Community on NBC (Awesome of the Day)

Since the days of Cosby, Cheers, Family Ties and Night Court in the '80s, NBC has worked hard to deliver a solid two-hour block of comedy programming. Seinfeld and Friends dominated the '90s, alongside forgettable shows like Suddenly Susan and Veronica's Closet. For a brief moment in 2007, it looked like the Thursday night magic was back with The Office, 30 Rock, Scrubs and My Name Is Earl. But then Earl jumped shark after shark only to get canceled and Scrubs migrated to ABC. The latest replacements, the dreadful Kath & Kim and the disappointing Parks and Recreation failed to earn "Must See" status, but tonight Community gives the lineup a nice shot in the arm.

Starring The Soup's Joel McHale, tonight's pilot shows real promise. The setting of a community college provides for plenty of interesting characters, particularly The Daily Show's Jon Oliver as a professor and Danny Pudi as a pop-culture obsessed student with borderline Asberger's. Plus Chevy Chase plays the creepy, old guy.

Community on NBC, Thursdays at 9:30pm