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Pilot Light: NBC's 'Community'
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Zap2it's Pilot Light series continues with "Community," the lone new comedy on NBC's fall schedule this year. The show had some pretty good advance buzz throughout pilot season, and the network is banking it will fit in with the likes of "The Office," "30 Rock" and "Parks and Recreation."The usual disclaimer: These posts are not reviews -- in a lot of cases, pilots aren't completely finished products yet. But we do want to offer our impressions of the new shows, now that we've seen more than just a few clips.
Cool? Cool. On to "Community."
What it is: Jeff ("The Soup's" Joel McHale) is a lawyer who's gifted at the art of persuasion -- and skating by without really working that hard. That comes back to bite him when his college degree is invalidated and he has to earn a new one starting at a community college populated by "remedial teens, twentysomething dropouts, middle-aged divorcees and old people keeping their minds active as they circle the drain of eternity," as the pilot puts it.
Who's making it: Dan Harmon ("The Sarah Silverman Program") wrote the pilot and is among its executive producers, as are the pilot's directors, "Arrested Development" veterans Joe and Anthony Russo.
What to look for: The show will be focus on a "study group" Jeff organizes in an effort to make time with a girl (Gillian Jacobs) and that attracts the aforementioned underachieving types (Alison Brie, Donald Glover, Yvette Nicole Brown and Chevy Chase -- yep, Chevy Chase), plus an oversharing and overager guy named Abed (Danny Pudi of "Greek"). They're all scraping bottom in one way or another, and they all kind of know it; the laughs (which are fairly frequent) come from their reluctance to admit it.
What pops: The cast has an odd but comedically effective chemistry, and McHale has no problem moving from snarky clip-show host to sitcom star. Pudi may be in line for a big breakout; he steals several scenes. McHale and John Oliver ("The Daily Show"), who plays a professor, also have several funny exchanges.
What doesn't: A couple of the supporting characters a little thin, as you might expect in a pilot. The show may also need to do a little more work to establish real bonds between the members of the group.
Related:
Watch a preview of 'Community'
Pilot Light: ABC's 'FlashForward'
Pilot Light: FOX's 'Cleveland Show'
Pilot Light: ABC's 'Cougar Town'
PICS: NBC's new shows
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I'm really looking forward to this show. McHale deserves something like this. In all actuality, he should be the one in Jimmy Fallon's spot now but I digress...
This line: 'remedial teens, twentysomething dropouts, middle-aged divorcees and old people keeping their minds active as they circle the drain of eternity,' made me seriously Laugh Out Loud. More so because I am enrolled in a community college right now, but it is also great writing.
Can't wait for the show!
So does that mean that John Oliver will be leaving the Daily Show for this? It better be worth it. I love him on TDS, but I'll definitely watch this too.
I too love John Oliver on "The Daily Show". I hope he can continue on with it in some form. If not, he will be missed but I'll look forward to him on this show.
I hate it, though, when networks cancel a show I love (My Name is Earl) and replace it with another show that I'd like to watch. I would have been happier if both shows somehow managed to stay alive (why not one in the spring and one in the fall?)
John Oliver isn't listed as a cast regular, but he has a fairly good-sized role in the pilot. My guess is that he'll pop up on the show occasionally.
"...who's gifted at the art of persuasion -- and skating by without really working that hard. That comes back to bite him when his college degree is invalidated and he has to earn a new one starting at a community college..."
Sounds like my recurring nightmare. I dream that my college or highschool degree wasn't valid and I have to go back several times a month. I don't know if this show would be theraputic in helping me laugh at my nightmare or if it would add to my trauma!
An NBC show with "strong advance buzz". Color me shocked.
Didn't every NBC bomb of the past five years have "strong advance buzz"?
What does it even mean besides the usual, and now transparent, PR spin?
this is like the only show that looks really good for the fall season
The description of the show here ia better than the commercials on NBC. My guess is that it will be cancelled after a few episodes which is not like I'm the Nostradamus of TV because most of the new shows on NBC get cancelled maybe because they suck. But I hope I'm wrong. I like Joel McHale as a clip show host I'm not too sure if I'm going to like him in a sitcom but I'll certainly watch the pilot and go from there. I wish them good luck.
I'm only going to tune in because of Chevy Chase, but I don't think the show will be on long. After all it on NBC.