One of my favourite Abed "moments" is from the episode where he got the news that his favourite show "Cougar Town" was being moved to midseason. Poor Abed was devastated and now in the wake of the news that "Community" has met with the same midseason fate, I'm beginning to wonder if it wasn't show creator Dan Harmon's way of telling us what was to come.
It's not my style to get uppity. As a fan of shows like "Better Off Ted" and "Arrested Development" I'm used to networks sacrificing quality shows on the altar of ratings. I know it's a business, but I think it's bad business to axe a show that has dedicated superfans like Community obviously does.
Maybe NBC doesn't understand exactly what they have in their hands or maybe I just don't get why every single human being on the planet doesn't watch Community. So I decided to rewatch Season 1 to see if Community could pass my ultimate test: Can it be watched over and over again?
Yes. Yes, it can.
The show's pilot opens with students milling about campus. A skinny bald man is making as ass out of himself with a boombox. He announces over the PA system that he's the dean of a - "loser college" - a boy in a varsity football jacket scanning a bullentin board looks up as if his name's been called - "for remedial teens and 20 something dropouts" - a blond girl looks up angrily as if she's been insulted- "middle aged divorcees" - an older lady holding too tight to her purse is pointed out- "and old people keeping their minds active as they circle the drain of eternity" - the white-haired bespectacled Pierce Hawthorne makes a Fletch face.
Community's pilot episode is one of the cleverest introductions of characters to ever grace the small screen. 1 minute, 18 seconds in and we've met the Dean, Troy, Britta, Shirley, and Pierce.
In the shadows a shorter man MicroMachine's his life story to a taller man. His name's Abed by the way. The other guy's Jeff Winger though he can't be bothered to introduce himself. The taller guy wants an inroad to the hot girl in Spanish class. Abed gives Jeff the jist in rapid fire. Jeff sees his value. Annie shows up later, uninvited.
In a mere episode those individual characters become a "community" and I became a fan. I tried to watch with clinical eyes, but I really Britta'd it up. I got distracted by all my laughing.
For three seasons I have not learned Spanish with the study group of the show Community. Hearing that the show was being moved to midseason I ranted and raved on Twitter. I had just started to realise, in part thanks to Twitter, that behind the show there is a man some call Dan Harmon and he's a fucking genius.
So why shouldn't Community be canceled? I could go on and on about the show's merits; it's cleverness; the brilliant people involved with the show - but would it help? Being a clever show is obviously the kiss of death in a land where people don't see the value of using your thinking cap while watching the boob tube.
Maybe there's no saving Community, but that hasn't stopped me from tweeting and going so far as to create a Twibbon campaign. If it means anything to the cast, crew, and the one they call Dan Harmon - I've decided to support Community.
(Holds up sign that reads Immunity for Community.)
I went for rhyme over clarity.
It's not my style to get uppity. As a fan of shows like "Better Off Ted" and "Arrested Development" I'm used to networks sacrificing quality shows on the altar of ratings. I know it's a business, but I think it's bad business to axe a show that has dedicated superfans like Community obviously does.
Maybe NBC doesn't understand exactly what they have in their hands or maybe I just don't get why every single human being on the planet doesn't watch Community. So I decided to rewatch Season 1 to see if Community could pass my ultimate test: Can it be watched over and over again?
Yes. Yes, it can.
The show's pilot opens with students milling about campus. A skinny bald man is making as ass out of himself with a boombox. He announces over the PA system that he's the dean of a - "loser college" - a boy in a varsity football jacket scanning a bullentin board looks up as if his name's been called - "for remedial teens and 20 something dropouts" - a blond girl looks up angrily as if she's been insulted- "middle aged divorcees" - an older lady holding too tight to her purse is pointed out- "and old people keeping their minds active as they circle the drain of eternity" - the white-haired bespectacled Pierce Hawthorne makes a Fletch face.
Community's pilot episode is one of the cleverest introductions of characters to ever grace the small screen. 1 minute, 18 seconds in and we've met the Dean, Troy, Britta, Shirley, and Pierce.
In the shadows a shorter man MicroMachine's his life story to a taller man. His name's Abed by the way. The other guy's Jeff Winger though he can't be bothered to introduce himself. The taller guy wants an inroad to the hot girl in Spanish class. Abed gives Jeff the jist in rapid fire. Jeff sees his value. Annie shows up later, uninvited.
In a mere episode those individual characters become a "community" and I became a fan. I tried to watch with clinical eyes, but I really Britta'd it up. I got distracted by all my laughing.
For three seasons I have not learned Spanish with the study group of the show Community. Hearing that the show was being moved to midseason I ranted and raved on Twitter. I had just started to realise, in part thanks to Twitter, that behind the show there is a man some call Dan Harmon and he's a fucking genius.
So why shouldn't Community be canceled? I could go on and on about the show's merits; it's cleverness; the brilliant people involved with the show - but would it help? Being a clever show is obviously the kiss of death in a land where people don't see the value of using your thinking cap while watching the boob tube.
Maybe there's no saving Community, but that hasn't stopped me from tweeting and going so far as to create a Twibbon campaign. If it means anything to the cast, crew, and the one they call Dan Harmon - I've decided to support Community.
(Holds up sign that reads Immunity for Community.)
I went for rhyme over clarity.
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