Why Community is Awesome and Why You Should Watch Tomorrow

If you haven't already heard, if you're confused, or if you're curious, NBC released it's midseason schedule this week with its Thursday night comedy, Community, conspicuously absent. It happens. But what doesn't always accompany something like that is the Internet exploding. Fans of the show took to twitter, tumblr, facebook, etc. to express their outrage for pulling the show and their fear that this is the first move towards cancellation.

As a HUGE fan of Community, this move by NBC did make me nervous. I can't make heads or tails of how ratings are calculated but apparently they're low. Not surprising considering it plays opposite of Big Bang Theory and usually some sort of singing competition. There isn't much that can compete with that, and that's fine. There's something to be said to providing an alternative to the TV juggernauts, especially when it's smart, edgy, and, in my opinion, more unique than anything on television right now. But I'm sure if you have read anything else about this fiasco or similar ones with other shows in the past, this all probably sounds like a broken record. Here instead are some reasons for newcomers to Community to start tuning in and some ways for passionate fans to help keep it on the air.

So why watch?

You'll love the characters. So many times I find myself giving up on a show with a solid concept and good writing because the characters are either insanely unlikable or insanely boring. The ensemble cast is probably the most difficult to execute because they have to work as a unit, as individuals, and as endless combinations and pairings at any given time and still be entertaining. Community pulls this off seamlessly. Each character is entertaining, believable (within this goofy world), and their successes and failures are more captivating to watch because of that. Doesn't hurt that they're also hysterical.

Paintball! Zombies! Monkeys! Alternate Dimensions! Yahtzee! Yup.

It's not a half hour of inside jokes. Community is smart. Oh it's so clever. There are so many layers to its humor. These are the types of things critics and probably some of you're friends have said about the show. They're technically not wrong, but it also makes starting the show in season 3 sound like a pointless endeavor. Why bother if I'm not going to understand anything what they're talking about? Believe me, you can literally jump in at any episode and know what's going on. Don't get me wrong, there are a lot of pop culture references, and there are occasionally references to past episodes, but it doesn't take away from understanding what's happening in the episode you're watching.

This.





And how can fans keep this show on the air?

For now, keep up the good work. Community is in a troubling spot, but not entirely in hot water yet. The fact that it hasn't even been canceled and there is still this much uproar from fans tells the network that people are watching, which is excellent. It's difficult to say how much of an impact it has, but being vocal at this stage certainly helps. Chuck fans have definitely paved the way for campaigns to save TV shows. It might be the first success story. If Community proves to really be at risk, I'd take a page out of the Chuck playbook. Very impressive.

WATCH! WATCH! WATCH! Thursdays at 8pm on NBC. It might sound silly to get worked up over a TV show, but there's something to be said about wanting to see something creative and entertaining succeed and make a lot of people laugh. Seriously, it's really good. :)