The Glee Project is a Reality Show that is sort of a spin-off of Glee. It's a talent competitionnote for a 7 episode guest role on Glee. The episodes involve weekly themes for which the contestants get homework. They bring in one of the stars of Glee to judge the contestants as they perform the homework challenge and choose a winner. The winner gets an advantage in the week's music video, directed by Erik White. The three who do the worst that week do a "last chance performance" for Glee's Show Runner Ryan Murphy, choreographer Zach Woodlee, casting director Robert Ulrich, and (in season 2) vocal coach Nikki Anders.
Began its second (and final) season in June 2012, two weeks after the finale of Glee's third season.
Reality tropes at work include:
- Confession Cam: One is provided for both the contestants and the judges.
- Elimination Catchphrase: "You have not been called back." Albeit written down as opposed to spoken.
- Elimination Statement: The eliminated contestants give a statement about how much they’ve grown and how this was the best experience of their life. Then, because this is Glee after all, the loser sings "Keep Holding On" while the remaining contestants sing backup.
- Everyone Meets Everyone:
- Defied in season 1. While some contestants met and became friends during the callback round where everyone was still vying to become an official cast member, once a person arrived in L.A. they were kept sequestered from the rest of the cast and didn't find out who'd made it until about 24 hours later - and their meeting each other wasn't part of the episode.
- Season 2 plays it straight by showing us everyone seeing each other for the first time as they enter the house.
- Non-Gameplay Elimination:
- Cameron quit the competition after being pressured into another kissing scene after he already told production the first one made him profoundly uncomfortable.
- Taryn left early in the second season after a series of deaths in her family, leaving her in a poor emotional state to continue the competition.
- Only One Name: Even the press release announcing the cast only lists the cast members' first names!
- Reality TV Show Mansion: Averted.
- In the first season, due to rushed production, the contestants had to live in an unused day camp. The dorms, living room, and bathroom were all disconnected (so you had to run outside to get from one place to another), their bathrooms were outhouses without roofs, and everyone was exposed to the elements.
- The second season was able to upgrade to an unused The Real World set, but it was still a secondhand set on a soundstage serving as rudimentary dorms, living area, and kitchen. Apparently things started falling apart near the end of the run.
- Voted Off the Island: Nikki Anders, Zach Woodlee, and Robert Ulrich decide who should go out of the bottom three, they then perform for Ryan Murphy who decides who will be cut. The contestants are then presented with a call-back list which will have all but one contestant called back.
The Glee Project also contains examples of:
- All Guys Want Cheerleaders: Damian and Lindsay in the "sexuality" main challenge.
- All Love Is Unrequited: The theme of the "Believability" main challenge video.
- Ascended Extra: Vocal coach Nikki Anders was only seen for very short bits in the studio in season 1. Now, she's present for recording, video shoots, and last-chance performances, chiming in on the final decision along with Ryan, Zach, and Robert.
- Ascended Fanboy/Fangirl: The whole premise of the show is to make one of the contenders this.
- Author Appeal: Ryan is very clearly supportive of people like Alex (a Camp Gay occasionally-crossdressing countertenor in the mold of Chris Colfer) and Cameron (a nerd-chic rocker who is outspokenly Christian, which is a character type Ryan has "always wanted to write").
- Autotune: Used blatantly in the video for "U Can't Touch This" to distort the singers' voices.
- Awesome, but Impractical: According to the producers, Samuel and Lindsay are this because both are great singers, but they're not very relatable.
- Back for the Finale: It turned out that all the eliminated contestants returned to participate as background singers for the "Glee-ality" main challenge.
- Bait-and-Switch: Ryan is a fan of this method of elimination. In a number of episodes (including the finale), he complimented a contestant, making it seem as if they were safe. He told Marissa she was gorgeous and talented and would never have a problem being cast; he told Hannah she was "the show" and exactly what they were looking for, and he told Alex that he can "do something no one else can do" and praised his voice constantly. All these contestants were then eliminated.
- Be Yourself: The first week's "Individuality" theme in both seasons.
- Beach Episode: The "One Way With Another/Hit Me With Your Best Shot" music video, which takes place at an indoor pool.
- Beware the Nice Ones: After Alex broke down during a recording session about his deceased father, Lindsay trying to find a similar emotional starting point and (allegedly) forcing herself to cry provoked the usually sweet, upbeat Nikki to lose her temper and call Lindsay fake to her face.
- Big Brother Instinct: Damian towards Matheus when they were partners. He defended Matheus when other contestants, especially Alex, tried to put him down.
- Big Guy, Little Guy: Damian and Matheus' duets.
