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NBC's Community Official Thread - the next Arrested Development/Office/30 Rock?

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BenjaminBirdie said:
Sorry, I find P&R much more entertaining than Community and I doubt I am literally the first person on Earth to have that sentiment.
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Well I didn't see the premiere since the first season was so dreadful, but I'm still willing to throw down some cash on you in fact being the first to feel that way!

I am tempted to watch last night's episode though if there was a Randy joke though.
 
Meier said:
Well I didn't see the premiere since the first season was so dreadful, but I'm still willing to throw down some cash on you in fact being the first to feel that way!

I am tempted to watch last night's episode though if there was a Randy joke though.
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qft.

I wish Aziz Ansari wasn't on the show so he could shine in a comedy that is actually good.
 
Caspel said:
qft.

I wish Aziz Ansari wasn't on the show so he could shine in a comedy that is actually good.
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Yeah, he should be on a show where they recycle incorrect translation subtitle gags that weren't funny when they were on Brian Benben's Dream On.
 
Just watched this on Hulu, thought it was pretty great. Lots of well-defined, funny characters--they're all hugely flawed, but likable.

Didn't have much hope after watching the commercials, but this is much better than Parks and Recreation already, imo.
 
It was alright. Biggest compliment I can give is that it made Chevy Chase a funny character. The Hot Dog bit and his general attitude in the first half was funny. The jock and English guy were also kinda funny. Rest were a bit dull and the jokes felt way too calculated (I don't even know what that means). Will probably watch again next week.

BenjaminBirdie said:
Sorry, I find P&R much more entertaining than Community and I doubt I am literally the first person on Earth to have that sentiment.
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you may not be the first, but you are the only one who thinks that.

wait, what?
 
Just so BB isn't entirely alone: the second season premiere of Parks and Rec is superior to the Community pilot, for me personally.

Now, how the shows even out with time has yet to be determined, but Community's pilot is an awkward Setting/Characters affair that (as someone who already knew its setting and its characters) did little to surprise me. It had funny moments, and introduced potentially funny characters, but what it did with them was without much purpose and will depend on a second episode before I hail it as anything particularly fantastic.
 
AV Club review completely nailed how I felt about the pilot. Right down to using the same phrases I did with my wife (who liked it):

What doesn’t work? There’s a sense at times that the show is trying too hard, that it’s just throwing a vast number of jokes at us in the sense that if some don’t work, another one will in a moment. Normally, this would be a strength, but that sense of incredibly crazy stuff happening at any given moment doesn’t mesh as well with the heartfelt stuff as it might, so some of the transitions between the two tones are more awkward than they probably should be. Plus, the hit-to-miss ratio on the jokes is maybe not quite as strong as it could be, but this could end up being a personal preference. (I tend to prefer character-based gags to everything else, but those are very hard to do in a pilot, when we’re still getting to know the characters. There is a Breakfast Club runner that ends up killing in the end, so that’s something.)

Reviewing a pilot and recommending whether or not you should watch the series is often sticky business. It involves equal parts straight-up review and psychic prognostication. Obviously, there are elements in Community that could drag the show down and make it insufferable (look at how the show Community is replacing, My Name Is Earl, eventually just couldn’t figure out how to blend heart and laughs), but there’s enough in the show that strikes me as having potential that I think it’s going to be something worth keeping up with. Judging a TV show is less like judging a movie or book or album than it is like judging someone’s progression in school. You have to encourage what you think are good directions and try to shut off the bad ones (if anyone’s listening, that is). There’s absolutely stuff in Community that isn’t quite what it could be just yet, but there’s a lot here that is trying to be something more than your average comedy, and that’s what makes it worth following.
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http://www.avclub.com/articles/pilot,33047/
 
BenjaminBirdie said:
Sorry, I find P&R much more entertaining than Community and I doubt I am literally the first person on Earth to have that sentiment.
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Yeah, I didn't find the Community pilot to be that great. Not very funny at all. But I do think it has potential.

