Chances are, if you’ve read a magazine or visited a Web page in the past four months, you’ve glanced at one of the full-page ads for “Glee.” It’s the one with the thumb in the shape of an “L” between red letters on top of an orange background. Combined with their sheer abundance, the ads are simple yet glowing, and they demand attention.

The show is not any different, particularly with the colors. The attention to detail exhibited on “Glee” Wednesday night, matching the wardrobe with the background with the furniture is a joy to watch. The show could be watched on mute and be just as pleasing, functioning as a moving picture of pop art.

So what exactly is a glee club? You’ve probably heard of one, but they just aren’t prevalent in high schools. A glee club is essentially the hybrid of a cheer squad and a show choir, the members dance while belting out popular songs from the past and present. Not exactly what most high school kids would consider cool, but this show makes you wish your high school had any program this exciting.

The show’s pilot episode, which originally aired on May 19 after “American Idol,” was received with much praise. The glee club’s version of Journey’s “Don’t Stop Believing” immediately went to the No. 1 spot on iTunes singles chart and left a feeling of general disappointment when it did not return the following week. Since then, Fox has been promoting the show fervently, quite like it did in the run up to its pilot, and the anticipation has been building.

The overall marketing campaign for the show was very efficient. By showing “Glee’s” pilot almost three full months before debuting the show, Fox left people salivating for another episode. It helped that the pilot itself, which they gave away for free on iTunes after its television debut, was exceptional, garnering enthusiastic reviews from most major television critics.

At the show’s center is a glee club, but what really gives life to this show is its bold, honest cast of characters. Even though at first glance they seem like a cast of typical high school caricatures, from the sweat-suit wearing cheer coach, to the weird, anal, smart girl that no one likes, a common first impression would be to feel that it’s all been done before.

Then you start to get to know these characters, and none of them are who they first appear. The cheer coach, played by the always-hilarious Jane Lynch, is harsh and offensive. The uptight smarty-pants girl has legitimate issues, and you can’t help but care.

You especially feel for the main character, Will Schuester, played by Matthew Morrison. His character is the coach of the Glee club, as well as a Spanish teacher and, for a short amount of time, a custodian, who also happens to be married to an unbalanced woman. He’s what the show truly focuses on, with his cursed marriage, financial strains and frustrating employment situation — he’s the guy who works too hard and gets no benefit. Of course, there’s another love interest thrown into his life, with the school’s guidance counselor, who is better for him than his wife.

What makes this show so appealing is that it really is the full package.

Everything about “Glee” is meticulously laid out, from the clever lines dished out by the fascinating characters, to the background music, to the brilliant color scheme. This show is almost too good to be on network TV.

Reach the reporter at pmelbour@asu.edu.