Dana Walden , Co-Chairman, Disney Entertainment, recalled the early days of Glee , the Ryan Murphy musical comedy-drama series that had a tough initial reception but taught her some key lessons.

“First, through Ryan’s eyes, I got to understand how harsh criticism feels to a creator, particularly if the story is personal,” she said as she accepted the Founders Award at the International Emmys in New York City Monday night.

Second, “the feedback wasn’t really for him, it was for the executives. It was going to be our job to protect Glee and teach an audience how to understand something different and original.”

Glee , co-created with Brad Falchuk and Ian Brennan, premiered on Fox in 2009 and won Murphy won a Primetime Emmy Award for directing the pilot episode. The series ran for

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