Community - Part 3

[Incrediblejeff]

They uh... Know who Joel is!

There we go...I guess?

 

[The Batman]

If its more like Season 1 community, I dont mind the change at all.

 

[Incrediblejeff]

I liked season one as well.It seems like a pretty different show looking back.I just hope it's a funny show still,and it doesn't end up being like Ren & Stimpy when John K was fired.

 

[DACrowe]

nevermind.

 

[KenK]

Honestly, had the show been cancelled, I don't know how much I would have really cared. I know a lot of people love Community, and want it to have this big long run and all this other ********, but honestly, the way this past season ended, I'd have been more than happy with what I got. In a day and age in television where really smart and inventive shows like this more often than not get cut down sometimes without even getting one full season out. They'll be mid-season replacements that are practically marketed to fail, or premiere in the summer, when most people won't give a rat's ass anyway, and then they fail! So for us to get three full seasons of a show like Community, consider yourselves lucky.

 

[LostSon88]

Well for me it's like this, Harmon had a 4 year plan for this series. That's why I wanted a 4th season so that he could wrap it up the way he wanted to.

Now that hes been dropped and they've got new show runners, I'm now indifferent to the upcoming season.

I hope it's at least decent. Id hate for the last season to be the 'bastard child' of the series.

 

[KenK]

Well, it if the reports of Harmon's own bad behavior and difficulty to work with are to be believed, that may have been a grave he dug himself. It was a lot of bad press NBC didn't need, especially in light of fans who were enraged when they took the show off the mid-season schedule, and at the time, gave no indication of whether it not it would finish out its season.

 

[The Apocalypse]

Those last 3 eps that aired Thursday, three of the best for sure. Such a creative show. Hopefully the quality of the show doesn't change with Harmon leaving.

 

[Brother Jack]

Dan Harmon's touch and ownership of the show has felt so strong that it's almost hard to imagine what the it will now be that he's gone. I just hope it can retain the reasons that I love it as much as I do, while still obviously changing things up a bit. Because as much as I will miss Harmon, I wouldn't want the new runners to try and copy what he did. At any rate, it will be interesting to see what will become of Community next season.

 

[Master Chief]

Joel McHale took an informal survey of college students helping him prep for a stand-up show on their campus. He asked how many watched his show Community. All 40 raised their hands. He asked how many watch it Thursday night at 8 pm? None. How many own TVs? Four. How many watch it online? All.

http://notnielsen.com/about

 

[Lencho01]

I thought this was an interesting comparison of the show to Gargoyles in that the showrunner had problems with the studio, ended a season that could be looked at as a series finale, and the show ran for one more season without him....

http://scottalanmendelson.blogspot.com/2012/05/situation-oddly-similar-to-current.html

 

[Matt]

Honestly, I believe people are overreacting.

 

[Soapy]

http://notnielsen.com/about

I think I've said this before, maybe even in this very thread, but I seriously can't wait until the dinosaurs that run television networks go extinct.

 

[MadVillainy]

http://notnielsen.com/about

Im not gonna lie, I don't watch Community Thurs. at 8 and I have a tv. Idk I usually watch all my shows the next day after I get out of classes save for Mad Men and season premiers of shows. Idk why I just like doing it that way

Honestly, I believe people are overreacting.

I do too
-----------------
Honestly this whole Harmon thing...I think people are just building up suits at NBC as being boogey men; and ignoring the reports of Harmon being difficult.

Im gonna get blasted for this but i did not like how "weird" this season got. It didnt happen in many eps but I didnt like the 8 bit ep or the law and order parody that much honestly.

As long as the new showrunner doesnt try too hard to be like Harmon and keeps the show funny, I'll be fine.

 

[Matt]

Im not gonna lie, I don't watch Community Thurs. at 8 and I have a tv. Idk I usually watch all my shows the next day after I get out of classes save for Mad Men and season premiers of shows. Idk why I just like doing it that way


I do too
-----------------
Honestly this whole Harmon thing...I think people are just building up suits at NBC as being boogey men; and ignoring the reports of Harmon being difficult.

Im gonna get blasted for this but i did not like how "weird" this season got. It didnt happen in many eps but I didnt like the 8 bit ep or the law and order parody that much honestly.

As long as the new showrunner doesnt try too hard to be like Harmon and keeps the show funny, I'll be fine.

I didn't like the 8 bit episode either. But yeah, I agree. There were times when this season got too weird, like the Dreamatorium episode. Honestly, the whole concept of the Dreamatorium was stupid to me. Harmon and co. were way too inconsistent with their handling of Troy this season. Sometimes it seemed like they wanted him to continue his arc of growing into a responsible man, other times they made him into an idiot man-child who seems to have more psychological issues than Abed.

