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'Glee' Bids Farewell After Next Season, Says Ryan Murphy
Cory Monteith at the "Glee the 3D Concert Movie" World Premiere on August 06, 2011 in Westwood. (DFree / Shutterstock.com)
It's been a heartbreaking year for the cast of Fox's Glee. With lead actor Cory Monteith's untimely death, followed by a recent tearful tribute to the actor, co-creator Ryan Murphy has decided to call it quits with the show.
At an event honoring FX at the Paley Center on Oct. 16, Murphy revealed Glee would not go beyond its sixth season, and Monteith's death would unfortunately affect the ending of the series. TVLine reported:
“The final year of the show, which will be next year, was designed around Rachel and Cory/Finn’s story,” he told reporters. “I always knew that, I always knew how it would end. I knew what the last shot was--he was in it. I knew what the last line was--she said it to him. So when a tragedy like that happens you sort of have to pause and figure out what you want to do, so we’re figuring that out now.
Monteith, who played the role of Finn Hudson on the show, was found dead at the age of 31 this past July. He had a history of drug abuse, had checked into rehab a few months before his passing, and his autopsy results reported he died from overdosing on heroin and alcohol.
The dramedy about a high school choir team in the Midwest has dropped in ratings over the last few seasons. According to Variety:
Overall, however, the series has seen a steady decline in ratings since its sophomore season. September’s season five bow drew 5.2 million viewers, a 30% drop off since the season four premiere.
Murphy said the next few episodes of Glee will be “a little more traditional because [the tribute] episode was so hard on the cast,” as reported by E! Online.
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