Comedy under a new helm

In comedy, nuances are so subjective. If the delivery changes, a look, a gesture — the whole joke can fall flat. So it’s obviously an enormous risk to replace an entire person within that schema. It’s very much like hoping tape will hold together the rough remains of something previously held together by old melted glue.

Several comedic shows as of late have given the boot to major contributors. NBC actually fired Community’s very creator, Dan Harmon (who is now back on as a producer). Though the show then fell under the helm of self-declared fans, who hoped to ensure continued wacky weirdness, the episodes were obvious disappointments. It wasn’t as bad as predicted. Given that Harmon was fired for charging forward, for ignoring notes that his plotlines and characters were too strange, too eccentric, it was a very real fear that a new direction meant one devoid of cleverness.

And this was true. Sort of.

Without Harmon, “Community” didn’t retain the same just-this-side-of crazy, but fell onto clichés and the most stereotypical or obvious quirk of the character that preceded them in past seasons. They became caricatures of themselves, relying on gags and in-jokes instead of further character development. Annie, for example, became solely obsessed with her schoolgirl crush on Jeff and lost any trace of feisty intelligence. The Dean and his own gay infatuation with the same lead was run so far into the ground, his flame combated that of the earth’s molten core. Regardless of whether such past jokes fit into a situation, the new show-runners were so afraid of trodding on the toes of Community’s fanbase that they played it too safe. A show that once stood for challenging the status quo and the very idea of a shallow sitcom became average.

No new ground was broken.

Other shows returning with new internal politics are rife with just the opposite problem. There’s not enough of the old. “Whose Line is it Anyway?” is now back on the scene, having replaced head honcho Drew Carey with talk show hostess Aisha Tyler. This was more than a little devastating to former fans and his absence was clearly felt in the recent premiere. Carey’s rapport with the other cast mates was responsible for much of the vivacity and playful sense of false competition that kept the improvisers hungry for the biggest joke. The side jibes and quips and careless rewarding of points was arguably Carey’s “thing” and perhaps it would feel intrusive for Tyler to try and embody that from the get-go. But without that chemistry, is the show worth renewing?

Is that true of every comedy with a built-in ensemble?

When Eric Foreman left “That 70’s Show,” and when the aunt was recast in “Fresh Prince,” something happened.

If a key is player is missing, is revamping a show the metaphorical honorable last play? If the said key player is available and just not included, I would argue not.