As for the new writers, I swear, people seem to think that the suits at Sony are going to personally write each episode as a multi-camera, laugh track sitcom. Both Sony and the new head writers probably realize that this is the show's last season. It isn't about changing the tone in order to save it. It is about extending the episode count to make more of those syndication bucks. The writers who signed on are probably perfectly aware of the tone of the show and aren't going to try to infuse it with their own tone. They signed on to write Community. They will write Community. TV shows change writers and show runners all the time. Hell, it isn't always a bad thing when the creators leave. Angel got better when Whedon became hands-off.

 

[MadVillainy]

I didn't like the 8 bit episode either. But yeah, I agree. There were times when this season got too weird, like the Dreamatorium episode. Honestly, the whole concept of the Dreamatorium was stupid to me. Harmon and co. were way too inconsistent with their handling of Troy this season. Sometimes it seemed like they wanted him to continue his arc of growing into a responsible man, other times they made him into an idiot man-child who seems to have more psychological issues than Abed.

As for the new writers, I swear, people seem to think that the suits at Sony are going to personally write each episode as a multi-camera, laugh track sitcom. Both Sony and the new head writers probably realize that this is the show's last season. It isn't about changing the tone in order to save it. It is about extending the episode count to make more of those syndication bucks. The writers who signed on are probably perfectly aware of the tone of the show and aren't going to try to infuse it with their own tone. They signed on to write Community. They will write Community. TV shows change writers and show runners all the time. Hell, it isn't always a bad thing when the creators leave. Angel got better when Whedon became hands-off.

Glad to see someone feel the same way. I know a lot of my other friends who watch Community share my feelings
1) What did you think about the pillow civil war episode?
2)Speaking of the dreamatorium, I used to like Abed but now he's one of my least favorite. Still acted brilliantly but he went from obviously weird, genre savvy, possibly Aspberger having guy to i dont even know what. But in episodes like Virtual Systems Analysis he's just annoying. I feel like this happened with Chang and Britta also. I used to like them but now their annoying to me.
3) I dont even really feel Community is a "smart" show anymore this season. I still like it, but it's not one of my top 5 shows on tv anymore after this season and honestly I no longer don't understand why people dont watch it

As I said I see the show runner change could be a good thing. Im especially not worried if it's gonna be the last season like rumored

 

[KenK]

The best Abed episode is, and I think will always be, the messiah/documentary episode.

 

[The Batman]

I agree quite a bit with blackman.

I really dont like how they made Britta borderline ******ed. She's TOO goofy, IMO. Pierce was a much better character in Season 1. I liked the fact that, even though he had all these character defects, every once in a while he would say something intelligent.

 

[Matt]

Glad to see someone feel the same way. I know a lot of my other friends who watch Community share my feelings
1) What did you think about the pillow civil war episode?
2)Speaking of the dreamatorium, I used to like Abed but now he's one of my least favorite. Still acted brilliantly but he went from obviously weird, genre savvy, possibly Aspberger having guy to i dont even know what. But in episodes like Virtual Systems Analysis he's just annoying. I feel like this happened with Chang and Britta also. I used to like them but now their annoying to me.
3) I dont even really feel Community is a "smart" show anymore this season. I still like it, but it's not one of my top 5 shows on tv anymore after this season and honestly I no longer don't understand why people dont watch it

As I said I see the show runner change could be a good thing. Im especially not worried if it's gonna be the last season like rumored

1) I didn't mind it, it was a bit silly, but I didn't mind it.

2) I agree entirely. He's become too meta to the point where he is almost less of a character and more of an outside voice of the writer.

3) There may be some merit to that. Any time fanboys like something and it isn't widely accepted it is because it is "too smart," for the masses. Community isn't exactly smart. It is subtle, but not smart. Arrested Development is an example of a smart show. Curb Your Enthusiasm and Seinfeld even. Community isn't smart. it is referential and subtle, like early Family Guy almost.

 

[MadVillainy]

3) There may be some merit to that. Any time fanboys like something and it isn't widely accepted it is because it is "too smart," for the masses. Community isn't exactly smart. It is subtle, but not smart. Arrested Development is an example of a smart show. Curb Your Enthusiasm and Seinfeld even. Community isn't smart. it is referential and subtle, like early Family Guy almost.

That's a good way to put it. "Subtle" and "referential".

 

[Matt]

I agree quite a bit with blackman.