Didn't see P&R to compare.
 
Memles said:
Just so BB isn't entirely alone: the second season premiere of Parks and Rec is superior to the Community pilot, for me personally.

Now, how the shows even out with time has yet to be determined, but Community's pilot is an awkward Setting/Characters affair that (as someone who already knew its setting and its characters) did little to surprise me. It had funny moments, and introduced potentially funny characters, but what it did with them was without much purpose and will depend on a second episode before I hail it as anything particularly fantastic.
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I think it's more than a bit unfair to compare a new pilot to a show in its second season.

A fairer (and more accurate =P) comparison would be: Community's pilot >>>>>>>>>> Parks and Rec's pilot
 
In my opinion. Both Parks and Community were equal awesome this week and I am glad because I want both to succeed into 6-7 seasons like The Office has. The Office is still number 1. And until 30 Rock comes back it will stay.
And maybe even after 30 Rock comes back.. I mean, I just love The Office.

I really enjoyed it. I saw two thirds of it a few months ago though on FaceBook. But never saw the end. Really good. And I loved the Breakfast Club bit. "YOU KNOW WHAT I GOT FOR CHRISTMAS?" :lol I want to memorize that and use it the next time my friends are arguing.

Oh, and Joel's speech too with the pencil. "I can pick this pencil up, call it Steve, and do this!" *snap*
 
AstroLad said:
AV Club review completely nailed how I felt about the pilot. Right down to using the same phrases I did with my wife (who liked it):

http://www.avclub.com/articles/pilot,33047/
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Yeah - Todd nailed it, pretty much.

I think it's more than a bit unfair to compare a new pilot to a show in its second season.

A fairer (and more accurate =P) comparison would be: Community's pilot >>>>>>>>>> Parks and Rec's pilot
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That's a fair point, but people were giving BB (well-meaning) flack for liking Parks more, which is even more unfair in my eyes.
 
For anyone that missed it, it's on the Playstation Store for FREE in HD or SD. Grab it while you can. Very good pilot. Don't know why they would continue coming to the group in future episodes though.
 
I thought the first third of the episode was pure shit. It kinda picked up after that but the ending kinda sucked. Characters are good but the actual plot is not very interesting thus far.
 
rezuth said:
I thought the first third of the episode was pure shit. It kinda picked up after that but the ending kinda sucked. Characters are good but the actual plot is not very interesting thus far.
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Considering that this is a pilot, one can't expect much of a plot. This is the test-episode to see if this cast has any chemistry at all. Clearly, they do. The real question is how long it takes for them to screw up the sexual tension between the two leads.
 
Pretty much Astrolad, that's the way I felt about it too.

It felt like they were just trying too damn hard and are resting the characters on blown out and overly obvious archetypes.

Going around a table and literally introducing all the characters and their roles? Screams desperate.
 
El_TigroX said:
Pretty much Astrolad, that's the way I felt about it too.

It felt like they were just trying too damn hard and are resting the characters on blown out and overly obvious archetypes.

Going around a table and literally introducing all the characters and their roles? Screams desperate.
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Not when you have a creepy Chevy Chase doing it. :)
 
It's a pilot, the habits of characters have to be piled on, because that's how you sell the show. I like that it had some more old-school teaching moments in there though. John Oliver's lesson was good in particular, gives it a different vibe than your typical sitcom.
 
rezuth said:
I thought the first third of the episode was pure shit. It kinda picked up after that but the ending kinda sucked. Characters are good but the actual plot is not very interesting thus far.
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Yeah part of my problem was that they kept them cramped into the study session room for half the show and they also kept the focus firmly on McHale's character. I want to see how they handle multiple plots, focusing on different characters, etc. The cast is really good.
 
The final 3rd definitely showed the series' promise and the rest of it proved it could string together great jokes. Loved it, will be watching from week to week.
 
PantherLotus said:
I thought it was an excellent beginning and picks up exactly where My Name is Earl left off. I will be watching this.
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Thing is Earl is a fictitious town full of bizarre wacky characters. This is just a bunch of troubled people trying to discover themselves by going back to school.

