Community, the tv show

i definitely think the paintball episode shows how the show could eventually turn into some kind of family guy culture ref repository, but I think it did a witty job of it (I quite like a lot of those old simpsons homages!) and still utilized the character's personalities within the context. I love that it actually advanced relationships - that it wasn't just the usual "finch dreams everyone on just shoot me are characters in the wizard of oz" sitcom thing. i'd be bummed if the show stopped doing small scale stuff and every episode became a movie tribute, but I'm not going to slam a great movie tribute on principle.

It would totally suck if they started doing that kind of episode every week, yeah, it would get totally boring. But the fact that this was a one-off, guns blazin' episode totally worked for me. Plus, I think almost any other attempt at resolving the Jeff/Britta sexual tension would have been awkward and hamfisted. This way they could set their inevitable hook-up in a crazy setting where it wouldn't have been the episode's sole focus.

fair enough. it just prompted far fewer laughs in me than previous episodes did, hence my harshing on it. it occasioned my first disappointment in a show that was surprisingly funny right out of the starting gate. you're very right in that it wasn't purely lazy, as many other shows might have been when ambling into similar territory

I love that it actually advanced relationships - that it wasn't just the usual "finch dreams everyone on just shoot me are characters in the wizard of oz" sitcom thing.

yeah this is otm

it might have bothered me had the execution not been so perfect.

I would hope they'd limit their over-the-top/incongruous episodes to one per season, kind of like how CSI only bases one ep per season on the lab techs or some completely ridiculous case. It's a nice opportunity to see characters you love because they act one way to act that way (or differently) in completely different circumstances.

They just went farther with that episode than others, but the Color of Money and Goodfellas ones were also great. Guys, it's okay to like parodies!

re: paintball episode

I agree it worked partially because it was sort of a one time thing.

What had me going was the experience. They start the episode with them talking about some random stuff I can't remember in their study room. The PA system announces some paintball competition and that announcement came off as background noise. The characters kept on talking and pretty much disregarded the PA announcement if I remember correctly. I knew the episode would have paintball in it (from the previous week's previews) but like the characters, I basically blew off the announcement (for the time being) as well.

But then it was like a sudden onslaught of visceral paintball Armageddon with a wide pan shot of Jeff waking up in his car. The episode became mesmeric because of the sudden immersion and randomness of it all.

Then what kept me on the edge of my seat wondering what was going to happen next was all the great qualities you would find in an action movie. The tension. The drama. The survival aspect. The sex. The twist (Chang enrolling/no prize). The coolness of it all - Abed coming in jumping off the wall playing the part of the all-American hero, Troy with the great "you son of a bitch" line, the girls coming out of the bathroom stalls, the dark cafeteria with roller-skate dudes attacking, Chang with the paintball machine gun...

The cinematography/sets really pulled it all together. The action moments/tense moments were filmed really well and it was crazy to see a whole school messed up badly - something I dreamed of as a kid. "This would never happen" crossed my mind a few times but I that didn't distract me from letting the show unfold because it was all weirdly enjoyable

There was definitely less funny quotes than normal but a there was a lot of silly situational stuff instead

I watched the paintball episode late at night in my basement on a huge HG TV. Plus the episode worked better in that I wasn't expecting so much. I think my experience was also benefited from feeling some of the tension - the kind of tension that people are supposed to feel when watching action movies. Understandably, some people may have not had the same kind of reaction as me - they may have been less susceptible to the tense parts (maybe they were wanting more comedy in a comedy series). People could have easily been in the 'wrong state of mind' for this episode. Different states of mind (e.g. different kinds of logical, emotional, open, closed, sleepy...) is rationale for people's largely varied opinions on any given episode of Lost last season (as I gathered from the Lost thread)

loving this series. the paintball episode was absolute, unalloyed and audacious genius. and i loved the 'shmitty' kids too. shows like this and modern family are STREETS AHEAD of Big Bang Theory and How I Met Your Mother, both of which I think are truly charmless and terrible.

Watching the paintball episode now, and it's just as good as everybody said (possibly even better)

the 'shmitty' kids

XD

Am I the only one who enjoys both Community and Big Bang Theory? I'm only into season 2 of BBT but I don't see a major difference in quality between the shows. (One makes pop culture references. The other makes science references.) If I had to pick one, I may go with Community and I hope the shows don't enter into competition but I do think both are good.

I enjoy them both, community has a slight edge but I like BBT especially as my partner is an academic and I think most academics have a little bit of Sheldon inside them.

xp they're going to be in the same time slot next season, where BBT will undoubtedly thrash Community in viewership and drive it towards extinction, hence the anticipatory hate

I hate pretty much any sitcom with a studio audience. Just don't like the format.

Oh, they're definitely going to be in the same slot? Bastards.

"BBT will undoubtedly thrash Community in viewership"

Is there a demographic breakdown of who watches BBT and who watches Community?

I hate pretty much any sitcom with a studio audience. Just don't like the format.

― no turkey unless it's a club sandwich (polyphonic), Monday, June 21, 2010 5:45 PM (3 hours ago) Bookmark Suggest Ban Permalink

if you mean of current shows I might be like OK that's defensible but if you mean of all sitcoms ever then you're just nuts.

