Ryan Murphy says Glee graduates are to re-appear next season

Eight stars of the musical comedy Glee bid farewell to McKinley High pursue their dreams, leaving fans guessing how the show will follow their stories next season.

Fox has said Glee will split time between McKinley High in Ohio and New York City, where two characters were heading, and creator Ryan Murphy has said all the current stars will return in some fashion.

During Tuesday's third-season finale, the seniors who graduated were Rachel (Lea Michele), Finn (Cory Monteith), Kurt (Chris Colfer), Quinn (Dianna Agron), Mike (Harry Shum Jr.), Puck (Mark Salling), Mercedes (Amber Riley) and Santana (Naya Rivera). Brittany's (Heather Morris) poor grades kept her from getting a diploma.

Amid tearful goodbyes and covers of Bruce Springsteen and Beatles songs, show-choir star Rachel won acceptance to a New York performing arts school. But in a surprise, she travelled to the Big Apple solo after classmate Kurt didn't make the cut and fiance Finn was rejected by an acting studio. Finn joined the Army and told Rachel to pursue her Broadway dreams on her own.

Santana planned to move to New York with her mother's blessing using money she had saved for college. Dancer Mike Chang was headed to Chicago, and Mercedes was going to Los Angeles to try a singing career.

With the characters heading in different directions, it is unclear how "Glee" will weave them all into next season.

When it returns in the autumn, the programme will feature a "show within a show following some of the characters to New York", Fox executive Kevin Reilly said last week.

"A couple of fresh faces in Ohio" will join the castmates still in high school, he said. Returning students include Artie (Kevin McHale), Tina (Jenna Ushkowitz) and Blaine (Darren Criss). Actresses Kate Hudson and Sarah Jessica Parker will appear as guest stars on some episodes.

All the current stars will make new appearances, show creator Murphy told New York magazine's Vulture website last week.

"We've become like a family, and I said to them, ‘Anybody who wants to stay on the show will stay on the show,'" Murphy said. "They're all coming back. Anyone who is a regular is coming back. Everyone said, ‘Yes.'"

How much each will be on screen, however, is unknown. "It doesn't mean everyone will be doing 22 episodes," Murphy said.