Community Is The Best American Sitcom Since Arrested Development

[Cena's Little Helper]

And it's also light years better than any other current sitcom on a major network (it's also better than what currently airs on cable, but not light years better). I came to this realization after spending the past month watching the first two seasons of both Modern Family and Community. Let's contemplate two things here: Community itself and its competition.

Taken by itself, Community is one of the most original sitcoms ever produced. While previous sitcoms have lightly flirted with the idea of analyzing and poking fun of American situation comedy and its tropes, Community has made it an uproariously hilarious art form. Furthermore, I can't think of a single American sitcom star that has ever done deadpan sarcasm better than Joel McHale. As anyone who watches The Soup should know, McHale is a comedic force to be reckoned with and, even though I don't see him becoming a movie star, I don't see any reason why, after Community ends or is canceled, he won't be a perennially hot commodity during pilot season for years to come.

On top of being great in itself, Community doesn't have much competition on its own network (NBC) or the other big three (CBS, ABC, Fox). 30 Rock is one of the most overrated sitcoms ever made and is only critically acclaimed because of the hard-on the media has for Tina Fey, The Office is nothing more than a very good remake, and Parks and Recreation is in the same boat as 30 Rock (the media also seems to have a hard-on for Amy Poehler). When it comes to other networks, CBS's sitcoms, while very popular, are extremely formulaic, ABC's Modern Family is nothing more than an Arrested Development rip-off that's the equivalent of methadone to those of us who saw AD as sweet, sweet heroin, and Fox, while having a couple of sitcoms, is more known for their animation comedy shows and dramedies.

Lastly, while I won't get into why I think Community is better than the likes of Curb Your Enthusiasm, Sunny, The League, and Eastbound & Down, it's something I'll gladly discuss once I've read some of the dissenting responses to this thread.

So, what say you, fellow WZers? What are your feelings on Community? How do you rank it among the sitcoms that currently air on network and cable television?

 

[George Steele's Barber]

Community is phenomenal. If they can keep up this level of program I would say it should finish as my second favorite comedy of all-time behind Seinfeld. This is actually a great time for comedies. I like The Office, 30 Rock, The League, Sunny, South Park, HIMYM, BBT, Louie and even Cougar Town. I can't remember a time when I watched so much comedy but Community easily stands out as the funniest and most entertaining.

Every charactrer stands out as filling their role well. McHale is a great lead but the two characters that stand out to me are Abed and Chang. Both guys are original and hilarious. I once saw Troy at O'Hare Airport and still kick myself for not making him be my best friend. We ended up being on the same flight to Vegas but I was shocked that he wasn't flying first class and actually was stuck in a middle seat ("Troy and George Steele's Barber in the morning"). You are unlikely to see characters like Shirley and Pierce anywhere else and Britta and Annie are funny and give me a Betty and Veronica in my pants.

I recommend anyone who loves comedy to go back and watch this show from the beginning. The first few episodes my be tough to get through but once you get to the middle of the first season the show takes off and finds it's identity.

 

[The Bearded One]

Community is my favorite show on television. It's the only show I consistently make sure I watch. The dynamic between each of the characters is absolutely perfect and everything just works. I love the fact that the show isn't afraid to take chances with some crazy storylines, such as the rocket ship from last season or the different timelines from a couple of weeks ago. Community really pokes fun at its own genre without making it seemed forced. I just love everything about the show.

Also, getting to see Alison Brie and Gillian Jacobs for 30 minutes at a time is never a bad thing either.

 

[Dagger Dias]

I really enjoy this show. It is absolutely hilarious. Chevy Chase's grouchy character is often the best part. The Dungeons & Dragons one is my favorite and it is the episode that got me hooked on the show. Other good ones include the paintball fight or the blanket fort that kept growing. I think that Community is arguably the funniest and best sitcom on tv right now because it has such clever writing and a funny cast that keep me wanting to see more. I hope that the show will never chang. (Those who watch will get that reference.)

 

[George Steele's Barber]

Bumped just so I could say last week's episode was one of my favorites. Shirley and Britta in the car with the loon, Pierce's hallucinations, Jeff getting tricked in to a day with the Dean, Annie's frustration, the blanket tent, puppet show and everything else that came out of the mouths of Troy and Abed all leading up to a sweet ending and final song.

More people need to watch this show.