It was late-September 2009 when I first watched Community. It was a Saturday and I was flipping through channels when I landed on Bravo. It was reshowing the pilot and I saw Joel McHale and Chevy Chase on there. (I was a huge fan of The Soup and remembered him mentioning this before)
As I watched , I fell in love with the show immediately. The next week , I watched it live on NBC and continued to through 5 seasons. I had thought it was done after 5 seasons but then it was saved at the last second by Yahoo. So now we will get to have our 6th season finally after a long wait! Also during this sixth season the show will cross the 100 episode mark!! (even in today's tv landscape, that is a huge deal)
Community is one of those rare shows that no matter how awful I feel or down I am, it always is able to put a smile on my face. The show had helped heal me from a painful personal situation I was going through. My father had died a few months before and the show and it's humor and heart helped me. It helped me remember that how scarred or hurt you are , you can heal and connect back with people who are just as damaged as you. So right now I would like to give a long list of Thank Yous to the people who have done so much for this wonderful show and the Human Beings who love it so much. To the people who gave us Paintball, Fat Dog Dances, CRISIS ALERT and so many other great moments and episodes.
First off : Thank You Dan Harmon and Chris McKenna. You know how people say that he's walking a fine line between genius and insanity? I would love it if the line was called Harmon instead. Dan created a world where we can fall in love with people like a selfish jerk always on his phone all the way to a fellow who has a catchphrase that any fan would know "POP POP!" Also, thanks to Dan for coming back and making the show his baby again. A baby we can judge and love at the same time.
Chris for his loyalty to Dan and being unselfish in the growth of Community. We all know how many great moments Chris has been behind but never once has Chris stolen the spotlight or being egotistic about his role on the show.
They have been the brains behind the show I love so much but they have definitely not been the only ones.
A special thanks to David Guarascio and Moses Port who had the unenviable task of being show runners for Season 4. They tried their hardest to give us Greendale and even though it wasn't perfect , it had it's moments and they understood the love we had for the show.
Also a thank you to Andy Bobrow and Megan Ganz. These two wrote classic episodes and always were willing to talk with the fans on twitter (even through trying times #bobrowgate) I respect their and the other season 4 writers efforts. Without their effort and the efforts of others, we would not have had a season 5.
A thank you to all the Writers and Directors this wonderful show has had over the years. *A Special shoutout to Tristram Shappero who is a big part for why Community is what it is.
Writers :
Writers :
| Dan Harmon | ... | |
| Tim Saccardo | ... | |
| Dino Stamatopoulos | ... | |
| Alex Rubens | ... | |
| Monica Padrick | ... | |
| Donald Diego | ... | |
| Jordan Blum | ... | |
| Parker Deay | ... | |
| Carol Kolb | ... | |
| Ryan Ridley | ... | |
| Matt Roller | ... | |
| Dan Guterman | ... | |
| Chris McKenna | ... | |
| Andy Bobrow | ... | |
| Hilary Winston | ... | |
| Andrew Guest | ... | |
| Megan Ganz | ... | |
| Tim Hobert | ... | |
| Emily Cutler | ... | |
| Karey Dornetto | ... | |
| Adam Countee | ... | |
| Stephen Basilone | ... | |
| Annie Mebane | ... | |
| Jon Pollack | ... | |
| Maggie Bandur | ... | |
| Zach Paez | ... | |
| Lauren Pomerantz | ... | |
| Liz Cackowski | ... | |
| Matt Murray | ... | |
| Jessie Miller | ... | |
| Garrett Donovan | ... | |
| Neil Goldman | ... | |
| Chris Kula | ... | |
| Sona Panos | ... | |
| Alex Cooley | ... | |
| Alex Cuthbertson | ... | |
| Matt Fusfeld | ... | |
| Vera Santamaria | ... | |
| Matt Warburton | ... | |
| Hunter Covington | ... | |
| Gene Hong | ... | |
| Jack Kukoda | ... | |
| Jim Rash | ... | |
| Ben Wexler | ... | |
| Erik Sommers | ... | |
| Matt Lawton | ... | |
| Dean Young | ... |
DIRECTORS:
Tristram Shapeero ... (24 episodes, 2010-2014)
Joe Russo ... (21 episodes, 2009-2014)
Anthony Russo ... (14 episodes, 2009-2011)
Adam Davidson ... (7 episodes, 2009-2012)
Jay Chandrasekhar ... (7 episodes, 2010-2014)
Rob Schrab ... (6 episodes, 2012-2015)
Justin Lin ... (3 episodes, 2009-2010)
Duke Johnson ... (1 episode, 2010)
Steven K. Tsuchida ... (2 episodes, 2012-2013)
Kyle Newacheck ... (2 episodes, 2012)
Nat Faxon ... (2 episodes, 2015)
Jim Rash ... (2 episodes, 2015)
Seth Gordon ... (1 episode, 2009)
Anthony Hemingway ... (1 episode, 2010)
Gail Mancuso ... (1 episode, 2010)
Ken Whittingham ... (1 episode, 2010)
Richard Ayoade ... (1 episode, 2011)
Fred Goss ... (1 episode, 2011)
Jeff Melman ... (1 episode, 2011)
Steven Sprung ... (1 episode, 2011)
Dan Eckman ... (1 episode, 2012)
Tricia Brock ... (1 episode, 2013)
Michael Patrick Jann ... (1 episode, 2013)
Beth McCarthy-Miller ... (1 episode, 2013)
Victor Nelli Jr. ... (1 episode, 2013)
Bobcat Goldthwait ... (1 episode, 2015)
Thank You Joel McHale whose love for the show is even more than the fans's. I could talk about how he fought for Dan Harmon to return as showrunner of season 5 and succeeded. I could talk about how loyal he is to his co-stars and how much he loves talking about the show everywhere to everyone. Instead I will talk about his portrayal of Jeffrey Tobias Winger.
