Yahoo! Screen's "Community" Discussion (2009-2015)

[Hendricks4333]

Originally Posted by WyldeMan45

She's also the best lookin broad on the show.

No doubt, I was told by someone that is business associates with someone on the show and got to visit on set one day that Annie is hot as you think she is and Brita is hotter and shorter than expected in person.

[Meeklo]

Annie is easily the hottest on this show:

alison-brie-bikini-complex-03.jpg

[Clark Kent]

Abed is easily one of the best new characters on television. They really could feature his antics more often. I used to love Chevy Chase, but he is the weakest link on the show. Whatever purpose he was meant to have does not translate well to this comedy. I wonder if he is written off the show at some point?

[WyldeMan45]

Mods please move to TV section!

I've been pretty positive during the show's run that Abed has Asperger syndrome. Other than "ass burgers" joke from the pilot, Abed has seemed more TV-quirky than specifically Aspie. In tonight's "Physical Education," Abed is shown to be far more together and sure of himself than any of his well-meaning friends, and to have a perfect understanding of human relationships, even if others don't recognize that at first. The idea of a character who has so much self-esteem and natural talent that he can be anything he wants is pretty cool, and so far the show has been careful not to take it too far and turn Abed into Fonzie.

It was a really nice, sweet Abed story - once again, this show that allegedly leans so much on irony and meta references has no problem finding and showing its heart - and one where Danny Pudi still got to inject some humor with his makeup-enhanced portrayal of Joey (aka White Abed).

And the existence of White Abed (who thinks of Abed, of course, as Brown Joey) was one of several surreal touches in an episode that was frequently content to go for broke and embrace the crazy.

Jeff's half-naked, then all-naked game of pool with the uptight phys ed teacher was completely gonzo. I thought I was laughing hard enough when the soundtrack started using Warren Zevon's "Werewolves of London" (which accompanied this similar, iconic Tom Cruise scene from "The Color of Money"), but when the coach ripped off his underwear and let out a primal scream, and then Jeff followed suit, I completely lost it. No real logic to any of it, but there are times when you have to sacrifice plausibility for the sake of a really ridiculous, funny, extended sight gag.

And the rest of the episode was filled with other great jokes, like the runner about the rest of the study group understandably mocking "I lived in New York"er Britta for her pronunciation of "baggel," or Shirley and Troy needing every pop culture reference translated into its black equivalent, or one of the best Abed/Troy tags to date, with their Bert and Ernie impression interrupted when Troy remembers he's supposed to be at a funeral. Like the naked pool thing, there was no point to it, but it was silly and really damn fun.

The show can't be this strange every week, but every now and again it works.

---------------------------------------------------------


Greendale Gets Formal: Greendale is going to prom as a season-ender! "We're definitely going to give the fans something worthy of a finale," says Dan Harmon, the brains behind Community. In fact, he's looking to television proms past for some inspiration. "We follow the school year, so we get to do prom. It has to end with a prom-bang, my homage to a Dawson's Creek-y vibe."

And while no one would divulge which Spanish study-groupers would be splitting the cost of the limo, Dan promised us this: "The last couple of episodes satisfy all the urges you have about Community. We're batting cleanup with the drama, the sap and the comedy, as well."

Greendale Gets Violent: Between naked Joel and the gang in formal wear, look for an action-packed episode that's reportedly very conceptual—basically "an action movie for 25 minutes" of your Thursday night TV—and Dan jokes, "If you guys don't love this, then just go ahead and cancel us!"

Plus, this shoot-'em-up episode apparently includes some good Jeff-Britta (Gillian Jacobs) stuff! Says Joel himself: "There will be some arrests, I get my head bashed in, there's romance stuff, and there will be a lot of gunplay—I'm not kidding." Outstanding!

Source

[Chordata]

I thought it was one of the best episodes of the year -- loved it.

[Idioteque...]

It was a really good episode, it gave me hope for the series. I thought it was okay but now I'm going to watch it more.

And was White Abed/Joey actually Danny Pudi? That's insane.

[WyldeMan45]

Originally Posted by Idioteque...

And was White Abed/Joey actually Danny Pudi? That's insane.

Oh course that was Danny Pudi, what you think they found a White Danny just floatin around? lol

[Idioteque...]

Originally Posted by WyldeMan45

Oh course that was Danny Pudi, what you think they found a White Danny just floatin around? lol

I actually did. AT first the dude didn't look like Danny Pudi to me first, but when they showed him again at the end and zoomed on his face I was like he looks just like him. Didn't sound much like Abed though, I guess he can do lots of voices.

