Community is a surreal comedy sitcom created by Dan Harmon. The series is based on Harmon's experiences at Glendale Community College, following a story circle through each episode.
Community centres on the character of Jeff Winger (Joel McHale), a lawyer who returned to university after having his degree declared invalid by the Colorado Supreme Court Bar Association.
To get a legitimate diploma, he enrols in Community College, where he quickly becomes attracted to his classmate Britta (Gillian Jacobs), a social activist, and pretends to run a study group to spend time with her.
The group is completed by Abed (Dani Pudi, Mythic Quest), who struggles with social interactions, Shirley, a recently divorced mother and Troy (Donald Glover), a former quarterback in high school.
There's also the certifiable nerd Annie (Alison Brie) who has had an unrequited crush on Troy since high school and the politically incorrect elderly millionaire who has been married seven times and from whom he receives perplexing life lessons.
Despite their differences, the group members soon become close friends, creating unlikely stories filled with humour.
The group finds themselves involved in multiple misadventures, creating an incredibly entertaining show where each character brings their relevant piece to the story.
If you liked Community and are looking for a new comedy to brighten your days, you've reached the right place!
We've gathered a list of eight equally amusing comedy options for your entertainment. Check out our list of shows like Community and get yourself wrapped up in hours of enjoyment.
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OUR LIST OF SHOWS LIKE COMMUNITY
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How Many Seasons Does Community Have?
The first season of Community premiered in September 2009 with 25 episodes. In March 2010, the series was renewed for a second season, which came out in September of the same year with 24 episodes.
A year later, the third season debuted with 22 episodes, and in May 2012, it was renewed for a fourth season, which was not released until February 2013.
The fifth season appeared in January 2014 with 13 episodes, and in June of the same year, it was announced that the show would return for a sixth and final season of 13 episodes, which aired in March 2015.
The series ended with six seasons and 110 total episodes. Most episodes feature titles designed to sound like the names of university courses, such as “Introduction to Film” and “Anthropology 101”.
How Was Community Filmed?
The filming of Community involved plenty of improvisation, especially from Chevy Chase as Pierce Hawthorne.
Harmon even said that Chase “tends to come up with phrases that you can end scenes with sometimes”. Actors Joel McHale and Donald Glover, who portray Jeff and Troy respectively were also mentioned as experienced improvisers.
The show was primarily filmed at Paramount Studios in Hollywood, California, and some exterior scenes were shot at Los Angeles City College.
The series used the single-camera technique, where each shot is filmed individually using the same camera.
Why Was Community Cancelled?
Although it was a brilliant comedy series and gained a cult following, Community was not a complete rating success.
Still, it went forward through the seasons and received acclaim for its performances, direction, writing and meta-humour.
It won a Primetime Emmy Award with four nominations and received the Critics' Choice Television Award for Best Comedy Series in 2012, among other praise.
Despite this, the series lost its audience over time, not making it worth the money invested. With the main cast's contracts expiring, it was decided not to move forward with future seasons, resulting in the show's permanent cancellation.
Although the series didn't end precisely as Harmon and the rest of the cast envisioned, fans came to terms with the ending in season six.
However, as the popularity of streaming increases, more rumours are emerging regarding a sequel film in development.