Joel has played him so well over the years. When we first met Jeff Winger he was a very selfish prick. Over the years however Joel is able to play Jeff as a cocky, full of himself yet also the very damaged individual. Also Jeff's one flaw of not getting too close was slowly chipped away through his love for his fellow misfits. Jeff's speech to his father in season 4's Thanksgiving episode is still a really great moment that Joel absolutely nailed.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AYjjl0IILNU
Thank You Gillian Jacobs for your portrayal of Britta Perry. At the beginning of the series , Britta was played as a tough but sensitive lady who cared for her friends. As the seasons went on, Britta was dumbed down a little and her name was made into a phrase that meant "to mess up something" Gillian though always let Britta remain a character that was strong and full of pride. She would always let you know that Britta may be getting made fun of but she is still going to show everyone how tough and strong and smart she is. Britta isn't the worst, thanks to Gillian's great work, SHE'S THE BEST. Britta will always be the mother of the 1's
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jKZGMSt1RSk
Thank You to Alison Brie for all she has brought to the character of Annie Edison. Thanks to Alison's wonderful portrayal , Annie has grown from a naive, very high-strung girl into a strong , confident woman (who is still a little nerdy and high-strung) Annie has been loved by so many people for how tough and strong she is and how she also doesn't apologize for it . She has flaws , of course, but Alison shows that Annie knows that but won't let them define her. She will always try to do what is right for her and her friends even if it's not always the cool or popular thing. Do yourself a favor and take 20 or so minutes to watch "Cooperative Calligraphy" to see a great Annie episode.
Also a quick note of the chemistry that Joel and Alison have on screen. They are able to do things with their characters that even the writers fail to notice and I think they understand their characters even more than the writers every now and then. (#pathological)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6ZyUyEbL8fg
Thank You to Danny Pudi for his incredible portrayal of Abed Nadir. Danny has done a Emmy-winning worthy job of playing Abed as a man who knows he's not normal but understands that neither is anyone else. For all of his pop culture-references , Abed is also the heart of the study group. As shown in Remedial Chaos Theory, when Abed is gone, the group turns on each other without him. Danny has had so many episodes where he has delivered (Abed's Uncontrollable Christmas is just one example). Him and Donald Glover's Troy I would dare say is one of the best duo ever to have graced our tv screen.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W75UKtgifF8
Thank You to Donald Glover for 4 and a half seasons of greatness. He did such a brilliant job as Troy Barnes, the high-school QB who's too cool for school but not too cool for Greendale. He was always good at the goofiest moments but also at real, personal ones as well. (His scene with Annie in his birthday episode is as good as anything the show has done) Him and Danny playing Troy and Abed (best friends making a cake!) was one of those things that just happened and it worked due to Donald and Danny's ability to react and their chemistry with one another. Donald was always wiling to do anything for the show and he is really missed. Hopefully, Childish Gambino will be in the movie as I'm starting to worry about Troy and Levar.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RXzMLPV43mk
Thank You to Yvette Nicole Brown for 5 wonderful seasons playing Shirley Bennett. Yvette was not always given a lot to work with and she was able to make Shirley much more than a one-note character. She was able to show her as not only a mom but also a badass who took no crap from nobody, a loyal friend, a sinner and a a saint. She left the show to go take of her ailing father but she will always be remembered for her contributions to the show and a phrase I say basically every day. "That's Nice!"
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=isFhyfUnyYY
And a thank you to Chevy Chase. Whatever you think of the man, He played Pierce Hawthorne better than anyone could have. Whether it was a father figure to Jeff or a villain to Study Group, Pierce would always have one line that you would remember. And when Chevy was on, no one could play selfish, oblivious jerk better than him. His departure from the show was not a great moment for him and his confrontations with Dan are legendary. As for me, I will always remember Pierce as the confused, slightly racist but also wise man Chevy portrayed him as. (The clip I choose may not be Pierce at his funniest but I think it's Chevy at his best.)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dlvZtXTEMug
Thank You to Ken Jeong and Jim Rash. First Ken who through 5 seasons has played Chang as a spanish teacher, student, Power-mad dictator, Chang-nesia victim and now a member of the study group. Through it all Ken has non-stop talked about how much he loves playing Benjamin Chang and how much he loves the show Community. He is always willing to be the butt of a joke. (Literally) Chang is our crazy psycho and I couldn't love Ken Jeong more if I tried.
