I've been called a lot of things... and now "Gleek" is just another one of them.

But "Gleek" is a name I can definitely handle. I'm all geeked out for Glee. So at least the name stands true. I'm that fan that even takes quizzes to find out which character she most relates to. Oh yeah, and all of the cast members are my friends on Facebook. And I'm even following them on Twitter. Seriously. It's cheezy, but I have no problem admitting to it because hey, I'm not the only one jumping on this musical television bandwagon.

Glee is set in an Ohio high school and the show choir is made up of outcasts. But things get better for them when the school's Spanish teacher does a little soul-searching and decides to give in to his love of music and put the time in to help this club be all that it can be. And against many odds, he does just that, turning them into a spunky, tight-knit competitive singing ensemble with a whole lot of personality and even more passion.

Have you ever had high hopes of being a singer? Or even a rock star? Were you in a band as a kid or did you take your vocal or dance classes very seriously? If you were like me (I was in my school choir), you'll be able to relate super well to this show. AND you'll wish your high school had thought of having a Glee club too. Those regional choir competitions have nothing on the numbers these kids do at their comps! And even if you didn't sing, everyone had that one thing they loved doing as a kid, so anyone who has ever been passionate about anything can relate to the characters in this show.

But all those years of musical theatre have only added up to a studio recording, some very good times at karaoke bars, countless performances at high school variety nights, the ability to impress some friends when breaking into song (in tune) while in public, and entertaining myself while singing in the shower. Yes, I sing in the shower, pretending to be Ariel, belting out "Part of Your World." Just writing about it brings the tune back into my head... "I got gadgets and gizmos a plenty, I got whos-its and whats-its galore..." Singing makes me happy. And so, by proxy, Glee, makes me, well, gleeful.

And let me just say that when I watched the cast singing Journey's "Don't Stop Believing" during the show's pilot episode there was absolutely nothing stopping me from singing along at the top of my lungs. I knew the show was going to find its way into the hearts of lots of people at that moment. I even had a friend over last week who had the pleasure of listening to me sing along to ALL of the Glee covers. Lucky for him, this past week's episode was Will's version of Sisco's "The Thong Song" so he was spared that one. For now. Soon enough, he'll be singing along to episodes too.

That's my goal. To show people that this show isn't just some High School Musical spin-off. It's got real production value and showcases true talent. And the witty remarks regarding relationships and life lessons in general just make it all that more entertaining. Even my ex-boyfriend (who is pretty much tone deaf, is good at lots of things but singing really isn't one of them, and is most definitely not the guy you take out to a karaoke battle if you want to win -- the only exception being if it's a Barenaked Ladies song being sung, that is) admits to looking forward to watching this new musical comedy every Wednesday night.

And he's not the only man making a date with his couch every hump day at 9pm. Even Toronto Star entertainment writer Raju Mudhar is.

"Let's be clear: like most straight men, I don't often pick a musical as my first choice of how to spend precious free time," wrote Mudhar in his article "Dark and awesome writing is just part of Glee's success," wherein he admits he too is some form of a Gleek. "But there is no new show I look forward to as much as Glee (Wednesday night at 9 on Global and Fox). I can't believe how much I'm enjoying it. It's this year's breakout hit and deservedly so. We may live in a High School Musical (blech) world, but Glee's success is impressive."

I have fallen in love with this humourously harmonic sitcom/soap opera with musical numbers tastefully scattered throughout it. Totally in love. And so has everyone else.

Everyone is talking about how it's this year's breakout hit -- and it most definitely deserves it. The Glee version of "Don't Stop Believing" snagged the top shot on the iTunes chart the night after the pilot was aired and quickly sold 350,000 downloads.

The formula seems odd, yes. And it seems like one of those shows that we're not too sure of. The teenage drama (pregnant cheerleader, slushies in the face, gay friend, etc.) is all reminiscent of the well-known Dawson's Creek or 90210, but Glee is different. Mix in the quirkiness of Saved By the Bell and Boys Meets World and sprinkle it with that may-break-into-song-at-any-momentness of Grease, and that's Glee. So hopefully it works. Seems to be doing good thus far. For a weekly musical, but also for any new show, in general.

"I saw the pilot and said, 'We've got to do this,'" said Rob Stringer, chairman of the Columbia/Epic Label Group, Fox's partner in distributing Glee's music." "It's got all the elements of recent pop-cultural trends, but they found a new niche. It's got a touch of the 'American Idol' process, the recent phenomenon of 'High School Musical' and such, but shaken up and made completely cool and contemporary."

And the audiences are applauding. Glee is the first freshman series of this season to be picked up for a full 22-episode order. That's a big deal!!

Here's to hoping the Glee club wins some awards this year for its clever, cheery and straight-up enjoyable performances -- both at McKinley High School and in the real world.

Click here to watch the "Don't Stop Believing" number from the pilot and you'll understand what all the fuss is about: http://orlando.wrzuta.pl/film/5x9xHmx9aHY/glee_-_don_t_stop_believin

• Amanda-Marie Quintino's blog