- Bowdlerise: The Party Rock Anthem video. The original song contains the line "running through these hoes like Drain-O"; in this version it's "combing through my hair like Stamos".
- Breakfast Club : The "Romanticality" video is a Shout-Out to the film.
- The Cameo: One of the Glee cast shows up to mentor the contestants and judge the homework assignment every week.
- In season 1 it was Darren Criss (twice!), Idina Menzel, Dot Marie Jones, Harry Shum Jr., Max Adler, Mark Salling, Ashley Fink, Jenna Ushkowitz, and Kevin McHale as the guest mentors. Max also appeared in the music video of his episode.
- In season 2 it was Lea Michele, Samuel Larsen, Cory Monteith, Naya Rivera, Kevin McHale, Jane Lynch, Grant Gustin, Amber Riley, Darren Criss, Dianna Agron, and Chris Colfer as the guest mentors. Several characters have appeared in the music videos as well - Mrs. Hagberg in "Milkshakes/Moves Like Jagger", Rick the Stick in "Hit Me With Your Best Shot/One Way or Another", Principal Figgins in both "Here I Go Again" and "We Found Love", and Rory Flanagan in "Tonight Tonight".
- Celebrity Resemblance: Many people have compared Harper to Megan Hilty and Charlie to Finn. And of course, Dani looks like Justin Bieber, but that's part of their appeal.
- Cheerful Child: The guest singers for the "Generosity" challenge.
- Cluster F-Bomb : Lily in season 2's Theatricality episode.
- Color-Coded for Your Convenience: In the video for "Everybody Hurts", all of the kids who are being bullied are wearing grey.
- Continuity Nod: Cameron's shown to be one of few contenders who can accompany himself through guitar. In the finale, he plays electric guitar when all of the fallen contestants rejoin the final four for "Don't Stop Believin'".
- The Cover Changes the Gender: Averted by Samuel's cover of "Jolene". It's written as a woman singing about another woman stealing her man...and that's exactly what Samuel sings it as. Played straight in Season 2, when Nellie's part of "Waiting for a Girl Like You" becomes "a boy like you."
- The Cover Changes the Meaning: Damian's performance of "Jesse's Girl" was an unintentional version, where he accidentally sings "I was I was Jesse's girl".
- Covered in Gunge:
- The contestants are slushied in the "Ice Ice Baby" video.
- Back with a vengeance in Season 2 with the "Hit me With Your Best Shot/One Way or Another" video. In swimsuits, no less.
- Deadpan Snarker: Zach, when he isn't focusing on choreography. Sometimes when he is, and a contestant isn't doing well.
- Did I Just Say That Out Loud?: Did I Just Sing That Out Loud?:Damian: Uh, actually I changed my mind. I don't want to be Jesse's girl.
- Double Take: Lily in the season 2 "Individuality" video after she realizes she gave a flyer to Principal Figgins.
- Drill Sergeant Nasty: Zach Woodlee and Nikki Anders are brutally honest with the contestants, and do not baby them through anything. Nikki does have Team Mom characteristics despite this.
- Dreadful Musician: None of the final four except for Samuel know how to play musical instruments.
- Duet Bonding: The "Pairability" and "Sexuality" challenges in season 1. Hannah was upset because Lindsay got to sing with Damian instead of her for the latter.
- Dysfunction Junction: Ali comments on how every season 2 contestant has overcome an emotional or physical challenge.
- Eerie Pale-Skinned Brunette: Damian, Ellis, and Lindsay in season 1; Nellie in season 2.
- '80s Hair: Marissa in the "Don't You Want Me Baby" video. Lily Mae in the "When I Grow Up" video (as Cyndi Lauper).
- Expy: Marisa from Season 1 and Harper from Season 2 can be seen as this due to their similar singing styles, both of them were eliminated in their first "Last Chance Performance" and the fact that they were the 3rd last contestant to leave the competition in their respective seasons.
- The Everyman: Damian and Samuel in season 1. Damian at least gained points with Ryan for being vulnerable and Irish (the latter of which pretty much dominated his characterization on the show), but Samuel was so generic that he ended up having a small breakdown near the end of the show because he feared he wasn't able to stand out from the others.
- Everybody Lives: It was hinted at during the first season that more than one of the contestants may get a spot on the final show, and in the finale it's revealed that everyone in the final four is getting a spot. Damian and Samuel were the co-winners, each having the roles of Rory Flanagan and Samuel Hart written for them respectively. But Ryan and the writers were so fascinated by Lindsay and Alex that they also got characters of their own, Harmony and Unique, to the point that the latter became more prominent in season 4 and was promoted to the main cast in season 5.