And Jim Rash. This man has won a Oscar. He has written and directed terrific movies. And his favorite thing I think is to add the word Dean to regular things and touch Jeff Winger's abs. Dean Pelton is a character that when you see him in a scene you know you are going to love it. Jim has always played the Dean as far away from normal as you can but also with a slight darkness in him that he conceals in dresses (his sister's) and weird obsessions. I love Dean Pelton and would gladly have him as my Dean any day.
Also this season Paget Brewster and Keith David join the cast!! I can't wait to see how they add to the dynamic of the show. Personally, I am really huge fans of both and they will make a great addition to this show and the study group.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RXzMLPV43mk
Thank You to Yvette Nicole Brown for 5 wonderful seasons playing Shirley Bennett. Yvette was not always given a lot to work with and she was able to make Shirley much more than a one-note character. She was able to show her as not only a mom but also a badass who took no crap from nobody, a loyal friend, a sinner and a a saint. She left the show to go take of her ailing father but she will always be remembered for her contributions to the show and a phrase I say basically every day. "That's Nice!"
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=isFhyfUnyYY
And a thank you to Chevy Chase. Whatever you think of the man, He played Pierce Hawthorne better than anyone could have. Whether it was a father figure to Jeff or a villain to Study Group, Pierce would always have one line that you would remember. And when Chevy was on, no one could play selfish, oblivious jerk better than him. His departure from the show was not a great moment for him and his confrontations with Dan are legendary. As for me, I will always remember Pierce as the confused, slightly racist but also wise man Chevy portrayed him as. (The clip I choose may not be Pierce at his funniest but I think it's Chevy at his best.)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dlvZtXTEMug
Thank You to Ken Jeong and Jim Rash. First Ken who through 5 seasons has played Chang as a spanish teacher, student, Power-mad dictator, Chang-nesia victim and now a member of the study group. Through it all Ken has non-stop talked about how much he loves playing Benjamin Chang and how much he loves the show Community. He is always willing to be the butt of a joke. (Literally) Chang is our crazy psycho and I couldn't love Ken Jeong more if I tried.
And Jim Rash. This man has won a Oscar. He has written and directed terrific movies. And his favorite thing I think is to add the word Dean to regular things and touch Jeff Winger's abs. Dean Pelton is a character that when you see him in a scene you know you are going to love it. Jim has always played the Dean as far away from normal as you can but also with a slight darkness in him that he conceals in dresses (his sister's) and weird obsessions. I love Dean Pelton and would gladly have him as my Dean any day.
Also this season Paget Brewster and Keith David join the cast!! I can't wait to see how they add to the dynamic of the show. Personally, I am really huge fans of both and they will make a great addition to this show and the study group.
Thank you to the many fabulous guest stars that have graced Greendale and added wonderful characters : John Oliver as Professor Duncan, Jonathan Banks as Prof. Buzz Hickey, Richard Erdman as Leonard, Dino Stamapoulous as Star-Burns, Charley Koontz as Fat..I mean Fabulous Neil, Eric Charles Nielsen as the saved Garrett, Danielle Kaplowitz as Vicky, Luke Youngblood as Magnitude (POP POP!!) and the over hundreds of other guest stars who have contributed to making Community the wacky fun show it is!!
And finally the biggest THANK YOU Is to all the fans and people I have met online thanks to this wonderful show. Without this show , I wouldn't have met pretty much everyone I talk to online. These loyal Communies or Human Beings have done everything humanly possible to keep this show on the air. They are so passionate about this show that they have done a convention dedicated to this show for 3 years running. There have been art shows, flashmobs and so much more done by fandom. A true leader of it has been Catherine Boyd who without her passion and drive for this little show and her ability to unite the fans, I dare say we might not be getting Season 6. I am proud to be just a small part of this fandom who is always there to help one another when they are feeling down. In the truest sense , they are a Community.
And finally the biggest THANK YOU Is to all the fans and people I have met online thanks to this wonderful show. Without this show , I wouldn't have met pretty much everyone I talk to online. These loyal Communies or Human Beings have done everything humanly possible to keep this show on the air. They are so passionate about this show that they have done a convention dedicated to this show for 3 years running. There have been art shows, flashmobs and so much more done by fandom. A true leader of it has been Catherine Boyd who without her passion and drive for this little show and her ability to unite the fans, I dare say we might not be getting Season 6. I am proud to be just a small part of this fandom who is always there to help one another when they are feeling down. In the truest sense , they are a Community.
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