Community, the tv show

OTM

The dialogue between Britta and Jeff was pure gold.

Just watched it, and ^ this can't be repeated enough. Also loved the Troy parts (I too was laughing riotously at the singing/crying Reading Rainbow theme).

Best part for me was the complisult/explanabrag.

yeah that stuff was killer

In the AV Club interview -- http://www.avclub.com/milwaukee/articles/how-dan-harmon-went-from-doing-comedysportz-in-mil,34126/ -- Harmon said he only wants to be showrunner for the first season and then let someone else do it so he can go off and do other projects. And obviously if it's successful NBC will keep it going regardless of the creator's level of involvement. Kinda makes sense, since Harmon did the Channel 101 website and Acceptable TV series on VH1 (which was awesome and hilarious), where they'd create new mini-shows every week and let people vote on whether they come back for new episodes, so I can see how he'd get bored doing the same show for years and years.

― as far as the eye (ken c) (some dude), Thursday, December 31, 2009 1:16 PM (1 year ago) Bookmark Suggest Ban Permalink

it's funny looking back on this post now it was kind of prophetic, except Harmon didn't get bored and leave Community, he just kept himself entertained by making it a different show almost every week

i really loved Acceptable TV and was so bummed it got canceled so Community doing well feels like total vindication for me

Britta/Jeff exhange was all kinds of gold

When they were pretending to be each other's Dads? Yeah, that was great.

What was it that Lavar said during the credits?

"More ham for Kunta"?

fish

OK, I never saw Reading Rainbow and didn't know the song. And I STILL found that moment mindbendingly hilarious.

wanted to be sad there were no Jordy LaForge joeks but Lavar is such a goldmine, it's ALL good. Glover was genius.

wait is kabletown real? i thought it was just a 30 rock storyline

hope lavar becomes a regular ala wusshisnamefrompredator being in arrested development

kabletown = comcast

kabletown is a thin veil

my gf swears that both a) Troy wanting a photo of Levar Burton, not to meet Levar Burton and b) the bit where Pierce questions the gang abt what they hate about Shirley were scenes from actual previous episodes - she has asked if anyone can confirm this for her, or is she going mad?

also, this show just gets better and better.

yeah i call Comcast "Kabletown" out of habit now, partly because my brother used to work for them and after he got reprimanded for talking about what a shitty employer they are on Facebook, he'd refer to them as "Kabletown" instead

The Troy part of this episode was fantastic, and is also a pretty fair approximation of how I would react if I ever met someone I really admired.

Pierce has become so much more dickish and unlikeable than he even was before. It's not even funny now.

― Peyton Flanders (Nicole)

strongly disagree

I don't think the Pearce thing is supposed to be humorous. It's probably a character development leading to something much larger by season end.

i always just imagine its cuz chevy chase is such an asshole

stevie now you say it, that sounds familiar but i couldn't tell you exact episodes.

http://26.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_lgy8t0iKa41qcumrmo1_500.gif

YES!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

<3

i dont think anyone in this thread agrees with me but i could really go for an episode that doesnt have a wacky framing device

― max, Thursday, February 17, 2011 10:58 PM

i agree

I think the framing devices work better for Community than for pretty much any other show (with the possible exception of the zombie episode). At no point have said devices overshadowed character development; in fact, in just about every instance, they've added (sometimes exponentially) depth to the characters. It's not like these are find-the-goofs April Fools episodes; this ain't the Drew Carey Show.

ohhhh nm thought this was the drew carey show thread

I'm just sayin', the characters aren't just one-liner joke machines (I mean, they are certainly that, but so much more), and the framing devices in Community serve a fundamentally different purpose than similar devices would on a show where character development/depth isn't really a concern. So instead of, "You know what would be funny? A stop-motion animated episode!," it's "The best way to give added insight into Abed is via a stop-motion animated episode!"

Or something.

you're really reading a lot into max's post, and my agreement with it, about simply wanting an episode free of a framing device. constant self-aware avoidance of ruts can itself become a rut y'know.

interested to see what they do with Pierce as they've gone all out to make most of us (no?) dislike him and for believability's sake you'd think they'd all just cut him loose. different situation with Chang where he's more just bizarre and creepy rather than actively intentionally mean to them. maybe they will both find some way to genuinely endear themselves to the others thru a heroic deed and normalise thereafter, but yeah that could suck.