- Fake Band: The final four of season 1 act as one of these for the "Sing" video.
- He also frequently gives one on his shot on the title card.
- Five-Token Band: Most fans see the season 2 cast as this. There are only four who don't fall into some sort of minority: Blake, Michael, Maxfield, and Nellie. The others are all one of the following: disabled, blind, lesbian, trans, black, asian, Muslim, ADHD, abandoned by parent, and fat. And thought it's not brought up on the show, Nellie is half Korean as well.
- Food Fight: Cameron and Hannah in the "Teenage Dream" video, albeit a sexy version.
- Forceful Kiss: Director Erik White told Marissa to give one to Samuel during their "Pairability" video shoot. He then gave Lindsay the same instruction towards Cameron in the same challenge, but that caused him to break down afterwards.
- Genki Girl:
- Ellis switched between this and Deadpan Snarker. Later on she stated that the persona was something production pressured her to put on anyways.
- Hannah was a more genuine example.
- Harper. It's a bit of a problem during the "sexuality" challenge.
- Girl on Girl Is Hot: During the Spin the Bottle sequence in the season 2 "Dance-ability" video, Aylin and Lily Mae kiss. Blake and Michael don't, to the disappointment of many. Aylin also pairs with Lily Mae and Harper during different segments of "Romanticality" week.
- Gone Horribly Right: The bullying episode in Season 2 had some of the contestants taking their roles as bullies a bit too far - Lily Mae and Charlie in particular.
- The Glomp: Ellis to Zach during the last episode when she comes back.
- Gratuitous Rap: What happens when you mash some verses from "Ice Ice Baby" into "Under Pressure".
- Heterosexual Life-Partners: Damian and Cameron. The two are set to live together in an LA apartment near Paramount.
- I Can't Dance: Hannah, though it's subverted a bit. She—and the choreographers—believe her to not be as technically proficient at dancing as the other contestants, but she works harder than others who are better dancers (*cough* Alex *cough).
- Damian is by far, the WORST dancer of the contenders, and he knows it. However, like Hannah, he works hard and his positive attitude has more than made up for his lack of dance ability.
- Cameron as well admitted to having a lot of trouble with dancing, which is probably because of his lanky and awkward frame. This is subverted a bit by Glee's own head choreographer Zach Woodlee fanboying over how cool Cameron moves in "Theatricality". Nikki did this as well in his final audition before being cast as one of the Final Twelve.
- Tyler in season 2, being transgender, has issues with their body. They talk a lot on the Confession Cam about how they're having to relearn how to use their body, and that dancing is very challenging.
- Imagine Spot: The videos for "We're Not Gonna Take It", "Here I Go Again", and "When I Grow Up".
- I'm Not Here to Make Friends:
- Lindsay, though largely believed to be due to Manipulative Editing.
- Could be the case with Mario in season 2 as well.
- Incredibly Lame Pun: They sing "Ice Ice Baby" in the video where they're getting slushie facials.
- It's All About Me: Lindsay and Emily can come off as this thanks to Manipulative Editing.
- Lipstick Lesbian: McKynleigh, Harper, and Ali - though none came out until after their time on the show.
- Love Dodecahedron: A Type 2 occurs in the video for "The Only Exception". Hannah wants Alex, who wants Damian, who wants Lindsay, who wants Samuel, who wants Hannah.
- Lyric Swap: Marissa slips Ryan's name into the chorus of her performance of "Hate on Me".
- And in Charlie's performance of "It's Not Unusual".
- Masculine Girl, Feminine Boy: Nellie and Abraham's friendship.
- Nice Guy:
- Both Cameron and Damian came off as this throughout the competition, which inevitably led to mass fan adoration. Damian defended Mattheus in one episode and then Alex on Twitter. Cameron, in particular, was the epitome of a sweet lovable nice guy when he also reassured Alex, gushed to the cast about how they were all friends, gave McKynleigh flowers when she was eliminated, handed tissues to Lindsay (and Damian) during the Live Finale Chat, and, you know.... the Dameron thing.
- Robert, especially in contrast to Deadpan Snarker Zach and, well, Ryan.
- Odd Couple: Matheus and Alex, in their duet. Surprisingly, they had decent chemistry.
- Odd Friendship: Hannah and Lindsay were best friends during their time on the show together, and lived together for some time. Also Aylin and Lily Mae are portrayed as rivals and competing with each other, yet they roomed together after their season as well.
- The Oner: The music video for "Eye of the Tiger".