I miss Earl and wish it had just gotten a finale and not an axe. Fucking NBC. It was on for 4 years and you couldn't have the decency to give it a real ending? The last episode ended with "TO BE CONTINUED" for fucks sake!
 
Jasoco said:
Thing is Earl is a fictitious town full of bizarre wacky characters. This is just a bunch of troubled people trying to discover themselves by going back to school.

I miss Earl and wish it had just gotten a finale and not an axe. Fucking NBC. It was on for 4 years and you couldn't have the decency to give it a real ending? The last episode ended with "TO BE CONTINUED" for fucks sake!
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Wait, My Name is Earl is axed? I had no idea :/ Not that season 3 or 4 was good, the coma shit really mad me stop watching the show but it still had lots of potential. I always just felt they went overboard. It was like they were trying to top each episode in wackyness instead of trying to be creative or original. Not giving it a real ending also sucks :/
 
rezuth said:
Wait, My Name is Earl is axed? I had no idea :/ Not that season 3 or 4 was good, the coma shit really mad me stop watching the show but it still had lots of potential. I always just felt they went overboard. It was like they were trying to top each episode in wackyness instead of trying to be creative or original. Not giving it a real ending also sucks :/
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And there lies the problem with hiring actors/actresses that are already successful. If 30 Rock gets axed, it'll be because they can't afford the cast.
 
Watching it a second time and I just noticed that the "cosmic mentor" was in the background the whole time waving people by while waiting to confront Joel about the tacos he didn't pay for. :lol

Edit: Oh! And haha, Joel was the one writing the "Say you have to pee" message. I didn't notice that the first two times. :lol

If they're gonna fill each episode with background jokes like this, it'll do well.

rezuth said:
Wait, My Name is Earl is axed? I had no idea :/ Not that season 3 or 4 was good, the coma shit really mad me stop watching the show but it still had lots of potential. I always just felt they went overboard. It was like they were trying to top each episode in wackyness instead of trying to be creative or original. Not giving it a real ending also sucks :/
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Yeah. They cancelled it even though it looked like they were finally getting back to their old ways again. :( I really wanted to see him finish the list one day. Fucking NBC. Why must you have so many other shows I love that force me to not stop watching you? (Seriously, if I stopped watching NBC, I'd be cutting out about 75% of the stuff I TiVo every week.)
 
PantherLotus said:
And there lies the problem with hiring actors/actresses that are already successful. If 30 Rock gets axed, it'll be because they can't afford the cast.
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Eh, nobody really heard of the Friends cast and they ended up being astonomical. Plus, Office is still going with Steve Carell, who probably demands a hefty price since he's had movie success also.
 
Tamanon said:
Eh, nobody really heard of the Friends cast and they ended up being astonomical. Plus, Office is still going with Steve Carell, who probably demands a hefty price since he's had movie success also.
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And now Ed Helms too, who raked in 3x more money with The Hangover than Carrell did with 40 year old virigin.
 
Thumbs up from me.

Take out Park and Rec. put 30 Rock back on, drop the SNL Weekend update and you'll have a great line up.

For a superior line up they should buy the rights to Arrested Development and put that on.
 
UltimaPooh said:
Thumbs up from me.

Take out Park and Rec. put 30 Rock back on, drop the SNL Weekend update and you'll have a great line up.

For a superior line up they should buy the rights to Arrested Development and put that on.
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*bows*
 
Tamanon said:
Eh, nobody really heard of the Friends cast and they ended up being astonomical. Plus, Office is still going with Steve Carell, who probably demands a hefty price since he's had movie success also.
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Nobody on the Friends cast was anybody before Friends, including Courtney Cox. Who was Steve Carell before The Office besides a minuscule sideshow on The Daily Show?

How does that have to do My Name is Earl, with two recognizable leads, much less 30 Rock? I'll repeat myself because you missed the point: if that show gets cancelled, it's because the cast cost too much. If it doesn't get cancelled, it's because Fey and Baldwin consider it charity work.

