This started off as a poll about Community; but, I included Cougar Town when I heard the news. I know neither show is canceled … yet, but why is their return delayed or their episodes shelved indefinitely?
I’m pissed that my favorite shows are getting the pause button, particularly the ones that interact with each other in kickass innovative ways. Inspector Spacetime, “Critical Film Studies,” and Abed’s Cougar Town walk-on are all awesome. There are tons of shows on TV right now that are of less quality than Community and Cougar Town. I don’t care what Brett’s ratings say, Community is an AWESOME show. But, whenever television executives hold a show it either returns or it doesn’t. I hope the latter doesn’t happen for my two favorites.
Part of me can’t blame the NBC executives, but part of me can. Each year Community becomes increasingly weirder and distant from the mainstream viewer. It’s like Dan Harmon basically decided to fuck everyone and just create awesomely creative TV. This week’s episode essentially recreated the show’s arc from its staid ’80s template to the dark, disturbing awesomeness of Community’s junior year.
Harmon could’ve dined out on season one’s crazy pop culture references, but he didn’t. He could’ve dined out on the gang taking a new wacky class each year, like season two, but he didn’t. Now, he’s left the college template far behind and is branching out into apartment life and more. It’s like, Dan Harmon can’t stop evolving his formula.
The same goes for Cougar Town. It started out as a show focused on dating, but then broadened to Friends meets Thirtysomething, without the whining. I love watching the gang interact. I love ‘Big Joe’ and ‘Big Carl.’ I love that Ellie’s life doesn’t revolve around her kid. I love Andy’s Keyser Soze. I love when the writers mock Grayson’s infinitely tiny eyes. And, I love the mini-alternative titles every week.
And, that’s the problem: American TV is all about the template. It’s all about the nice, warm, fuzzy blanket, where you don’t have to think and you know what to expect each year. On The Big Bang Theory YOU KNOW Sheldon’s going to act anal, Raj won’t talk to women, Howard’s creepy, and Penny’s stupid. You know the stereotypes, you love it, and you tune in each week to see the EXACT same thing happen.
But, with Community YOU DON’T know what could happen. One week could take you to multiple alternative pizza delivery-catalyzed universes. And, another could trap you in a zombie attack and the possible receptacle of Rosemary Chang’s baby. Ironically, the six-episode British show that Community inspired, Campus, underwent cancellation because people didn’t get it.
So, obviously, I want both Community and Cougar Town to stay.
Comedies/dramedies I’d love to see shelved or just flat out canceled over Community includes:
Harry’s Law (NBC): The first season was awesome with curmudgeon-like gun-toting Harry. So, why is the second season bland oatmeal toast, without everything that made the first season interesting and successful? They removed the minority cast members, all the non-stereotypical women (save Harry), the quirkiness from the white male actors, the lower-class neighborhood Harry moved to, the poor clients who humorously paid her in pennies, and the SHOE STORE it existed in. I’m pissed that they took wine and made it water.
Up all Night/Whitney (NBC): Compared to Community, these shows are basically cookie cutter warmth. They’re sweet, they’re adorable and they’re fun. but, they’re also safe and they aren’t exactly adding any IQ points.
The Firm (NBC): I know it isn’t comedy/dramedy that hasn’t started yet, but, it might as well. NBC, the ’90s are over. Deal with it.
Desperate Housewives (ABC): Yes, I know, the show’s nearing the end, but heck, they could shelve it now. I doubt people would notice.
If they do cancel Community, I wouldn’t mind seeing it return as a Web Series. I’d even *gasp* give up a buck a week to watch it.
Does anyone else have any other shows they could see ‘paused’ over Community?
Katie: I’m going to come out and say it: The Office. Without Michael Scott, it just doesn’t have that bite. I loved the majority of the seasons (my boyfriend and I grew closer watching that show in season two when we were still in a long-distance relationship), but I’d rather see it end with dignity than go on a season or two more and crumble into a heap of blandness. I’d also like to cancel CBS’s Rob Schneider pilot, Rob! I don’t care that it’s coming in January, cancel that shit now.
