‘Community’ deserves to be saved

For the past five years, I have been entranced by NBC’s highly-rated comedy, “Community.”

 Each year the show struggles to maintain a substantial audience the network finds acceptable, and the threat of cancelation has always been present throughout the show’s history.

That being said, the show has developed a strong cult following, of which I am definitely a member.

Last year, NBC originally did not renew the show. Fans reacted immediately, creating a “Save Community” website with a petition of almost 103,000 signatures from fans begging NBC to put their beloved show back on the air and to re-hire show runner and creator Dan Harmon.

Fans created dozens of websites and made #sixseasonsandamovie a trending topic on Twitter, hoping to bring the show back.

The cast of the show even made a video to show their appreciation for the loyal fans.
The crazy thing is, it worked. Harmon was asked to return to the show for its fifth season, and he did.

One needs only look at “Arrested Development” or the “Veronica Mars” Kickstarter to see how much hype saving a show can generate in the digital realm.

The show follows Jeff Winger, played by Joel McHale, who is forced to attend community college after his law firm realizes his degree is illegitimate. He creates a Spanish study group, meeting six other students in the process.

There’s Britta Perry, former leader of the anHERchists majoring in psychology; Abed Nadir, an emotionally reserved film-maker wannabe; Shirley Bennet, a single mother of three with thinly-veiled rage issues; Annie Edison, a Type A student who sees the best in everyone; Troy Barnes, a high school football star struggling to find his identity without football; and Pierce Hawthorne, the heir to a moist towelette empire who has been enrolled at Greendale since 1999.

These lovable misfits have crazy adventures together, such as all-out paintball wars, an episode based on “Law & Order” about a sabotaged sweet-potato-growing science project and a parody of “The Hunger Games” to decide which students would be enrolled in a “History of Ice Cream” course.

Each episode of “Community” features incredible recurring and guest characters.

However, “Community” is so much more than a witty script and a stellar cast. It’s a dysfunctional family, a modern-day “Breakfast Club.”

I have been a loyal fan of the show since its series premiere in September 2009.

Though the show has had rocky moments, overall it is comedic genius. To this day, it is the only show that guarantees a laugh in each episode. I recommended it to my friends and not one of them disliked the show.

It caters to all tastes and senses of humor and does not rely on past comedy gems to create plot lines. It is original, something very rare in the comedy genre.

I can only hope NBC continues to see the merits of such a brilliant show and renews “Community” for another season. Long live Greendale.

aledaily@indiana.edu