If college is where people come to pursue their hopes and dreams, then Greendale Community College is where they go when they’ve given up.
“Community,” the offbeat and hilarious black sheep of NBC’s comedy lineup, follows the exploits of seven students who form an unlikely study group at the quirky institution.
Recently returned from a much-reviled mid-season hiatus are Jeff (Joel McHale), the handsome and reluctant leader of the bunch; Britta (Gillian Jacobs), the blonde bleeding-heart liberal; Annie (Alison Brie), the cute, perfect schoolgirl; Troy (Donald Glover) and Abed (Danny Pudi), the nerdy pop-culture obsessed dynamic duo; Shirley (Yvette Nicole Brown), the Bible -thumping mother of two and, of course, curmudgeon in residence, Pierce (Chevy Chase).
And how triumphant the show’s return has been, delivering once again a unique mix of parody and enlightened comedic melodrama unlike anything else on television.
In writing the show over the years, creator Dan Harmon has fully embraced the idea of college as a playground, one in which epic two-part country western paintball stand-offs may take place, or, most recently, an intense pillow and blanket war chronicled through a sober yet hilarious PBS-style documentary parody.
While classes may take place occasionally, the true lessons happen everywhere but the classroom.
The show’s charm and genius comes from its refusal to adhere to the “set up and punch line” format of most comedies, instead offering a more elaborate and fully fleshed out version of comedy.
Not only is the writing funny, so are the characters, the clever plots and even the visuals.
While critics have argued that the show’s hilarity is too subtle for the masses, the humor of “Community” is spread out through each episode, instead of being contained in just one punch line.
Not to mention that anchoring this clever and always amusing show is one of the best comedic ensemble casts, right down to hysterical supporting players such as Dean Pelton (Jim Rash, who recently won an Oscar for writing “The Descendants” screenplay) and Spanish teacher-turned-security guard Ben Chang (Ken Jeong, “The Hangover”).
The show has managed to create genuine community on-screen and among those watching off-screen.
“Community” airs Thursday nights at 8 p.m. on NBC.
