Community

[Faldoe]

I only found out about this show recently and it's awesome. Annie is

[odontophobia]

I only found out about this show recently and it's awesome. Annie is

POP POP.

I too recently discovered community and I fucking love it.

[oscillateur]

The writing on this is actually excellent, too.

[hbombgraphics]

I only found out about this show recently and it's awesome. Annie is

POP POP.

I too recently discovered community and I fucking love it.

Magnitude!!


it's a great show, may have trailed off a bit by the end but I think it knew what it was at least.

[Invisible Man]

I have an aversion to lists, but I'd put it in my top five (top three, really) along with Arrested Development, 30 Rock, It's Always Sunny, and maybe one other undisclosed show. It's fast, insane, smart, and does not fuck around...Dan Harmon does not care if you get his jokes. Some seasons are stronger than others (it had a crazy political arc where the creator--Harmon--was dismissed for a while, then came back), but even the weakest are better than 99% of other shows' best. Looking at you, Big Bang Theory.

The 8-bit episode is INCREDIBLE (Digital Estate Planning). As are Pillows and Blankets, Conspiracy Theories and Interior Design, Basic Intergluteal Numismatics, Remedial Chaos Theory, the trampoline episode...I could go on. Dive in.

[Invisible Man]

^^^I also work at a shitty college that is trying to legitimize itself, so some of these jokes may hit me waaaay harder as a result.

[hbombgraphics]

I have an aversion to lists, but I'd put it in my top five (top three, really) along with Arrested Development, 30 Rock, It's Always Sunny, and maybe one other undisclosed show. It's fast, insane, smart, and does not fuck around...Dan Harmon does not care if you get his jokes. Some seasons are stronger than others (it had a crazy political arc where the creator--Harmon--was dismissed for a while, then came back), but even the weakest are better than 99% of other shows' best. Looking at you, Big Bang Theory.

The 8-bit episode is INCREDIBLE (Digital Estate Planning). As are Pillows and Blankets, Conspiracy Theories and Interior Design, Basic Intergluteal Numismatics, Remedial Chaos Theory, the trampoline episode...I could go on. Dive in.

That is a darn good list,
Mine is pretty stinking close

Parks N rec might replace Always Sunny

[Invisible Man]

That's funny, I waffled on P&R. That's probably the one that rounds out the top five. That's a killer show.

Firefly was excellent, too, but too short to really earn a lot of praise.

[hbombgraphics]

Back on the topic of community You are right that the worst episode is far better than the best episode of some current sitcoms

I would possibly have put that 70s show on my list if it didn't fully flame out a few episodes in

[Wes Mantooth]

I've watched Seasons 1-3 at least 7 times over at this point, one of my all time favorites. Even have a Troy and Abed in the Morning coffee mug.

But I'll save you the time, skip season 4 (NBC kicked Dan Harmon, the creator, off the show) because it's some of the worst trash ever televised. Season 5 is pretty bad too but has some solid moments (Meow Meow Beans!). Season 6 on Yahoo is fucking gold and may have some of the best all time episodes on it.

So yeah it had a weird run and I place the blame on Chevy Chase for the two poor seasons. I remember after watching the Season 4 premier and being so upset that I just drank until I blacked out.

[PeteeBee]

The first episode I saw was the first paintball season finale and I was super turned off from it. After much convincing I gave it a fair try from the start and definitely agree it has many bright, shining moments

[D.o.S.]

Dan Harmon, like Joss Weedon, also has a following that will 'get' his jokes even if they aren't funny, which is arguably what sustained Community far beyond it's expiration date, IMO.

Second point of contention: The Big Bang Theory is arguably harder to write than something like Community. Which is not to say I prefer one to the other, just that catering to a mass audience in a meaningful way ('meaningful') isn't easy.

Come at me, bros.

[Wes Mantooth]

Dan Harmon, like Joss Weedon, also has a following that will 'get' his jokes even if they aren't funny, which is arguably what sustained Community far beyond it's expiration date, IMO.

Second point of contention: The Big Bang Theory is arguably harder to write than something like Community. Which is not to say I prefer one to the other, just that catering to a mass audience in a meaningful way ('meaningful') isn't easy.

Come at me, bros.

Yeah it is probably hard as a writer who worked hard to be where they are to completely tone down any sort of personality and wit and just pander to suburban moms who laugh at 'nerd' culture. That probably does take more mental and emotional work.

Also don't think Harmon relies on a certain kind of joke, Rick and Morty is completely different humor and is widely regarded as one of the best comedy shows out there. Shits all over Joss Whedon IMO.

[D.o.S.]

I will take someone "didn't understand the point" for 1,000, Trebek.

Imagine a coordinate grid, like this one:


Now imagine that, for sake of simplicity, it's arranged along the X axis for gender and the Y axis for age. I.e. men/women old/young. They're binary, but it will work for our purposes. In a perfect world, your show will appeal to vast quantities of viewers and land as close to 0 as possible -- think of shit like Seinfeld, etc. That is where the big bang theory is aiming. Community was not. Rick and Morty is not. Put down your bong and put on your thinking cap for a second.

[Wes Mantooth]

I will take someone "didn't understand the point" for 1,000, Trebek.

Imagine a coordinate grid, like this one:


Now imagine that, for sake of simplicity, it's arranged along the X axis for gender and the Y axis for age. I.e. men/women old/young. They're binary, but it will work for our purposes. In a perfect world, your show will appeal to vast quantities of viewers and land as close to 0 as possible -- think of shit like Seinfeld, etc. That is where the big bang theory is aiming. Community was not. Rick and Morty is not. Put down your bong and put on your thinking cap for a second.

I understand they aren't aiming at the same thing, I understood your point perfectly clear. I get that they go for a mass audience and with that lose any sense of personality in the writing and just have to make 'jokes' that appeal to everyone rather than write what they think is funny. I'll take someone making their own shit that they want to make any day. When you produce shit for focus groups you get bland shit that lots of people like but doesn't really say anything.

SO don't know how you misread my post so bad as I was agreeing with you. It's harder to write but doesn't mean the end product is better at all. It seemed in your initial post you were equating Dan Harmon to having some sort of humor gimmick that he only relied on which I completely disagree with. He has his own style sure, but far from a gimmicky talent.