Whats that weird new show that comes on Thursday in the time slot that Parks and Recreation used to have that is shot in a Community format but has canned laughter anyway? That combination creeps me out really bad. The show is a terrible second attempt at "Friends" by the way.

100 Questions or something like that. Historically awful.

is shot in a Community format but has canned laughter anyway? That combination creeps me out really bad.

That does sound comically creepy and depressing.

we have a thread about it, it's amazingly bad: Is "100 Questions" the worst show in recent history?

Is there a demographic breakdown of who watches BBT and who watches Community?

7 BIG BANG THEORY, THE CBS Mon VAR 23 5.3 14,143
70 COMMUNITY NBC Thu VAR 24 2.1 4,990

From the 2009-10 primetime season rankings. Last two numbers are 18-49 rating and total viewers in millions. BBT is #7 OVERALL - the #1 scripted show, which is kinda nuts already, going up against Community which is #70. (BTW, Community ranks even worse when you compare it by overall viewers, instead of just the 18-49 demo, unsurprisingly - less old folks watching).

whaaaaa?! this data has to be wrong! there's got to be some diebold shenanigans.

The only reason BBT is such a runaway success is because half the cast of Roseanne are in and out of there on such a regular basis that people are confused and think they're watching something that's good.

Also, it's funny.

I'll concede there are many less funny shows currently on television than BBT. Anything with Tyler Perry's name on it for starters. Oh, and The Office.

Whatever you think of these shows, they all lost to UNDERCOVER BOSS. WHA?!

BBT is weird because it contains a lot of smart and seemingly well researched references, but the plots themselves are lowest-common-denominator sitcom schlock. Raj gets drunk and sleeps with a fat lady! Penny's friends don't like Leonard because he doesn't understand football! Howard and his mom yell at each other a lot!

I still watch it and enjoy it, but Community is the better show and it pisses me off that they're going head to head.

really, what else can you expect from the genius creator of Dharma & Greg and Two and a Half Men?

GET READY AMERICA

Police officer Mike Biggs knows his way around the streets. As a cop, Mike’s not scared of anything—except dating, so he’s joined Overeaters Anonymous® to lose those extra pounds and gain some much-needed confidence. When he meets Molly at a meeting, the attraction is immediate, and suddenly Mike is excited about the prospect of a new life. But now he must find the willpower to give up his beloved junk food for the apple of his eye.

LOL, it's funny becuz he's fat.

The show is a terrible second attempt at "Friends" by the way.

a worse and more brazen attempt at being Friends than HIMYM?? the mind boggles, and then shudders...

It actually reminds me a lot of Couplings.

shows like this and modern family are STREETS AHEAD of Big Bang Theory and How I Met Your Mother, both of which I think are truly charmless and terrible.

― Worth waiting for the fannypunch at 4.02 (stevie), Sunday, June 20, 2010 11:32 PM (2 days ago) Bookmark

modern fam is blah, HIMYM is aces

u rong, dog

allyson hannigan = charisma vaccuum

i think she's the weakest of the five principals and that's still wrong

Allyson Hannigan being the ultimate nerdfox makes up for a lot, but I still am not into HIMYM

At its best, HIMYM is a contender to Arrested Development for best developed sitcom universe, with a million callbacks, well-planned arcs and charming actors (who doesn't like Jason Segel, Allyson Hannigan or Neil Patrick Harris off the bat?). At its worst, it's just another Friends clone with one of the most unlikeable main characters I've ever seen in a sitcom.

NPH is almost never funny on that show. Most of the humor comes from the women and Jason Siegel.

The only reason BBT is such a runaway success is because half the cast of Roseanne are in and out of there on such a regular basis that people are confused and think they're watching something that's good.

― Johnny Fever, Monday, June 21, 2010 9:48 PM (Yesterday) Bookmark Suggest Ban Permalink

ah yes, the famous 'Roseanne effect' that made shows like Twins and Charlie Lawrence into long-running ratings juggernauts.

Also, it's funny.

― HI DERE, Monday, June 21, 2010 8:57 PM (Yesterday) Bookmark

epic rongness

Dan Harmon spent the entire day playing with his new iphone and posting the results:

http://yfrog.com/emschz

an example

I don't know why that's funny, but it is.

NBC now has lots of Community schwag

Let;s see if ths works:

http://www.nbcuniversalstore.com/img/product/resized/00265504-797636_500.jpg?k=422fb45c&pid=265504&s=catl

can you get that at best buy?

ask jason

Just noticed that one of the tranny queen nominations is one ms. danielle harmon. injoke lol.

I am going to guess the ratings thing has a lot to do with cbs generally getting higher ratings, ppl putting it on the channel for the night, etc., and that I think a lot of community's views are web or dvr rather than primetime on the air and ratings don't usually account for that. Like, I watched all of this season on hulu and saw maybe one episode live on air, while I've never seen an ep of BBT opr HIMYM.

well, Big Bang Theory definitely had a leg up in that it was put in an already successful comedy block alongside the highest rated sitcom on TV, but it's an actual popular show in its own right that people actually like. don't know why that's so hard to understand or why people on any thread about a show on NBC or cable have to be totally condescending toward less hip types of shows, frankly.

i don't think online viewing factors into ratings but now that networks have figured how to monetize that stuff i think shows that do get lots of views on hulu or whatever are probably helped by that in terms of not getting cancelled, etc.