[WyldeMan45]

Originally Posted by Idioteque...

I actually did. AT first the dude didn't look like Danny Pudi to me first, but when they showed him again at the end and zoomed on his face I was like he looks just like him. Didn't sound much like Abed though, I guess he can do lots of voices.

Pudi is a master at voices, remember Batman? Lol, that guy steals every scene he's in. I love how screwed up Shirley's logic about races are, like when Jeff asks, well doesn't that make him a white Abed, she says "that's racist" or when she and Troy discussed Can't Buy Me Love, and said it was the all white remake of Love Don't Cost a Thing, and she said she hates when they do that, lol. While they are really just taking normal movies and making them all black.

[Idioteque...]

Originally Posted by WyldeMan45

Pudi is a master at voices, remember Batman? Lol, that guy steals every scene he's in. I love how screwed up Shirley's logic about races are, like when Jeff asks, well doesn't that make him a white Abed, she says "that's racist" or when she and Troy discussed Can't Buy Me Love, and said it was the all white remake of Love Don't Cost a Thing, and she said she hates when they do that, lol. Where they are really just taking normal movies and making them all black.

I didn't see the Batman/Halloween episode. I heard good things about it but too lazy.

[WyldeMan45]

Originally Posted by Idioteque...

I didn't see the Batman/Halloween episode. I heard good things about it but too lazy.

Oh man, it was awesome! He played the perfect batman, even PERFECTLY nailing Bale's throaty voice that everybody hated. And Troy came as Eddie Murphy with the mustache and red leather suit he wore from Delirious! Also Pierce came as the Beastmaster and than took acid.

[WyldeMan45]

ALRIGHT!

NBC has renewed the rest of its Thursday comedies -- "The Office," "Community" and "30 Rock." The network previously picked up "Parks and Recreation."

"We are happy to give these early pickups to these critically acclaimed, incredibly funny comedies," said NBC entertainment president Angela Bromstad. "As a result, we look forward to continuing our rewarding partnership with the respective creative teams and talented show-runners for '30 Rock,' 'The Office' and 'Community' as they all consistently deliver quality shows."

First-year comedy "Community" is averaging a 2.7 rating in adults 18-49 once DVR-use is added. "The Office" is NBC's top scripted series in the demo, averaging a 4.9 rating. In its fourth season, "30 Rock" is averaging a 3.4 rating.

[WyldeMan45]

Community - Episode 1.18 - Basic Genealogy - Sneak Peeks

They where awesome! I cannot wait for Thursday to see everybody's family members.



Also found this video posted by Dan Harmon telling the cast they got picked up, and at first made them think they had been canceled. Is it just me or does Chevy not look happy, lol.

[Clark Kent]

Originally Posted by Idioteque...

I didn't see the Batman/Halloween episode. I heard good things about it but too lazy.

That was the best episode of the season, for a show that has consistently been the best new show of the year. Seek it out at some point.

[WyldeMan45]

Originally Posted by Clark Kent

That was the best episode of the season, for a show that has consistently been the best new show of the year. Seek it out at some point.

For me, Abed makes the show, I also obviously love Troy and those two together is comedic perfection, but Abed's aspie's tends to make him so absurd in social situations that his reactions and his ability to mimic is incredible. The Don Draper scene had me rolling, and it appeared to have Annie, slightly aroused, lol. That girl is so lonely.............yet so sexy. They sure have managed to hide a lot under Annie's innocent looking sweaters, haha.

[Show spoiler]

[Gamma_Winstead]

Originally Posted by Meeklo

Annie is easily the hottest on this show:

Attachment 14241

agreed. She certainly does it for me.

I really love this show. The pilot was mediocre and turned me off, but since, it has been excellent!

Also, she is in Mad Men, which made the Don Draper scene even funnier.

[WyldeMan45]

2010 PaleyFest: Community

It was all about Chevy Chase at Wednesday night's PaleyFest event honoring NBC's freshman comedy "Community."

Throughout the evening, Chase would distract the crowd by uttering random words into his mic, gesturing to the audience, misinterpreting questions and teasing his co-stars. One attendee tweeted afterwards: "Tonight's panel was like 2 in 1: The Community @paleyfest panel and The Chevy Chase Show panel."

But even Fletch couldn't save the night from the R-rated chaos that culminated during the 75-minute session. With subjects ranging from racial-neutral script parts to star Joel McHale's (Jeff) impressive torso, no topic was safe. And boy, did it prove true.

