When it comes to the "work-documentary" genre NBC has cultivated over years upon years of television there are a few shows that have become lightning in a bottle for them such as "The Office (US)", "Parks, and Recreation", and "Brooklyn Nine-Nine." These shows are all great in their respective ways, but I have never heard anyone talk about "Community". This show is like the fifth horseman, and personally I think it very well might be my new favorite in the genre, and here's why.
"Community" is almost the exact opposite of what you would expect from this sort of genre, and that's exactly what sets it apart from all the other shows. Every single show in the genre is the exact same in my eyes and they all go like this: a sloppy but likable man (or woman but mostly a man) learns to get along with his coworkers and also at the same time falls in love with the quirky significant other who they once hated or was previously unavailable when the show began. Every show in the genre does this and I don't genuinely mind it, but "Community" doesn't run with that trope, and that's what sets it apart from the rest in its competition. "Community" is a show dead set on telling a kickass twenty-minute story has almost no relevance to an overarching plot rather than a personal episodic storyline with barrels of the script to memorize. What makes "Community" interesting is how they can just tell any story they want with almost no repercussions because their characters have no long term obstacles.
Personally I have just started season 5 and they still manage to amaze me with the stories they come up with. There's episodes modeled after things like the muppets," Law, and Order", "Glee", "The Matrix", and so much more that I wouldn't even recognize. The fact that there can just be an episode of every main character transformed into a muppet with songs to boot with no other reason than "because" is something I didn't know I needed. While the overall story is fun and interesting to watch, it's so much more interesting to watch such simple scenarios by overplayed to oblivion just for the fun of it. They take a premise so boring and simple like deciding who answers the door for pizza and add all these ridiculous situations with no reason and you just get to sit back and watch the madness unfold.
"Community" is an uncovered gem and I am baffled people aren't shoving this showdown people's throats like they do with "Parks and Rec" or "The Office." As a matter of fact, there have been multiple memes that have originated from "Community" that I didn't even know were from that show until I started watching myself. It isn't a mystery as to why this show is the way that it is, because Dan Harmon, the co-creator is "Rick-and-Morty", made this show! "Community" doesn't get enough love in my opinion, and that's fine, but if you need something to watch, I promise "Community" won't let you down.
