[Pol]

One of my all-time favorite shows, the Internet-popular but ratings-deficient Community, will return to complete its third season beginning Thursday, March 15 at 8:00pm on NBC.

Community had been on a three-month hiatus, replaced on the schedule by the even lower-rated 30 Rock (lordy, NBC is a mess). This was unfortunate timing, as Community had won TV Guide's Fan Favorite Award just as the hiatus was announced.

I have a feeling that Community will become another Arrested Development, a show that only really becomes appreciated for its greatness after the fact. And though it has never found traction on Nielsen boxes, it has a rabid following on the Internet as Joel McHale pointed out after winning the TV Guide award:

Originally Posted by TV Guide

McHale — who responded to the win with a hearty "Holy crap!" — believes the show's fan base doesn't adhere to the usual notions of TV viewers. "Our fans don't watch TV the way others do," he says. "I did a stand-up show at the University of Arizona and there were 30 kids who ran the event. I said, 'How many of you watch Community?' and they all raised their hands, which was great. I asked, 'How many watch it Thursdays at 8pm?' Zero hands. I asked, 'How many of you have TVs?' Four hands. I asked, 'How many of you watch on computers?' All hands went up. That may be an excuse, but our audience skews young. But with something like this, they vote. That's how rabid they are, so that's great."

For those interested in getting into Community before the show returns in March, I suggest starting with season one, episode one and zipping through them in order, as the show does like to reference itself in clever ways. All the episodes are on Hulu+ (and the five most recent are on regular old Hulu), and are purchasable from the usual iTunes/Amazon outlets.

If you prefer to dip your feet by picking and choosing a few episodes, NYMag.com has Five Episodes to Get You Hooked, individual episodes they feel are the best for getting new viewers into 'Community.' I tend to agree with some of the commenters that while "Beginner's Pottery" is certainly a decent episode, "Contemporary American Poultry" (s1 e21), "Conspiracy Theories and Interior Design" (s2 e9), and "Advanced Dungeons and Dragons" (s2 e14) all might have been better choices.

Now that I've made my last-ditch pitch for Community, I leave you with Troy and Abed's now-famous closing scene from season one, episode two "Spanish 101":

Community La Biblioteca Spanish Rap HD - YouTube

Community La Biblioteca Spanish Rap HD - YouTube

[Brenda Connolly]

It's a good show, though not on my must see list. I do have a friend who is a big fan, she will be thrilled when I tell her it's coming back.

[Pol]

Originally Posted by Brenda Connolly

It's a good show, though not on my must see list.

NOT HELPFUL.

Well, mildly helpful maybe.

[Cristiano]

Normally I am down with subversive and oddball comedies, but while it has its moments, I've never gotten that into Community either. It seems like it would be a show I would love, but I'm rather meh about it.

[Pol]

Originally Posted by Cristiano

Normally I am down with subversive and oddball comedies, but while it has its moments, I've never gotten that into Community either. It seems like it would be a show I would love, but I'm rather meh about it.

THIS ONLINE FORUM IS FILLED WITH DEFECTIVES.

[Brenda Connolly]

Originally Posted by Pol

NOT HELPFUL.

Well, mildly helpful maybe.

Go help yourself.

[Pol]

Originally Posted by Brenda Connolly

Go help yourself.

I'm trying, but one is the loneliest number.

[Polo]

I am EXTREMELY HAPPY that Community is returning! Love it love it love it!

...So we have the current support of:

POL

POLO

...Next we need to recruit

POLOL

and

POLOLO

...and on and on---to ratings victory!

[Pol]

Good roundtable interview with the women of Community:

Community: Alison Brie, Yvette Nicole Brown, Gillian Jacobs & Megan Ganz Roundtable - The Daily Beast

[Darkley]

I adore it, completely

[Polo]

Originally Posted by Pol

Good roundtable interview with the women of Community:

Community: Alison Brie, Yvette Nicole Brown, Gillian Jacobs & Megan Ganz Roundtable - The Daily Beast

That is a GREAT piece. I didn't realize (but should have) how smart and insightful these people are.

I loved this, from "Shirley":

(Yvette Nicole) Brown: As a black actor, it’s refreshing that I’m not playing the “sassy black woman.” It’s something that Dan Harmon was cognizant of from the beginning. It is something that I’m always cognizant of. Every woman on the planet has sass and smart-ass qualities in them, but it seems sometimes only black women are defined by it. Shirley is a fully formed woman that had a sassy moment. Her natural set point, if anything, is rage. That’s her natural set point, suppressed rage, which comes out as kindness and trying to keep everything tight.

