(Cover) - EN Showbiz - Ryan Murphy has discussed the plans for a Glee spin-off.

Earlier this year, the co-creator of the popular American television show started working on an idea for a new programme which would feature Lea Michele, Chris Colfer and Cory Monteith. Ryan says he spoke to the trio about their characters graduating and starring in the new show and he insists they were happy with the concept.

"In March, [executive producer] Brad Falchuk and I started talking to all three of those actors about it because you can't make people do spinoffs," Ryan explained to Deadline Hollywood. "At the time, all three of them expressed interest."

Ryan claims he then decided to put the project on hold after some of the cast said they were shocked to hear they had been cut from Glee.

Chris told ET that he had found out about the plans via Twitter, claiming he didn't know he would be leaving the show so soon. However, Ryan is adamant he had discussed the project with all three of the stars.

"For any of those actors to say, 'I found out that I was fired off the show from Twitter,' is absolutely 100% not true," Ryan added. "We were going to do a spin-off where the three of them were going to go on. They all knew what was happening, they all had approved it, they all said they wanted to do it."

The new show would have been set in New York as Lea, Chris and Cory's character all move there to attend college.

The latest season of Glee premieres in the US on September 20. (C) Cover Media