Chase (Pierce), who fell from his chair after saying several times that he couldn't hear (yes, it really happened), was easily the star of the evening, but not without some stiff competition from his co-stars. Donald Glover (Troy) shared an entertaining story about his first meeting with co-star Ken Jeong (Señor Chang), saying it was pretty rare to walk into the room and see a guy you've already seen naked. And many of McHale's zingers were aimed squarely at Chase.

When creator Dan Harmon ("The Sarah Silverman Program") took to the podium to introduce Thursday's episode, "Physical Education," he likened it to something that didn't have vampires, referencing the current craze. But quickly took his statement back, and you'll see why when the episode airs. In 22 minutes, the comedy paid homage to "Mad Men," went supernatural, named pool a legitimate sport and showed McHale in his skivvies. The best part? There might be more nudity than viewers are expecting, which McHale teased to earlier this week.



Still game? Let's venture forth.

Casting the main roles on any show is always hit-or-miss, but on a comedy, the chemistry between actors is even more essential. When it came down to the lead role, it seemed pretty simple who Harmon and the crew were going with. "Joel was first in," executive producer and director Joe Russo said. "We thought we could build a show [around him]."

Though many knew of McHale as the charmingly snarky host of E!'s "The Soup," the guy could act. Jeong said his favorite scenes were often the one-on-ones with McHale. Chase chimed in: "And what about that torso?" (It'll only make sense after Thursday's episode.) Cue huge cheers.

Next up was the role of Pierce. "We had a meeting with Chevy and he fell asleep. Then he woke up and talked about his money problems," Russo joked. Chase in turn showed his healthy stash of $20 bills.

To cast the part of Britta, Harmon had a specific idea of what he wanted her to be like: two parts "completely full of herself" and two parts sincere, according to Russo. Plus, it was the toughest role to cast. "I've played a lot of [drugged-out] teenage prostitutes," Gillian Jacobs (Britta) said of her previous work.

Jeong's character wasn't in the pilot, but when Señor Chang was introduced in the second episode, the actor didn't miss a beat. "Ken is a genius. He makes funny wherever he goes," Glover said.

And the reason "Community" works? "Greendale's a crazy place where crazy things can happen," Harmon said. "But, the people are real."



Here are some of the evening's highlights, or at least what could be understood from the insanity:

-- The evening was moderated by Entertainment Weekly's John Young, who has recapped "Community" for the mag since the pilot. Though a fan of the show, he has "taken the show to task," which prompted Harmon to respond via Twitter about running a character named EW PopWatch over with a car.

-- In order to shoot the naked pool match in "Physical Education," McHale had to take some necessary actions so as not to embarass himself. "I shaved down. I had lots of unwanted hair I never knew I had," McHale said. "I went on the 'You're going to be naked in two weeks' diet."

-- When it came time to shoot, having McHale wearing nothing but flesh-toned underwear all week long garnered different reactions. Depending on who you asked, it was either "too much or not enough," Glover said.

-- The kiss at the end of the episode "was better than the kiss I had with Danny Bonaduce," McHale said, adding it's always weird to kiss someone who has stubble. ("Boy Meets World's" Blake Clark, who played Shawn's father on the '90s show, guest stars as the physical ed teacher.)

-- Observations from the episode: Jeff wears a badass motorcycle jacket. Britta says bagels like "bah-gels." Abed gets matched up with the help of his fellow study group members. Abed and Troy are the second coming of Bert and Ernie. Who knew there was an official pool-playing outfit? Abed's second version of himself takes on a vampire form. Jeff gets hit on in his "pool shorts." Abed plays a mean Don Draper and almost wins over Annie.

-- Harmon's community college experience in Glendale at 32 years old prompted the idea for "Community." When he began acing tests in biology class, his struggling counterparts approached him to form a study group. It was through study sessions in the library that he realized he actually liked the people he was with. Executive producer Garrett Donovan added that the community college setting was the only way they envisioned the concept working, since it allowed for a diversity in age.

-- According to Donovan, improv has become a very crucial part of the show.

-- When asked if he's learned anything from Chase, McHale gave several: "How not to match my clothes. Chevy is like Nolan Ryan, in that he's still alive." Cue laughter. "He's the funniest guy on set ... and then he calls you a prick. He's great. If he read the scripts, it'd be even greater." Zing.

-- In the urban version of "Community," Glover would be the star, Rev. Run would play his father, he would try to sell Britta, there would be more bling and "yo" would be used regularly.

-- On working with a younger cast: "I feel so much younger working with them (the rest of the cast) ... actually no, I don't. I feel like an old ship," Chase said. "They all have their own [skills], like a Home Depot. ... Joel's a toolmaster."



