Cory Monteith thinks the next season of 'Glee' will be "awesome".

The actor's character, Finn Hudson will graduate from the show's fictional McKinley high school at the end of the current third series, but creator Ryan Murphy has delighted the cast members with a plan for a "show within a show" that will see them continue their roles outside of the educational environment.

Ryan said: "When I told them all what the next season was, I think they all liked it because they all get to grow and be back to struggling. 'Where is my place in the world?'

"For the most part, I've had really good talks with all the actors, and what I want to do they have loved. Cory Monteith was like, 'I love that Finn gets to do that. That's awesome.' "

Despite speculation that a number of cast members, including Amber Riley and Dianna Agron - who play Mercedes Jones and Quinn Fabray respectively - will leave at the current season, Ryan insists they are all staying on for series four, but admitted they won't all be on screen for the full episode run.

He added to Vulture.com: "A lot of people have been writing Dianna's off the show, Amber's off the show -- they're not off the show.

"We had a meeting, and you know we've become like a family, and I said to them, 'Anybody who wants to stay on the show will stay on the show'. Anyone who is a regular is coming back. Everyone said yes.

"It doesn't mean everyone will be doing 22 episodes, but everyone wants to stay in our family and our world.

"I wanted to make sure those actors know that if they want to have a home, they have a home. If they want to explore new and different things while also having a home, that is also an option."