print
Community Review: "Environmental Science" (Episode 1.10)
It seems like Community is becoming simultaneously less and more formulaic as the series goes on, which is an interesting phenomenon. If anything, it seems like episodes are ripping through sit-com clichés at a faster than believable pace, each episode more reliant than the last upon tired old stories that we’ve been watching on TV since we were born. The episode’s structures are impeccably fitted to a traditional three-act structure and it’s hard not to predict where the entire episode is headed after merely what appears in its cold open.... read more
Found in: TV, ReviewsCommunity Review: "Debate 109" (Episode 1.9)
Just a couple of episodes ago, I was pontificating about whether Community would up the self-reflexiveness that it’s started to show or stick with its more typical tone. “Debate 109” answers that question quite nicely, with a vehement yes that for once is a good thing. Self-reflexiveness is a tricky tool. On the one hand, it can lead to jokes otherwise inaccessible and on occasion create some awesome situations. Venture Bros. comes to mind here, given that the entire show is aware of its own ridiculousness but that’s in some ways part of its essential premise. On the other hand,... read more
Found in: TV, ReviewsSalute Your Shorts: Dan Harmon's Channel 101 Shows
Salute Your Shorts is a weekly column that looks at short films, music videos, commercials or any other short form visual media that generally gets ignored.For any longtime fans of Dan Harmon’s work, Community is a surprise. Not the fact that it’s good, no, that’s something that we could all be pretty sure of. It’s that the show, a relatively conventional sitcom, could come from the avant-garde co-founder of Channel 101, whose prior claim to fame involves shows such as Computerman and Laser Fart. He’s long been a superstar for a relatively niche group of Los Angeles filmmakers and comedians,... read more
Found in: Movies, FeaturesCommunity Review: "Introduction to Statistics" (Episode 1.7)
For the past couple of weeks Community has been largely an ensemble show. Joel McHale naturally steals the show when he’s on due to that whole charisma business of his, but the plots haven’t revolved around him any more than the other characters. Overall it was a nice change of pace that helped flesh out the Community universe. Frankly, it’s impressive that after only a handful of episodes its supporting roles were justified in taking over the show as much as they did.... read more
Found in: TV, ReviewsNBC Renews Community, Parks and Recreation and Mercy
TV Nation is a vicious place; some shows get cut down before they really find their audience, some shows are extinguished before they even hit the screen. But some shows do make the cut. Among them this season are the new ensemble-comedy Community, hospital drama Mercy and Amy Poehler-vehicle Parks and Recreation; NBC ordered nine more episodes of each, Variety reports.... read more
Found in: TV, NewsCommunity Review: "Football, Feminism and You" (Episode 1.6)
I don’t think anyone will be making the argument that last week’s episode of Community, “Football, Feminism and you,” is the series’ funniest. The list of quotes in the random observations this time is much smaller than it would be for most sit-coms truly hitting on all cylinders, and yet I can’t help but feel that it was truly at the top of its game … even without either Ken Jeong or John Oliver popping in to take things truly over the top.... read more
Found in: TV, ReviewsCommunity's Donald Glover: Class Act
Hometown: Stone Mountain, Ga. Show: Community For Fans Of: 30 Rock, Upright Citizens Brigade, Encyclopedia Brown Donald Glover has never personally experienced the world of junior colleges laid out in NBC’s new sitcom, Community, but the 26-year-old wunderkind—who plays dim-bulb jock Troy—finds the premise familiar. “It’s about forcing people to interact with each other that you normally wouldn’t hang out with,” he says. “That was college for me.”... read more
Found in: TV, FeaturesCommunity Review: "Advanced Criminal Law" (Episode 1.5)
One of my main complaints with Community so far had been that, while it did a pretty good job recreating the feel of actual college life, it wasn’t a very distinct place. In fact, it rarely even felt like a community college and was more of an every college. That’s not bad, as it made the experience a lot more universal, but the lack of distinction was starting to make the show a bit blander and less interesting with every passing episode.... read more
Found in: TV, ReviewsFall Guide to Good TV: Community
Thursdays at 8:30 p.m. on NBCGiven the abysmally unfunny Kath & Kim and Park's Recreation, which NBC rolled out last year, their newest sitcom (about a crew of misfits at a junior college) should be approached with more than a bit of trepidation. But with a hilarious cast (including Joel McHale, John Oliver and Chevy Chase) and a nice mix of silliness, subtlety and substance, it looks like the network has found another keeper.... read more
Found in: TV, FeaturesCommunity Review: "Social Psychology" (Episode 1.4)
First, a quick recap: In its first three episodes, Community has introduced us to the college, the main cast of characters, and Joel McHale as Jeff, an asshole lead with a heart of gold. It’s just that he doesn’t really know or believe that it is a heart of gold and is more than content to play the guy you know who’s so charismatic you can’t help but like him despite all evidence pointing to him jerking you around like everyone else. It’s the role McHale was born to play, and topped off by some keen writing from Dan Harmon... read more
Found in: TV Detail
The 17 Best Romantic Comedies This Decade
The 20 Best Gadgets of the Decade…
The 50 Best Movies of the Decade…
The 25 Best Movie Performances of the…
Heather Greene - Moon Hangs Fire
Blind Pilot - The Story I Heard
James Yuill - This Sweet Love (Earth…
B.O.B. - Put Me On
Punch Brothers - Punch Brothers at CMJ
Elvis Perkins in Dearland - Stay Zombie…
David Bazan - Hard To Be
