Community: Season 1

Thanks to Christopher Columbus, I had a day off from work today. And I spent the first half of it finishing up the first season of Community, the hip and quirky new NBC comedy that debuted last year. The tacky DVD cover doesn't do justice to the quality of the show itself, which is loaded with meta-humor like self-references, pop culture observations, and small-scale satires. It's fresh and unpredictable, but not in an irreverent or absurd way. It'll zig when you expect it to zag. Its biggest downfall is probably its own introversion; like so many smart but ill-fated shows before it, it would rather make jokes for its own fans than for fringe viewers. Arrested Syndrome, if you will. For that reason, I never quite got into it last year in spite of watching The Office, 30 Rock, and Parks and Recreation - the rest of NBC's "Comedy Night Done Right." But I'm glad I gave this season a "blind" purchase and a full viewing, because now I can appreciate Community for all the reasons you can't understand based on a few scattered episode viewings. Of course, for these very reasons, I think this show is doomed in the long term. Its ratings are fine enough so far this year (opposite The Big Bang Theory, no less) to avoid an outright cancelation, but I just don't foresee more than a third season. But that's fine; I'll appreciate it while it's here. Now, a lot of Internet fighting has gone on between fans of this show and of another '09 rookie comedy series: ABC's Modern Family. Frankly, I don't see the point of contention. Different networks, different nights. Hell, very different styles. But I'll weigh in nonetheless. I think Community has Modern Family beaten in terms of cleverness, originality, and growth. But Modern Family is probably funnier in general. Its characters and situations are more relatable and the jokes appeal to a lower common denominator. But don't mistake that for an insult; both shows are great at what they do. I just think Modern Family has more longevity in its tank. I'd say, "give Community a try Thursday nights at 8:00," but I've already admitted that its a hard show to just kind of jump right into without some a priori knowledge, and I'm not about to suggest that anyone dump nine hours into the first season in order to better appreciate the second season. But I will suggest this - give the pilot a try. And if you're on the fence, remember that pilots are never as good as fifth, tenth, or twentieth episodes. Most comedies, especially character-driven ones, need time to grow. And that's the extent of my pitch. It's a good show, but it's not for everyone.