Community TV Series

When the highest rating sitcom on television is Two and a Half Men, the genre is in serious trouble. The cesspool of reality TV has infested television satellites like a disease and the Community TV series is the cure. Community represents a new generation of sitcom. Character-based shows about people simply hanging out might have worked in the nineties when Seinfeld and Friends ruled supreme. Nowadays television is simply catering for the lowest common denominator, producing hour upon hour of reality TV or sitcoms based on toilet humour and double entendres. Community brings a form of meta-humour seamlessly integrated into storylines in a way never seen before; poking fun at the very medium it takes place in as well as all forms of popular culture. It takes place in a crazy world filled with cartoonish plots, but held together with a cast of characters that the audience believe in.

Community takes its name from its setting, a community college. The show focuses on six unlikely members of a study group at the cartoonish Greendale Community College. Joel McHale stars as Jeff Winger, a successful lawyer who gets disbarred when the Colorado Bar Association find out his law degree is actually from Columbia, not Columbia University. The study group is formed when Jeff pretends to be a Spanish tutor to hit on Britta. Britta, a thirty-plus high school dropout-cum wannabe activist, is played by Gillian Jacobs. However, Britta ruins Jeff's plan by inviting Abed, who in turn invites four other classmates to the fake study group. Even once Jeff's ruse is uncovered the study group decides to remain in place and they eventually turn into an unlikely group of friends with nothing in common.

Abed, played by Danny Pudi, is a Palestinian/Polish-American film student. He uses pop-culture to relate to the events at Greendale, and is the show's key source of meta-humour. Shirley Bennett (Yvette Nicole Brown) is an African American and devoted Christian; she is recently divorced and mother of three. Annie Edison, played by Alison Brie is the youngest member of the study group, she is a by-the-book and diligent student. When the show begins she has a crush on former high-school classmate Troy Barnes (Donald Glover). Troy is a former high school football star who is forced to attend Greendale when an injury costs him his college scholarship. The last member of the study group is played by legendary comic Chevy Chase. Pierce Hawthorne is a wealthy businessman looking for friends and popularity at Greendale College; however he lacks social skills and tends to stereotype people by their race and gender.

The show usually focuses on all of the characters' evolving world view based on their interactions together. This is particularly true McHale's Jeff Winger. While he continues to be a smug self-absorbed snarky lawyer, his character evolves to care about the other members of the group, even becoming a father-figure in many cases.

Community has a variety of valuable supporting characters. Craig Pelton (Jim Rash) is the Dean, desperate to give the college some legitimacy. One of the most memorable characters, Ben Chang (Ken Jeong), begins the series as the Spanish teacher but eventually becomes a student trying to join the study group. John Oliver also features as Dr. Ian Duncan, the professor of psychology.

Dan Harmon created the show and based it on his experiences at Los Angeles' Glendale Community College. It first aired on NBC on September 17, 2009.

Jeff Winger played by Joel McHale
Britta Perry played by Gillian Jacobs
Abed Nadir played by Danny Pudi
Shirley Bennett played by Yvette Nicole Brown
Annie Edison played by Alison Brie
Troy Barnes played by Donald Glover
Pierce Hawthorne played by Chevy Chase

Community Cast - Greendale Faculty

Señor Chang played by Ken Jeong
Dean Pelton played by Jim Rash
Professor Ian Duncan played by John Oliver
Professor Michelle Slater played by Lauren Stamile

Community Supporting Cast and Guest Stars

Star-Burns played by Dino Stamatopoulos
Leonard played by Richard Erdman
Garrett Lambert played by Erik Charles Nielsen
Pavel played by Dominik Musiol
Bill played by Bill Parks
Officer Cackowski played by Craig Cackowski
Vicki played by Danielle Kaplowitz
Vaughn played by Eric Christian Olsen
Fat Neil played by Charley Koontz
Security Guard played by Bertrand Roberson Jr.
Professor Whitman played by John Michael Higgins
Andre played by Malcolm-Jamal Warner
Rich played by Greg Cromer
Dean Spreck played by Jordan Black
Mark Millot played by D.C. Pierson
Magnitude played by Luke Youngblood
Professor June Bauer played by Betty White
Mike played by Anthony Michael Hall
Professor Sean Garrity played by Kevin Corrigan
Helicopter Pilot played by Andy Dick
Male Nurse Jackie played by Patton Oswalt
Abed's Dad played by Iqbal Theba
Quendra played by Marcy McCusker
Linda played by Meggie McFadden
Buzz played by Dominic Dierkes
Abed's Troy played by LeJon
Abed's Pierce played by John Platt
Kickpuncher played by Derek Mears

1. "At Least It Was Here (Community Main Title) - Main Title Version" performed by The 88
2. "101 Rap" performed by Donald Glover and Danny Pudi
3. "Getting Rid of Britta" performed by Chevy Chase, Eric Olsen and Tom Wolfe
4. "Pierce You Are A B" performed by Eric Olsen, Tom Wolfe and Jacques Slade
5. "Pierce Raps" performed by Jacques Slade
6. "Night Cap" performed by Jacques Slade
7. "The Way It Is" performed by Chevy Chase
8. "Community Medley" performed by Ludwig Goransson
9. "Somewhere Out There" performed by Donald Glover and Danny Pudi
10. "I Never Die" performed by Jacques Slade
11. "Sensitive Night" performed by Yvette Nicole Brown
12. "Party Where Your Heart Is" performed by Trevor Armstrong
13. "Annie's Song" performed by Eric Olsen
14. "Episode 119 Medley" performed by Ludwig Goransson
15. "Come, Take a Trip In My Air-Ship" performed by Chevy Chase, Danny Pudi and Joel McHale
16. "Some Worries" performed by Chevy Chase, Eric Olsen and Tom Wolfe
17. "If I Die Before You" performed by Ludwig Goransson
18. "At Least It Was Here (Community Main Title) - Full Length Version" performed by The 88

The inimitable Señor Chang played by Ken Jeong is a walking quote machine on the show. Here's a preview:

Look at me, bro. I've got the body of a fifth grader. If I was working with what you've got, she'd be at the Comfort Inn right now giving me a Mexican Halloween.
Introduction to Statistics. Season One, Episode Seven

Consider yourself Chang-ed!
Anthropology 101. Season One, Episode Two

Trust me I know these vents like the back of my Chang.
Paradigms of Human Memory. Season 2, Episode 21

Between you and me, I don't Chang a lot of chicks
Custody Law and Eastern European Diplomacy. Season 2, Episode 18