I have a strong feeling that Pierce won't be around by the time Season 3 starts. I kinda feel like he was only included at the start because NBC wanted a "name" attached to the project and now that the show is (at least semi-) successful on its own terms, they are preparing him to dump him (from what I hear, he is a complete ass on the set).

this is pure conjecture but chase is known to be a total dick IRL and I wonder if the writers/show producers are taking revenge on him with what they're doing to pierce

― congratulations (n/a), Friday, December 3, 2010 8:07 AM (2 months ago) Bookmark

apparently during filming Chase was saying some lines and then paused for a few seconds then "heeeeey, I see what this is" and stormed off set.

http://www.eonline.com/uberblog/b54978_Chevy_Chase_Mom_and_Stepdad_Abused_Me.html

watching the chevy chase roast on youtube, so brutal

Blimey. xp

From what I hear, he is a complete ass on the set

Are you hearing this from mates or from a source you could provide a link to? I'm not arguing with you, I'd just be curious to read about it if there's material available. Basically I just like reading about Community.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q-wRyezZEdE

Are you hearing this from mates or from a source you could provide a link to? I'm not arguing with you, I'd just be curious to read about it if there's material available. Basically I just like reading about Community.

The thing I read was something a friend sent me from one of the second-tier gossip sites, but I'll be damned if I can find it now. There was nothing concrete, but given his history, seemed pretty valid.

you're really reading a lot into max's post, and my agreement with it, about simply wanting an episode free of a framing device. constant self-aware avoidance of ruts can itself become a rut y'know.

― am0n, Monday, February 21, 2011 1:10 PM (59 minutes ago) Bookmark

I hear ya, and I actually agree with you in the abstract -- a show that relies too heavily on such devices is probably going to run out of gas soon. I guess I feel that wrt Community, the framing-device and no-framing-device episodes kind of feed off of each other, and inform each other. And I definitely see your point in the danger of lopsidedness.

that roast is too sad

i want to read chevy's autobio

Community's Chevy Chase Problem

I tend to prefer the high concept episodes. every time I watch a 'standard' episode, I still laugh a ton and love it, and yet because of how good their high concept episodes are, I keep going "man I can't wish until their next one".

With that said, they do need a 'standard episode' sorbet every few episodes to keep them fresh.

favourite episode so far this season is the animated one - much better than i expected (guess i do like the abed-heavy ones the most). least favourite is the drugs one.

Community doesn't have a Chevy Chase problem. the whole chevy chase/pierce thing is one of the most compelling things to watch in the show right now and it speaks really poorly of television criticism that they're unable to say "this is very uncomfortable and compelling" without also saying, "that must mean the show is doing something wrong." the "group" has never really wanted Pierce around and that hasn't changed. he just keeps showing up. it's not like they can get rid of him at this point. he snuck into the DnD game, wasn't hanging out with them in "Early 21st Century Romanticism," etc. He really hasn't been a part of the group since the drug play episode.

The other thing tho is that Pierce isn't totally unredeemable either. Though he acts like a dick, he often plays an important role in getting people to overcome problems and face up to themselves. The narrator in the DnD episode explicitly credits Pierce with having saved Neil's life, and as of last episode he has given Jeff the opportunity to have some closure with his father. he's obviously a terrible person and bitter and all that, but it's a mistake to not acknowledge the things he has brought to the group. If anything, I don't think we'll see him redeemed (assuming he even stays on the show). If anything I think we'll see a shift where the good things about him are put more front and center.

Community doesn't have a Chevy Chase problem. the whole chevy chase/pierce thing is one of the most compelling things to watch in the show right now and it speaks really poorly of television criticism that they're unable to say "this is very uncomfortable and compelling" without also saying, "that must mean the show is doing something wrong."

cosign

yea it's not like they've turned Pearce into a completely one dimensional character. with every act of dickery they always give a little window into his own anguish.

I have known plenty of Pearces in my own life.

xxp Mordy totally OTM

and I agree with your prediction in the last sentence (if only for one episode)

+ “She's actually just my favorite” is downright classic. He has some of the best lines

mordy otm