- OT3: Damian, Hannah, and Cameron. Invoked by Damian, hilariously enough:"The threesome's back together again!"
- He also dedicates his final performance to them.
- In season 2 it's Michael, Blake, and Nellie (occasionally referred to as Blichellie). Sometimes Harper is included as well, making it an OT4.
- Reaction Shot: Nikki gets some very good ones, all of them stemming from her frustration with the contestants in the recording booth.
- The Runner-Up Takes It All: While Samuel, Damian, and Blake have all achieved decent success in their fields, there are a few examples of contenders hitting as much if not more acclaim.
- Exemplified by Alex. Samuel only had a few lines if any during his time on the show in seasons three and four, whereas Damian and Lindsay were both gone by the end of season three (bar a brief cameo from Damian in the season four Christmas Episode). Alex, however, was a huge hit in season three and returned early in season four with plenty of spotlights. He was promoted to a regular in season five and was the only newbie from season four who returned in the final season outside of the finale episode. Beyond that, Alex has gone on to have a strong career on broadway and even returned to television as a lead in another musical show, Zoey's Extraordinary Playlist.
- Lindsay only had two episodes in the first half of season three, but returned to broadway for a variety of headline roles including Elphaba in Wicked.
- Ironically, first-eliminated Bryce is also very successful on the R&B charts and is often cited as one of the contestants with the most success.
- From season 2, Ali Stroker made history as the first wheelchair user to star on Broadway, and later won a Tony for Oklahoma!. Tyler Ford made a name for themselves as a writer and activist for transgender and nonbinary rights, and often rubs shoulders with the likes of Ariana Grande and Miley Cyrus.
- Sadist Teacher: Zach, Robert, and Erik in the "Eye of the Tiger" video shoot, forcing the contestants to do the entire video over and over again until they got everything right in one take.
- Scatting: Hannah has a unique rap-style she likes to call "skadoosh". Samuel later takes it and uses it during the "U Can't Touch This" challenge, much to Hannah's disappointment.
- Shirtless Scene, Fanservice: All the remaining guys in the "Fearlessness" video, and Michael and Blake get a couple in "Actability"'s video.
- Shrinking Violet: Alex is paired with a rather shy young girl as his partner in the "Generosity" main challenge, which leads to him having trouble showing their connection during the music video.
- Nellie in season 2, which contributed in part to her elimination.
- Small Name, Big Ego: Lindsay and Alex, the latter to the point that it landed him in the bottom three more than once.
- Something Something Leonard Bernstein: Since the contestants only get a small amount of time to rehearse a song, and their performances for the homework assignments and in front of Ryan are done in one take, this can pop up on occasion.Matheus: Mfft lala la GIVES YOU HELL!
- Michael also suffers a few of these in season 2.
- Soundtrack Dissonance: The reaction of many fans (and some of the contenders) to the Vulnerability homework assignment in season 2 being the upbeat "My Life Would Suck Without You". Not helped by the fact that when used in Glee the song is used to celebrate winning Sectionals for the first time.
- Spin the Bottle: In the "Dance-ability" music video of season 2.
- Stern Teacher: Not a teacher, but music video director Erik White has very high standards, and doesn't like it when the contestants mess up the shoot.
- Take a Third Option: None of the final four are eliminated before the finals.
- Team Dad: Robert Ulrich, who encourages the kids through the challenges and comforts them when it's time for the callback list to be posted.
- Ryan actually gets a bit of this when he goes backstage to talk to Cameron, making sure he was making the decision that was best for him, not what Ryan wanted him to do.
- Team Mom: Nikki Anders, the vocal director. She goes the extra mile to comfort the contestants and help them during their last-chance performances. Does not stop her from being a bit of a Drill Sergeant Nasty to contestants who are screwing up.
- This Is a Competition: One of Lindsay's Stock Phrases.
- Tomboy and Girly Girl: Hannah, in comparison to Lindsay and Marissa.
- Training from Hell: The contestants actually have less time than the actual cast of the show to learn their songs and choreography.
- The "Tenacity" episode in season 2 took this up to eleven; the contestants had to shoot the video in one take. If one person messed up even the tiniest bit, they had to start all over again.
- Twofer Token Minority:
- Alex is black and gay.
- Tyler is half black, half Jewish, and nonbinary trans.
- Mario is black and blind.
- Vocal Range Exceeded: The worst-case scenario of vocal recording with Nikki.
- Wild Teen Party: In the "Dance-ability" music video of season 2.
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Write Who You Know: Ryan Murphy bases the winner's Glee character on their personality. - You Are Not Alone: At the end of the "Mad World" music video.
