DarylMitchell

When I saw the kids from Glee sing at the World Series earlier this month, I was surprised to see that Kevin McHale, the actor who plays disabled gleester Artie, wasn't disabled in real life.

Not sure why this surprised me; non-disabled actors have been playing disabled characters for decades. Maybe it's because McHale handles his wheelchair so well, or because Glee seems to be pretty proud of its not-calling-attention-to-itself brand of diversity. Maybe I just figured that, in 2009, hiring a disabled actor to play a disabled character wasn't a big deal.

I guess I was wrong. And I'm not the only one who's puzzled and disappointed by the show's decision. Tonight's episode, in which the gleesters rally around Artie so he can travel with them to the regionals, is the jumping-off point for an AP article on how disappointed disabled actors are about the casting of McHale in the role.

What should you expect from the new TV shows coming this fall? Read our first impressions of Fox's 'Brothers,' starring Daryl "Chill" Mitchell and former NFL star Michael Strahan ...

Premise: Recently retired NFL star Mike Trainor returns home to the open arms of his mother and father and the not-so-open arms of his wheelchair-bound brother, Chill. When Mike's business manager runs off with all his money, he and Chill try to run a restaurant together ... and avoid killing each other.