Office and Friends are not counter examples because they launched everybody's career that appeared in those.
 
Courtney Cox was the hot chick that did an 80s dance with Springsteen, how could you forget!

courtney_cox2a.jpg
 
PantherLotus said:
Nobody on the Friends cast was anybody before Friends, including Courtney Cox. Who was Steve Carell before The Office besides a minuscule sideshow on The Daily Show?
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I think "40 Year-Old Virgin" hit either around or before the first season of "the Office." So he was getting good roles and the small ones he was in were fabulous in IE Brick Tamland from "Anchorman."
 
UltimaPooh said:
I think "40 Year-Old Virgin" hit either around or before the first season of "the Office." So he was getting good roles and the small ones he was in were fabulous in IE Brick Tamland from "Anchorman."
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40-Year-Old Virgin hit between seasons 1 and 2, and is probably a big reason why NBC kept the show.
 
And I think you're overestimating the "star-power" of the My Name is Earl cast. I adore Jason Lee's movies, but he wasn't a bank-breaker by a longshot.
 
Blader5489 said:
40-Year-Old Virgin hit between seasons 1 and 2, and is probably a big reason why NBC kept the show.
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Which means he was getting good movie deals before the Office hit, since the first season of the office is only like 6 episodes.
 
PantherLotus said:
Nobody on the Friends cast was anybody before Friends, including Courtney Cox. Who was Steve Carell before The Office besides a minuscule sideshow on The Daily Show?
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He was a big part of The Dana Carvey Show. Which lasted a whopping 9 episodes.
 
BenjaminBirdie said:
Yeah, he should be on a show where they recycle incorrect translation subtitle gags that weren't funny when they were on Brian Benben's Dream On.
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Fail. I never once mentioned he should be on Community. Still, if he was on Community it would be an upgrade over Parks & Recreation.
 
BenjaminBirdie said:
Yeah, he should be on a show where they recycle incorrect translation subtitle gags that weren't funny when they were on Brian Benben's Dream On.
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That scene was pretty funny though.

Not that P&R wasn't bad, but let's be honest: that was its first great episode.
 
Ratings are in:

On NBC, the "SNL Weekend Update" (5.7 million, 2.0) provided a modest jump-start to the comedy block, followed by the ho-hum premiere of "Parks and Recreation" (5 million, 2.1), down 30% from its debut last April. At 9 p.m., "The Office" (8.1 million, 4.0) was down 18% for its lowest-rated premiere in four years -- yet was also the evening's highest-rated show. The debut of "Community" (7.7 million, 3.7) impressed at 9:30 p.m. "Community" was below last year's unusually strong "30 Rock" premiere in the spot, it represents the largest retention of "The Office" by a program other than "SNL" specials. At 10 p.m., Night 4 of "The Jay Leno Show" (8.5 million, 2.7) fell 23% from Wednesday's episode and won its hour.
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http://www.thrfeed.com/2009/09/nbcs-community-strong-survivor-takes-a-hit-.html
 
As with everything....

Arrested Development set the bar > Office comes in a close 2nd > Community now kicks 30 Rock to the curb > Parks and Rec 1ups 30 Rock > 30 Rock slowly fading away.
 
in terms of american sitcoms post 1990 i would say

1. Simpsons
2. Seinfeld
3. Arrested Development
4. The Office
5. Wings
 
Pctx said:
As with everything....

Arrested Development set the bar > Office comes in a close 2nd > Community now kicks 30 Rock to the curb > Parks and Rec 1ups 30 Rock > 30 Rock slowly fading away.
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...so much is wrong here, I don't honestly even know where to begin. Primarily, WHY must we only love one show? Why must there be this hierarchy, with shows leap frogging others and fading away? I'm a gosh-darned TV critic and I'm more than capable of categorizing my love for shows as relative as opposed to competitive.

Why can't we all just get along?
 
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