Ganz: In Episode 308, we had that thing about Shirley not wanting to get the “sassy note.” You had said to me that that had happened to you once.


Brown: Female friends that are in my tribe, black girls, we all have stories about that. We find interesting ways to make [directors] tell us to be sassy because they know that it’s racist. I say, “Can you show me how to do that?” They don’t want to do a black version of sassy, so then they move on.

[Pol]

Community Back With Animated Webisodes, "Confident" About Season 4 Renewal - Today's News: Our Take | TVGuide.com

Also, the Community Panel from PaleyFest:
http://www.vulture.com/2012/03/paleyfest-community.html

[Pol]

'Community': First look at next week's return | Inside TV | EW.com

New animated webisodes:
Hulu - Community: Abed's Master Key, Part 1
Hulu - Community: Abed's Master Key, Part 2
Hulu - Community: Abed's Master Key, Part 3

[Pol]

Official Community Season Three (Part 2) trailer...

Community Returns Trailer - YouTube

Community Returns Trailer - YouTube

Awesome.

[Pol]

Promo videos with Joel McHale and Jim Rash:

Community - Joel and Jim: NBC Tour Guides - Video - http://www.nbc.com

Community - Spoiler Alert! - Video - http://www.nbc.com

[Polo]

I hope NBC actually plays these promos in prime time...if nothing else, they should confuse the uninitiated into a deep abiding curiosity that can be satisfied ONLY by tuning in. On television. (Yes, the Internet sustains Community, but there's gotta be some TV-viewing if the show is to survive!)

[Pol]

Tonight. Finally.

Community - Urban Matrimony and the Sandwich Arts (Promo)

Community - Urban Matrimony and the Sandwich Arts (Promo)

[Pol]

I don't often say this, but...WOOT!

Ratings -- Community Returns With Win Over American Idol

Originally Posted by TVLine

NBC’s Community returned from its too-long hiatus to 4.9 million total viewers and a demo rating of 2.2, delivering increases of 36 and 47 percent over the comedy’s most recent outing (on Dec. 8 ) and a 14-month, non-sports time slot demo high for NBC.

[Drew Faintree]

I watched it. I turned on the tv to catch the next episode of banging theory to find basketball. Then found that Community was on and new. Liked it. Too bad they have it at 8. If at 8:30 I'd watch both it and Theory of Nerd Banging.

[Dancien Graves]

Will it be funny this time?

[Polo]

Originally Posted by Drew Faintree

Too bad they have it at 8. If at 8:30 I'd watch both it and Theory of Nerd Banging.

You and probably a few ratings-points-worth of other people, too.

It is really unfortunate that the NBC programmers insist on pitting Community against BBT. (Is it out of pure ego, or what?)

[Pol]

'Community' looks to sustain ratings bump - Entertainment News, TV News, Media - Variety

Originally Posted by Variety

Suddenly, the laffer had momentum beyond its famously fervent if finite fanbase. The questions for "Community" -- and for other shows in similar straits -- are which factors played into its surge and whether they're sustainable.

Harmon sees multiple possibilities. He noted that to make people aware of the show's return from its long vacation, fans and stars, led by Joel McHale, not only went to the mattresses with social media promotion, but that NBC delivered on-air spots (including placement in the prime territory of reality hit "The Voice") in an unprecedented fashion.

"I certainly felt that way last week and for the first time in three years," Harmon told Variety, "I hope it wasn't a fad for (NBC Entertainment topper Bob Greenblatt) or a phase. I e-mailed him and said, 'This network has always been patient with the show, but last week felt like NBC was proud of us.'

"If those two things are the two specific things that brought the show back, then we're in good shape, because the fans can keep doing that and NBC can keep putting ads on the air. If it was just the halo effect of everyone tuning in (because of the drama surrounding the show's uncertainty), that scares me, because that means next week, that's not repeatable."

(Just keeping this thread, or as I like to call it "The Pol and Polo Show," alive as Thursday approaches.)

[Polo]

Last night's episode really showcased the cast's physical comedy chops. Just the sight of Jeff "Hulk-walking" out of the party scene was worth the metaphorical price of admission. Hell, it was worth paying an actual price of admission!

[The QuietOne]

when they went with Ryan Seacrest for Jeff, I literally squealed out loud.

I love the wink-wink to the audience.

And yes, I love Community, I just usually end up catching it on hulu a few days later.

[Pol]