I really dont like how they made Britta borderline ******ed. She's TOO goofy, IMO. Pierce was a much better character in Season 1. I liked the fact that, even though he had all these character defects, every once in a while he would say something intelligent.

I agree with this entirely. I like that they made Britta more of a dork and the group's butt monkey, but it is reaching the point of Meg Griffin proportions.

I feel like a big reason for this is that Brie (or perhaps more appropriately her boobs) have really broken out with the fanbase. The writers have in turn given her Britta's role in the series as the primary love interest of Jeff and as the character who serves as Jeff's moral compass. Therefore they just kind of brushed Britta (who originally had this role) off to the side as the Meg Griffin. Frankly, I think it is a bit creepy. Jeff has at least twenty years on Annie. I was fine with it when Jeff was kind of a big brother to the character and I was even okay with them toying with the idea in the season one finale....but this season especially, Jeff/Annie has REALLY been being pushed on the audience.

The show kind of has gotten off track this season. A new writing team could give it more focus which it had in season one and two. Seth MacFarlane bought into his own ego and it hurt Family Guy badly. It got it entirely off track and McFarlane's ego let the cutaways and Flanderizations of characters destroy the show. Community got dangerously close to something similar this year. They've Flanderized Abed, Chang, Pierce and to a lesser extent Britta and the Dean. They've overplayed some of the pop culture and meta episodes (like the 8-bit episode and Dreamatorium episode/Evil Abed storyline). A new writing team may reign the show in and get it back to it's roots.

 

[Call Me Darkman]

To me, the biggest flaw of season 3 is that school life was no longer at the core of the series. I hate to agree with Chevy Chase, but he's correct. The show could have changed its setting to a bar and it would have made no difference whatsoever.

 

[Master Chief]

I think I've said this before, maybe even in this very thread, but I seriously can't wait until the dinosaurs that run television networks go extinct.

Mhm. It really bums me out how many shows are lost because of alternative viewing.

Im not gonna lie, I don't watch Community Thurs. at 8 and I have a tv. Idk I usually watch all my shows the next day after I get out of classes save for Mad Men and season premiers of shows. Idk why I just like doing it that way
I do too
-----------------
Honestly this whole Harmon thing...I think people are just building up suits at NBC as being boogey men; and ignoring the reports of Harmon being difficult.

Im gonna get blasted for this but i did not like how "weird" this season got. It didnt happen in many eps but I didnt like the 8 bit ep or the law and order parody that much honestly.

As long as the new showrunner doesnt try too hard to be like Harmon and keeps the show funny, I'll be fine.

I don't either but I totally would if I had a Nielson box. Why should I sit through ads when my view isn't being counted hahah, and why should I support those products when they're not looking at sales in relation to the show. The system needs to be re-thought.

NBC didn't fire Harmon, Sony did. I see it as the end of the show as we know it because Harmon is such a control freak. Without him and everyone else who left the last 13 episodes won't be for the fans. They should have bumped Megan Ganz to showrunner but they probably figured she would actually listen to anything Harmon might say so they brought in two outsiders.

I didn't like the 8 bit episode either. But yeah, I agree. There were times when this season got too weird, like the Dreamatorium episode. Honestly, the whole concept of the Dreamatorium was stupid to me. Harmon and co. were way too inconsistent with their handling of Troy this season. Sometimes it seemed like they wanted him to continue his arc of growing into a responsible man, other times they made him into an idiot man-child who seems to have more psychological issues than Abed.

As for the new writers, I swear, people seem to think that the suits at Sony are going to personally write each episode as a multi-camera, laugh track sitcom. Both Sony and the new head writers probably realize that this is the show's last season. It isn't about changing the tone in order to save it. It is about extending the episode count to make more of those syndication bucks. The writers who signed on are probably perfectly aware of the tone of the show and aren't going to try to infuse it with their own tone. They signed on to write Community. They will write Community. TV shows change writers and show runners all the time. Hell, it isn't always a bad thing when the creators leave. Angel got better when Whedon became hands-off.

Hahah they fired Harmon without so much as a phone call because among other things he fought to bring us high concept episodes. Sure he doesn't have much respect for their rules and PR bulls**t but losing him because of how difficult he is to work with is not something that should be shrugged off. They're clearly making a move to try and make the show more accessible to bump the ratings and get more episodes ordered. I can't think of a time when that has ever been a good thing. I'm gonna call it now and say that an over-arching plot will not happen because it would alienate the viewers they hope to rake in, and I assume that's why most people are "freaking out".

