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Despite all the praise and awards shows like "Modern Family," "30 Rock" and "The Office" have received over the years, the real heir to the comedy throne since "Arrested Development's" (2003
- 2006) untimely end is NBC's "Community."
Most readers are probably thinking, "Oh, that show with that guy from ‘The Soup,' right?" It is disheartening that so few people know about or watch one of the most original, witty and well-acted comedies to hit the small screen in a very long time. "Community" is able to subvert sitcom cliches in intriguing ways; the show finds new humor in standard premises while also firing off dozens of laughs a minute.
"Community" has unimpressive Nielsen ratings; it averages roughly 5 million viewer an episode, which is a dangerously low figures for a primetime network show. A possible reason for low numbers is that "Community," at its core, is a show for people who like to think about television. The fact that shows like "Two and a Half Men" and "American Idol" regularly get upwards of 10 million viewers suggests that the masses don't go for cerebral TV.
Beside the plethora of obscure pop culture and historical references the show dishes out in rapid jokes, the show is also thought-provoking. Often, it takes the familiar sitcom structure and molds it into something different.
A classic season-two episode of "Community," "Paradigms of Human Memory," is a prime example. Tons of shows have clip-show episodes. Most of the time, the format is a lazy excuse to recycle previous parts of old episodes and claim that the material is somehow new. It is a cheap way for shows to produce a new episode — just take the actors, put them in a setting, have someone say, "Remember when — ?" and replay parts of an older episode.
Instead, "Community" took this staple comedic structure and used it to explore the characters' relationships further. In "Paradigms of Human Memory," instead of showing clips from old episodes, the writers composed new "memories" for the group to discuss. In doing so, they gave Greendale's finest a deeper backstory. The clip show also let the showrunners create fantastic cut-away gags and placed the cast in some hilarious situations, spanning everything from camping to exploring a haunted house.
Another example of "Community's" ability to toy with the sitcom standard comes in the masterful episode "Abed's Uncontrollable Christmas." The episode takes the form of the Christmas episode typical of most shows in December but gives it a sadder twist. Whereas most holiday specials end with everyone reaffirming how much they love each other, "Community" uses this episode as a chance to show the disconnect of one of its main characters, Abed (Danny Pudi).
It might seem odd to put a depressing spin on a Christmas episode, but the gloominess actually makes the half-hour segment more poignant and lifelike. In reality, the holiday is surrounded by so much hype that it's hard for the actual day to live up to hopes or expectations. The holiday season also signifies the end of the year — a time for turning over new leaves — explaining the emotional and reflective tone of this "Community" episode.
All of these subversive and daring ideas wouldn't work without "Community's" enormously talented cast. While any one of the actors could probably carry a show alone, what makes "Community" so special is not only the power of the individual performances, but also the impact of the group's acting as a whole.
Though the cast members are a disparate group, the precise and developed acting allows the motley crew to work well together. The actors carry humorous back-and-forths with ease and effectively play supporting roles in each others' storylines.
The cast's versatility allows the show to jump seamlessly from broad slapstick to rapid-fire banter throughout episodes and seasons.
It is rare that a comedy show can be absurdly funny, original and have genuinely deep characters and relationships, but "Community" accomplishes all of that in just over 20 minutes per episode. If only it could find a way to expand its community of viewers.
