The buzz that has surged in the past few months around Glee prompted me to look back at executive producer/co-creator/writer Ryan Murphy's previous high school effort from a decade ago, Popular. Popular shares a lot with Glee, both thematically, in its focus on the social hierarchies that govern high school life, and tonally, in its aversion to total realism. It's easy to see the remnants of Popular's a-little-too-weird-for-the-WB vibe (one episode features both an extended riff on Whatever Happened to Baby Jane? and Erik Estrada appearing as himself) in Glee, which is never quite as wholesome as it seems like it's supposed to be. Accordingly, it would be great to see Murphy acknowledge Glee's antecedent by bringing in some Popular actors as teachers, or McKinley alums, or something. Here are my top five:
1. Leslie Grossman
Of all the Popular cast members, Grossman has shown the most facility with the kind of manic energy that has distinguished Glee in its few months on the air. Popular's Mary Cherry was a uniquely crazy character the likes of which one rarely sees, and Grossman never gave her less than 100% commitment.
If they hadn't already given Terri a totally insane sister, I'd nominate Grossman for the job.
2. Tammy Lynn Michaels
Michaels is perhaps the one actor whose Popular character could make it to Glee completely intact.
It would be amazing to see Nicole Julian bringing the Glamazons into competition against Sue's Cheerios on Glee.
3. Leslie Bibb
Admittedly, it's more Bibb's post-Popular work that makes me want to see her on Glee, particularly her role as bitch-on-wheels social climber Katrina Ghent in the little-seen but seriously good (seriously, if you've got half a day to devote to it, all the episodes are on Hulu) Kings.
Bibb is great at playing uptight characters without making them heartless or rigid, a quality that fits in well with Glee's rubric of softened-edge villains.
4. Wentworth Miller
Miller wasn't on Popular for very many episodes, but he made a mark with relatively little screen time. His turn as Adam Rothschild-Ryan, insane cheerleader underminer, skirts the funny/grating line of deliberate camp in its sheer over-the-top-ness.
Your mileage may vary as to what side of that line his performance ultimately lands on, but it is refreshingly different from the persona he's established over the past few years on Prison Break. It would be delightful to see Miller do it again on Glee.
5. Christopher Gorham
Okay, this is mostly because he's cute. Look at his face!
Also, the egregious narrative misuse of Henry was a major factor in my decision to stop watching Ugly Betty. A glance at Gorham's IMDb page shows the kinds of 20-ish episode runs in short-lived shows that get an actor branded a showkiller, and it would be nice to see him do some time on a show as well-received as Glee.
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