Over its six-season run, Glee introduced a generation of fans to musical theater and catapulted much of its young cast to stardom. The shows co-creator, however, has some surprising thoughts on its conclusion.

In an appearance on the And Thats What You REALLY Missed podcast this week, Ryan Murphy said he now believes Glee shouldve ended in 2013, after actor Cory Monteith s sudden death.

If I had to do it again, we wouldve stopped for a very long time and probably not come back, Murphy, a six-time Emmy winner, told podcast co-hosts Kevin McHale and Jenna Ushkowitz , both Glee veterans.

Monteith was a principal member of the Glee cast when the series debuted in 2009. He played Finn Hudson, a football jock who discovers a passion for music when hes forced to join his high schools glee club. In July 2013, the actor died from a combination of drug and alcohol toxicity at age 31.

At the time, Glee addressed Monteiths death with a special Season 5 episode titled The Quarterback , in which the character of Finn died from an unspecified cause. The series itself ended in 2015, following the conclusion of its sixth season.

Murphy now admits this may not have been the best approach.