-- "I come from YouTube," Glover said, which caused his co-stars to tease him incessantly. Like the planet?

-- McHale gave a glimpse into a future episode they're currently shooting, in which Chevy's character thinks he's a wizard. And apparently, it's quite hilarious.

-- According to Harmon and Russo, one of the next episodes is a 20-minute action movie. "It's like 'The Warriors' meets 'I Am Legend' meets 'Battle Royale' meets 'Die Hard,' " McHale said. "Any time I get to say 'Get some *****es!' in something, it's going to be good!," Glover added.

-- McHale described Harmon's weird take on comedy sitcoms in a rather profound way, after comparing him to "some kind of strange oracle." "It seems he's immortal and has learned our ways," he said. "Whenever there is a convention of television that has been used for years, he will take that, scrunch it up, spit on it, eat it, poop it out ... then he'll put it in the script."

-- During the audience Q&A session, a fan suggested McHale tackle the Fletch role if a new movie were ever greenlit. "I don't know how you could top that performance," McHale said modestly. Chase, however, said McHale would be a great Fletch because one day, he'll be dead.

-- A person wondered if Abed was supposed to have Aspergers Syndrome because of his quirky personality. "All the writers are kind of like Abed," Harmon said. More appropriate comparisons included Data or Spock. (In the episode, Abed was also likened to God. Another possibility?)

-- The best description of "Community" ended the chaotic night on a high note. "It feels like I'm playing poker with my friends and saying stupid stuff," the fan said, adding that the antics onscreen don't feel scripted at all.

[WyldeMan45]

Britta getting switch'd had me rolling!

A review of "Community" coming up just as soon as I choke the Little Mermaid with a bike chain...

It's been instructive to watch the ups and downs of "Community" and "Modern Family" this season, not only on their own paths, but in relation to each other. (And I say this as someone who enjoys both shows a great deal and thinks the whole "there can only be one" attitude among some fans of each to be pretty silly.) Though "Community" got pegged at the start of the season as the colder, more ironic show with all its meta humor and pop culture references, I've found that it's not only displayed more heart over the course of the season than "Modern Family," but done it more naturally. Where "Modern Family" has felt compelled to spell out its morals at the end of each episode and make sure no one could possibly forget that these kooky people really like each other deep down, "Community" has chosen to show and not tell the story of its impromptu family coming together and learning to care about each other.

Yet this week, the roles reversed. "Modern Family" gave us the show's first episode in a long time (if not ever?) that didn't end with a voiceover where one of the actors summed up the deep meaning of the story. "Community," on the other hand, gave us an episode where the characters more blatantly talked about their feelings, about what they mean to each other, what they should take out of relationships with each other and with their biological family members, etc.

And I didn't necessarily mind it, particularly in an episode that had as much good comedy as "Basic Genealogy" did. But the slight change in style was noticeable, particularly in this week when "Modern Family" ducked away from this particular pitch. In particular, Abed reassuring Shirley that she's a good mom and Annie getting Jeff to realize he wants to be a good friend were a bit more on the nose than the show usually gets. (Though in both cases we at least got a good punchline, with Jeff again marveling at Annie's powers of manipulation, and Shirley's son winding up in the vending machine.)

As for the comedy, Troy trying to talk while crying has now become one of the show's most reliable laugh-getters, and the unlikely Troy/Britta partnership again yielded great dividends, with Britta's more-enlightened-than-thou whiteness getting her a good switchin'. Katharine McPhee was fine as Pierce's grifter stepdaughter (and certainly much more lifelike than fellow "American Idol" alum Carrie Underwood was on "HIMYM" last week), and it had been a while since we got some good Pierce/Jeff interaction. Early episodes had established that Pierce is who Jeff will become if he's not careful, and it was nice to see Pierce himself recognize this and for once have the self-awareness to try to talk Jeff out of it. (And that also had a good talking-while-crying gag, with Jeff venting about "Glee.") And the Pictionary/swastika/Rabbi Chang gag was wonderfully set-up.

NBC renewed "Community" last week, after the hilarious "Physical Education" aired. (Here's video of Dan Harmon telling the cast the good news.) This has quickly become one of my favorite things on TV, and I'm glad I'll get to see both the show and the study group grow and evolve for another year.

What did everybody else think?

[Mr_Bester]

Originally Posted by WyldeMan45

Britta getting switch'd had me rolling!

...

It almost had me doing something else

[Gamma_Winstead]

haha.... wow.

Anyways great episode. But I need more Annie darn you!