 80 year olds singing along to the showtunes.  Nearly 14 million people each episode!

There are many interesting details in his piece about how the show is put together as well as the high cost of each episode, nearly 4 million dollars.  Though GLEE certainly has it's ups and downs in terms of storyline, the show remains a remarkable thing for television....a weekly musical!  Of course, there were who thought this idea was crazy, including Universal Music which turned down the licensing for the music.  That went to Columbia which is now raking it in due to all the hit songs the show has spawned.

The question is can creator Ryan Murphy keep up with the crazy pace of production on this show?  Even he has his doubts. It's a lengthy article but worth the read if, like me, you love the GLEE.