Save Greendale!

In economic climate that's volatile and unpredictable, television studios are trying to be as cautious as possible when deciding what to put and keep on the air. They hedge their bets and attempt to stick to programming that has proven successful in the past. However, NBC has not been in its prime as far as ratings go in the past couple of years, and that has allowed for a number of critically acclaimed and nicely unformulaic programming, including The Office, 30 Rock, Parks and Recreation, and Community. Community was recently put on mid-season hiatus, causing many to speculate that the program may well very soon be canceled. Although this is not definitive, chances don't look good for its survival. The fan base has nobly risen to defend their quirky and unique show about a diverse study group at a lackluster community college. And I, as a member of this strong and loyal, albeit small, fan base, feel the need to defend one of the smartest, funniest, well-written, and just genuinely good shows on television right now.

Lets start out with the obvious draw for (as far as in pleading with NBC goes), Community is a critical darling. A number of critics have named it the best series of 2011. And that's not just for comedies, that's television series in general. Community, for critics, ranks up there with top dramas like Mad Men, Breaking Bad, Game of Thrones, Justified, and Homeland. The fact is that NBC isn't going to pull out of its rating nose dive any time soon, and their only truly saving grace is their Thursday night comedy block. Considering their position in network ratings, it's better to take critical success over failed and flailing attempts to establish a dramatic series that garners a large audience.

The fact is that NBC has never really helped Community become even remotely successful. The series is forced to survive cold, with no other series coming on before it to back it up. It used to be after The Office, but NBC wasn't smart enough to keep it there. And sure, the series is a bit of an oddball, and therefore is difficult to market, but NBC has hardly tried to figure out what the series is and what the potential is with it. Honestly, NBC is a little too indifferent for their own good. Community has a solid fan base; it may not be huge, but it's truly loyal. Loyal fan bases are something to take note of. You give them enough time and they can make a success out of nearly anything. Jericho, Arrested Development, and Chuck, among many others, were all series cut before their time, but with solid fan bases driving them. Chuck's fanbase's concerted efforts to keep the show alive have allowed it to go on for five seasons. Jericho's fanbase sent in over 20 tons of nuts to CBS studios, in reference to a line from the series, and it managed to stave off cancellation briefly for a second season. Now Arrested Development is widely regarded as one of the best comedies ever on television with plans to make a fourth season and a movie. This is due to resurgence in popularity through reruns on television and DVDs. That sounds a lot like Family Guy who gained a second life through massive DVD sales. Family Guy continues to be one of the top shows on television, and Seth MacFarlane has three shows on Fox's Sunday night block. The truth is that the studios have no clue what they're doing. They don't really know what's popular. They underestimate internet culture, and DVR views. And they would rather make money than produce quality television shows.

And Community is truly quality television. It's an incredibly clever show. And it's self-referential nature might seem off putting or smug, but once you've gotten into watching it, it's really just part of the shows charm. The show's inventiveness comes through in its ability to bend genres and take on new forms, as well as its uncanny adeptness at recalling previous episodes and events in the series mythology. The actors have an undeniable chemistry, and Dan Harmon has tried endless numbers of character combinations to stir up new jokes, and greater develop the characters. I'm in the midst of re-watching the entire series right now, and it's incredibly impressive how much they change over the course of a few episodes. The series has become more engaging, fun, and self-assured as the actors become more certain with who the characters are. On top of which, the series does a fair amount of world building. Greendale and the wider world that the characters inhabit continues to grow as the series evolves. And this world is inhabited with an array of amusing and interesting side characters who the series deftly recalls for good effect. And side characters such as Dean Pelton and Senor Chang who proved themselves to be some of the best features of the series slowly gained top billing status. But what Community is probably most wonderful for is how it deconstructs pop cultural tropes and genres, playing on old television series formats and cliches in order to further develop the characters and reinforce why the group is friends in the first place. And on top of this: it's extremely funny. The show mixes clever lines with outright absurd and crazy ones, and balances them fantastically well.

So yes, Black Hitler, and Paintball wars, and gifs of Alison Brie are all what makes Community strange, but they're also what makes it awesome. And this is why I feel Community really does deserve, as the motto that has arisen states, six seasons and a movie.