The sixth and final season of the television musical series "Glee" has been confirmed to have only 13 episodes instead of the usual 22, as confirmed by TV Line on Thursday, possibly due to the dip in ratings the show has experienced over the last few seasons.

Co-creator Ryan Murphy spent months deliberating on the final season's format, pushing the premiere of the final season later to an even more uncertain date. He and then-Fox president Kevin Reilly hinted back in May that "Glee's" sixth season would most likely be shortened despite the rumors that it would make up for the missed episodes of last season. However, they finally decided to cut the farewell season much shorter than intended.

News and rumors about the show have been trickling in for the past few weeks, including false announcements from cast members Lea Michele and Chris Colfer. The news about Naya Rivera not returning for the final season has been debunked as well. However, the billing of her role will be downgraded to a recurring guest star rather than a series regular.

Meanwhile, Murphy has expressed his reinvigoration and enthusiasm with the return of the story to its roots at William McKinley High School. He said that his idea for the final episodes is that they will not be "New York-centric", also saying that the last season will have its own story and location.

Season 6 will focus on original people as well as feature the other characters they met along the way.

Because of the fewer episodes, the musical show will return probably in the midseason of Fox's lineup for 2015 and last until the following May, per television network standards. However, no exact date or time slot has been announced officially. But the creators of "Glee" hope to make the last season a big event for their fans and all their supporters.