This article is the latest edition of "Second Chances," a recurring feature looking at TV shows that deserve a second chance from viewers. Their ratings may be low, but the quality is high, so if you tuned out early on, here's our case for why you should give each show another try. This time: "Community."
"The Office" is past its prime, and Steve Carell's impending departure has yet to inject a renewed sense of life into the show. "30 Rock" has been on a roll this year, but it's unlikely to ever hit the highs of its first two seasons. "Parks and Recreation" is off the air until January. "Outsourced" ... well, the less said about it, the better.
So if you're looking for a half hour of comedy on Thursday nights, "Community" is really your only viable option — we'll just forget about "The Big Bang Theory" and "$#*! My Dad Says" over on CBS. Luckily, since it's the best comedy currently on the air, it's more than worth the investment of your time.
What began last year as a good-but-not-great sitcom has quietly morphed into one of the funniest shows on TV. (Look for "Parks and Rec" to reclaim that crown, though, once it returns.) Now, people just need to start watching it.
Created by Dan Harmon, "Community" focuses on a group of Greendale Community College students who met while organizing a study group for their Spanish class. Originally, the study group was their only reason to interact, but now they have become such an interdependent group of friends that they take classes together, just so they won't have to break up the group.
The ostensible leader of the pack is Jeff Winger (Joel McHale), a former lawyer who had to return to school after it was discovered that his degree was from Colombia — the country, not Columbia Law School. He started out arrogant and self-centered, and while those facets of his personality haven't disappeared, he has become a deeper character over time, giving us a more identifiable and sympathetic lead.
Vying for Jeff's affections at various points are Britta (Gillian Jacobs) and Annie (Alison Brie), who have both become valuable comedic characters in their own rights. Shirley (Yvette Nicole Brown) and Pierce (Chevy Chase) represent the older, returning-to-school crowd, and they bring warmth and offensive eccentricity, respectively, to the show.
The show rightfully earns a lot of attention for its meta humor and pop culture references. Abed (Danny Pudi), whose friendship with Troy (Donald Glover) is one of the funniest parts of the show, also functions as "Community's" meta commentator, constantly telling the others how their situation is just like a classic TV show or movie.
Last season's "Modern Warfare" episode was essentially a half-hour long parody of action movies. Because of a contest sponsored by the dean, the campus devolves into a large-scale paintball war and in the process, the series pays homage to films such as "Die Hard" (1988), "The Matrix" (1999) and "Terminator 2" (1991). It's a skillfully crafted episode that manages to contain some important character development amid the firestorm of paintballs.
"Contemporary American Poultry," also from last season, was a long pastiche of "Goodfellas" (1990), revolving around chicken tenders, and this season's "Basic Rocket Science" was a take on astronaut films like "Apollo 13" (1995) and "The Right Stuff" (1983). All of these reference episodes have proven that "Community" knows how to tell its own story, even while good-naturedly spoofing others'.
What really makes the show work, though, is that there's more to it than reference humor. Yes, "Modern Warfare" is arguably the best episode the show has ever done, but all-pop-culture-all-the-time would eventually get old. Smartly, "Community" mixes in episodes that focus solely on the characters, delving deeper into their personalities and their relationships with one another.
"Cooperative Calligraphy" was one of this season's best episodes, even though it took place entirely in the library study room and basically only featured the main characters in the study group. Guest stars and elaborate set pieces aren't always necessary to create interesting, funny stories.
The show is lucky to have assembled this cast. Everyone is wonderful in his or her role — it's a highlight any time Glover's Troy tries to talk while crying — but a real credit to the writing and acting is that any combination of characters works while still bringing a different dynamic. Abed can be a "mean girl" with Britta, Annie and Shirley, but she can also be one-half of "Alien v. Predator" (2004) with Troy, and both scenarios prove equally entertaining.
Unfortunately, "Community" is something of an underdog in the ratings. It has always struggled but to add to its problems, this year it's gone head-to-head with ratings powerhouse "The Big Bang Theory" on CBS and will starting in January face perennial juggernaut "American Idol" on Fox. So if you like good TV or if you just want a good laugh on Thursdays, tune in at 8 p.m. on NBC and watch "Community."
