After multiple suspensions and threatened expulsions, “Community” is back in session.
The quirky NBC comedy about a study group at the fictational Greendale Community College returns tonight. The show’s return comes three and a half months later than the original mid-October premiere date, but is an improvement from the cancellation rumors that swirled last May.
“I was absolutely livid,” said Liz Wicks, a sophomore creative writing major. “It makes me mad, honestly. I was looking forward to Oct. 19.”
According to The Washington Post, NBC delayed the season premiere after being the No. 1 timeslot for viewers ages 18-48 during the first two weeks of the fall TV season. This demographic is the most sought out by advertisers, so NBC saw this as an opportunity to try to expand their successful ratings to every night of the week, delaying the return of both “Community” and “Whitney.”
“Without having to launch these comedies on Friday at this time, we can keep our promotion focused on earlier in the week,” NBC said in a statement in October. “Plus, we will have both comedies in our back pocket if we need to make any schedule changes on those nights.”
The delay has shifted the show’s regular timeslot from Friday at 8 p.m. to Thursday at 8 p.m. It will continue going head-to-head with audience favorite comedy “The Big Bang Theory,” which has the advantage of generally appealing to a wider audience.
“It’s not your run of the mill sitcom,” freshman psychology major Alicia Yoder said. “It’s a love/hate type of thing where you either love the show or you just hate it.”
“Community” boasts a wide range of characters, including confident ex-lawyer Jeff Winger (Joel McHale), Christian family woman Shirley Bennett (Yvette Nicole Brown), the social justice obsessed Britta Perry (Gillian Jacobs). Best friends Troy Barnes (Donald Glover) and Abed Nadir (Danny Pudi) could be considered the “power couple” of the show, constantly living in their own world, or finding ways to make everyone else’s a little more interesting.
The episodes tend to throw audiences, specifically casual viewers, for a loop. Plot lines involving campus-wide paintball wars, an examination of the same situation turning out multiple ways based on the roll of a die, or a claymation Christmas special may seem odd to most, but they are nothing out of the ordinary for “Community” fans.
“It’s one of those shows that’s genuinely funny, has a really good cast, a lot of people like it, and it’s not overly raunchy or have the cheap humor that a lot of shows use today,” Wicks said. “It really relates to friends and personal problems.”
“Community” is also known for its complicated pop culture references and spoofs. Although Yoder said some of the references can be obscure, episodes have involved “Pulp Fiction,” “Law and Order” and “Glee.” The premiere features Dean Pelton’s (Jim Rash) “Hunger Deans,” a Greendale version of “The Hunger Games.”
“The character Abed uses a lot of social references, and if you don’t know a lot of the movies, then you’re not going to understand why it’s as funny,” Wicks said. “There are moments where I’ve been like, ‘I don’t necessarily get that reference,’ but it’s funny in context when you look it up.”
The show has a large following, which can be credited for the strong pull for its return. Wicks said she’ll “probably just have a little party” by herself, but both she and Yoder encouraged new or curious viewers to tune in.
“Do it because it’s a really good show,” Yoder said. “Once you get into it, it’s really hard to get out of it.”
