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Of all the great things about television, the greatest is that it’s on every single day. TV history is being made, day in and day out, in ways big and small. In an effort to better appreciate this history, we’re taking a look back, every day, at one particular TV milestone.
IMPORTANT DATE IN TV HISTORY: August 29, 1986
WHY IT’S IMPORTANT: As much as we all acknowledge that Glee went off the rails a bit later in its run, the first few seasons were truly great works of television. That can be attributed to a diverse cast, a new take on the TV musical concept, or to creative reworkings of songs of yesteryear; but what made Glee what it was, and what drew people to a show about a rag tag group of teenagers who suddenly break into song, was clearly one thing: Lea Michele.
From the start of season one, Michele’s Rachel Berry stood out in all of her performances, ensemble or otherwise. But one of the first moments that made everyone collectively gasp in appreciation was her duet of “Poker Face” with Idina Menzel who played Michele’s mother (those are some talent genes, right?!)
Michele’s performances continued to escalate in quality throughout the show and reached peak greatness with Rachel’s audition for the Broadway revival of Funny Girl. All Glee fans teared up a bit when Rachel sang the opening notes to “Don’t Stop Belivein'” (because if there’s a song that defines Glee it’s that song) and the happy tears only continued when Rachel imagined her former Glee club companions on stage, singing it along with her.
Glee certainly had no shortage of happy tears, but the sad tears were abundant as well. This is particularly true in “The Quarterback,” the tribute episode to Corey Monteith following his death. The episode was chock-full of emotional moments and songs, but none were more poignant than Michele’s rendition of “Make You Feel My Love.” As a viewer you almost feel as if you’re intruding on a private moment for Michele as the song is so deeply personal and so incredibly performed.
Happy 30th birthday, Lea Michele. Thank you for making Glee the cultural icon that it is.
