After the sudden death of Cory Monteith, the producers of Glee are scrambling to dismiss his character from the show.
Monteith, who played Finn Hudson, was scheduled to begin filming new episodes along with the rest of the Glee cast and crew in mid-August, reports Fox News. The first episode of the new season is scheduled to air on September 11.
Producers have scheduled meetings to discuss how to deal with Monteith’s death. Industry experts say that the actor’s death will have a serious impact on the series as well as pose creative challenges.
“Not only has Monteith’s character Finn been part of the show’s most significant romantic relationship opposite Lea Michele’s Rachel, in the fourth season he appeared to be being long-term positioned to eventually assume the role of glee club coach and overall student mentor should Matthew Morrison’s Mr. Shue leave the series,” Hollywood entertainment and pop culture expert, Scott Huver, told FOX411’s Pop Tarts column. “He leaves a major hole in the heart of the show that will be challenging for the writers and producers to address. While the ‘Glee’ staff and especially series creator Ryan Murphy have never shied away from handling controversial, tragic or dark subject matter, translating Monteith’s loss into a ‘death of Finn’ storyline may simply prove to be too sad and all-consuming for the show, but glossing over his absence seems unrealistic. Whatever they decide, the writers will have to proceed very delicately lest dealing with the outcome overwhelm the show’s generally light, fun-loving tone.”
Crisis communications expert Glenn Selig of The Publicity Agency said using what actually happened to Monteith may be the best way to help mourning fans.
“They may decide to handle what happened honestly; his character may be portrayed as dying suddenly and shockingly. That may provide both the cast and the public to grieve,” he said. “Whatever producers decide to do they will need to tread carefully because Cory Monteith was so well liked and what happened is so incredibly tragic.”
The FOX series has been experiencing a downfall in ratings recently, but due to its overall success, recently renewed the show for two more seasons.
“We are deeply saddened by this tragic news. Cory was an exceptional talent and an even more exceptional person,” representatives for Glee Executive Producers, 20th Century Fox Television and Fox Broadcasting Company said in an official statement. “He was a true joy to work with and we will all miss him tremendously. Our thoughts and prayers are with his family and loved ones.”
In addition to Monteith’s role on Glee, he has appeared on television shows Supernatural and Smallville. Monteith also co-starred in the movie “Monte Carlo” alongside Selena Gomez, and currently has two completed films in the post-production phase.