Fox Boss in Talks for 'Fifth Season and Beyond' of 'Glee'

Jordin Althaus/FOX

"Glee"

Fox Entertainment chairman Kevin Reilly expressed confidence in Glee on Tuesday at the Television Critics Association's winter press tour.

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Speaking to reporters following his executive session, Reilly said he's in the early stages of talks to renew the musical dramedy from co-creators Ryan Murphy and Brad Falchuk before the upfronts in May, opening the door for Oxygen's reality competition The Glee Project to return for a third season.

"Yes, that is a real possibility," he said of the global property. "We're going to negotiate now for the fifth season and beyond, so we're talking about those things now."

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During his executive session, Reilly touted the show's consistency and said the dual story lines of McKinley High in Ohio and NYADA's New York locations are working well, calling the process "seamless."

With Glee marching toward another graduation this season -- with core cast members including Darren Criss, Kevin McHale and Heather Morris, among several others -- Reilly told The Hollywood Reporter that he has considered whether the series could morph into one set entirely in New York.

"I have to talk to Ryan and see where he's at right now," he said of the story line that initially was envisioned as a spinoff. "I don't know. I wonder -- could it and should it naturally move there? But we have to talk about it.

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"This was ultimately what became of the spinoff talk: 'Let's do it within the franchise,' " Reilly continued. "I do think if we can continue to follow a broad array of characters, it's like life: You have relationships, you have friends -- they go off, their lives go on, and you get together and maybe you maintain a friendship, maybe you lose distance. I think we can do that within this world of people you followed."

The nature of the show as-is, he noted, also allows for recent castmembers to come in for an arc while juggling other things -- like Dianna Agron, Mark Salling, Amber Riley, Naya Rivera and others have done this season. "Some of them have moved on to other things or wanted to move on to other things," he said, "but they love the show, and this gives them a chance to come back and do an arc. It would be fun to continue that morphing."

Glee returns Jan. 24 on Fox.

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