Fox’s musical dramedy series Glee has been renewed and will join returning shows like Bones and The Following on the network’s roster. Not only that, but Glee has been renewed for a fifth and sixth season, meaning we can expect the Lea Michele starrer back in 2014 as well. "Glee debuted as the first and only successful musical comedy series on television, and more than four years later, it continues to defy genres, break new ground and have a significant impact on popular culture,” Fox entertainment chairman Kevin Reilly said in a statement announcing the news on Friday. “Week in and week out, Ryan Murphy, Brad Falchuk, Ian Brennan, Dante DiLoreto and the entire Glee team deliver a series that not only delights and surprises fans, but also inspires them to talk about, share, debate and engage with the show - and I’m absolutely thrilled to have them on board for another two seasons.”

Back in January, Reilly dropped a hint that the network might be renewing Glee for more than one season, by saying: "We're going to negotiate now for the fifth season and beyond."

The decision makes sense for Fox, since Glee – as loved and hated by audiences as it may be – is one of the network’s top performers in terms of ratings. It has performed especially well in its new Thursday 9PM slot and the writers have covered topics oriented toward a more mature audience, like in last week’s school shooting themed episode. It will be interesting what direction the writing team decide to take now, with the possibility of developing story arcs over the next two seasons.

Lea Michelle, Cory Monteith, Paley Center
On- and off-screen couple Lea Michele and Cory Monteith will get to reprise their roles for at least another two years.