I agree with this entirely. I like that they made Britta more of a dork and the group's butt monkey, but it is reaching the point of Meg Griffin proportions.

I feel like a big reason for this is that Brie (or perhaps more appropriately her boobs) have really broken out with the fanbase. The writers have in turn given her Britta's role in the series as the primary love interest of Jeff and as the character who serves as Jeff's moral compass. Therefore they just kind of brushed Britta (who originally had this role) off to the side as the Meg Griffin. Frankly, I think it is a bit creepy. Jeff has at least twenty years on Annie. I was fine with it when Jeff was kind of a big brother to the character and I was even okay with them toying with the idea in the season one finale....but this season especially, Jeff/Annie has REALLY been being pushed on the audience.

The show kind of has gotten off track this season. A new writing team could give it more focus which it had in season one and two. Seth MacFarlane bought into his own ego and it hurt Family Guy badly. It got it entirely off track and McFarlane's ego let the cutaways and Flanderizations of characters destroy the show. Community got dangerously close to something similar this year. They've Flanderized Abed, Chang, Pierce and to a lesser extent Britta and the Dean. They've overplayed some of the pop culture and meta episodes (like the 8-bit episode and Dreamatorium episode/Evil Abed storyline). A new writing team may reign the show in and get it back to it's roots.

I'm not saying Harmon is perfect, I don't like how he handled Chang but the show has always been on track. Harmon designed each season with a theme in mind and although there were tons of high concept episodes, season 3 didn't go off the rails on what it was trying to say. I'm sad that we won't get to see what Harmon could have done with a fourth season after everything the group went through this time around but meh, c'est la vie.

 

[DACrowe]

Glad to see someone feel the same way. I know a lot of my other friends who watch Community share my feelings
1) What did you think about the pillow civil war episode?
2)Speaking of the dreamatorium, I used to like Abed but now he's one of my least favorite. Still acted brilliantly but he went from obviously weird, genre savvy, possibly Aspberger having guy to i dont even know what. But in episodes like Virtual Systems Analysis he's just annoying. I feel like this happened with Chang and Britta also. I used to like them but now their annoying to me.
3) I dont even really feel Community is a "smart" show anymore this season. I still like it, but it's not one of my top 5 shows on tv anymore after this season and honestly I no longer don't understand why people dont watch it

As I said I see the show runner change could be a good thing. Im especially not worried if it's gonna be the last season like rumored

The only episode that didn't work for me this season in high-concept was part 1 of the blanket-fort story (artificial conflict between Abed and Troy and the whole school going along with it), but part 2 becoming a Ken Burns parody made up for it.

Still, I think fans don't care about the behind-the-scenes conflict. They care about the end result. The end result, for most fans (myself included) has been great. Professionally, I can understand how Harmon did a frustrating job of running the show and was a pain to work with. However, if this show had amazing ratings, you know they'd put up with his difficulty and put out PR-spin of him being a genius while continuing to write the checks.

From a business standpoint, I can see why he was cut--though that doesn't excuse the horribly crass and cynical way it was handled--but as a fan, it is truly disappointing. I don't really care for Happy Endings and I have a bad feeling that at its best, S4 of Community will be like that. I know it's too early to tell and blah blah, but Community more than any network sitcom right now feels inherently defined by the (wacky) vision of its creator and showrunner. It has a rabid fanbase because it isn't just committee writing and there seems to be a creative sensibility to try anything, no matter how reckless. That recklessness is why Harmon got fired, but it is also why the show stood out for its niche fanbase. Networks aren't in the business of making niche shows, so I get it, but that doesn't mean it isn't disappointing.

Another way to put it is when NBC, done struggling with a true creative genius, parted ways with Aaron Sorkin on The West Wing. The show was still good afterwards, but those early seasons were some of the best television ever produced. They never came close after Sorkin left the show.

 

[DACrowe]

3) There may be some merit to that. Any time fanboys like something and it isn't widely accepted it is because it is "too smart," for the masses. Community isn't exactly smart. It is subtle, but not smart. Arrested Development is an example of a smart show. Curb Your Enthusiasm and Seinfeld even. Community isn't smart. it is referential and subtle, like early Family Guy almost.

There's an awful lot of opinion there. I will say Community has become more fantastical in the third season than before (though it did have great episodes because of that like the multiple universe episode, the glee parody, the Ken Burns-styled mockumentary, etc.), but that doesn't make it "not smart." I'd argue rather it's become less subtle in the third season. It's still arguably the smartest sitcom on television right now. Certainly the smartest on network and, IMO, better than any since Arrested Development was canceled long ago.