Chuck: I’m trying to think what I actually watch on NBC with some consistency, and all I can come up with are Community, Parks and Recreation and 30 Rock (when it’s on the schedule). I’ve watched a couple of Up All Nights and I find it to be cute and not overly annoying. Whitney just sucked, but I’m sticking to my E!/Comcast conspiracy theory, especially since they’re coupling that with Chelsea Handler‘s new sitcom (which she is not starring in, but will make appearances apparently and her show on E! has been renewed for three more years). I’ve never gotten past the first couple of episodes of The Office, but without Michael it probably should have been canceled last season. So, they could take either of those shows off the schedule and leave Community at 8:00 on Thursday. 30 Rock just does not feel right in that hour, and could very easily replace The Office at 9:00.
Julia: I vote we make CBS trash every sitcom except How I Met Your Mother (HIMYM) and replace it with actually good comedy.
An: I have a confession to make I never saw HIMYM as good comedy. It’s amusing and cute, but compared to Community and Cougartown I don’t find myself laughing or overtly identifying as much.
Julia: Oh, I agree, but it has some really amazing moments and makes me unabashedly happy. The others are better, but it’s still pretty great.
Katie: I’m still sticking with The Office.
You can vote for one show a day. The poll runs until 11/28!
Clacked by An Nicholson 
on Nov 21, 2011 @ 09:32 EST5EDT
Wish they would cancel Whitney – I hate that show.
It’s pretty disgusting that we keep Whitney while ditching Community. But yeah, I voted for every single garbage sitcom that CBS airs. Big Bang Theory in particular – that’s where all the viewers go when Community is on.
Whitney needs to go and thus make room for Community.
Everything on CBS can go besides NCIS.
Harry’s Law is already canceled, they will just not tell anyone and burn off the remaining (shit) episodes in the spring. I can’t believe what DEK did to the show.
They should cancel Whitney. The first two minutes that my DVR tacks onto the end of The Office recording instantly makes The Office actually seem better than it was in comparison.
Considering the small, but loyal fanbase for the two shows in question it’s a shame something couldn’t be done in terms of alternate programming. Perhaps NBC could slide “Community” over to USA and ABC could push “Cougar Town” to ABC Family or something like that. I would think with the loyalty of the audiences for these shows and the reduced expectations for ratings on each network’s cable partner it would be a nice compromise.
Sure, I know it’ll never happen, but desperate times and all that…
*POST AUTHOR*
I think Community would do awesome on USA. Plus, USA needs more old school quirky shows. However, I don’t think a show about borderline-alcoholic 30-40-year-olds would do well on the former 700 club with a new teen-oriented CW-esque focus.
I watch most of USA’s original programming with the exception of “Necessary Roughness” and I go from it’s-okay (Covert Affairs) to damned-awesome (Psych), but unless I’ve missed something there are no half hour sitcoms on the network. It would be great to see the majors farm out their underperforming shows with loyal fanbases to their cable divisions. It would give we disenfranchised viewers a chance to continue watching shows that just don’t click with the mainstream crowd and possibly allow these shows to gain new viewers simply by their presence on a cable channel.
With regards to my suggestion to move “Cougar Town” to ABC Family, you’ve got a good point, but whatever direction that channel is moving it hasn’t limited itself to family-friendly fare. I know it’s not a perfect suggestion, but it was the most likely network within the Disney fold I could think of.
I hope some network executives have stopped snorting coke and dishwashing detergent long enough to at least consider such a move.
I love looking at Dan Harmon’s blog every now and then to see how he writes this show. It’s just crazy to see how this show is written. The characters go though arcs and evolutions not just one at at time or once a season, but every episode, which fits into a season arc for every character. Just look at How remedial chaos theory was written.
https://danharmon.tumblr.com/post/11486838757/from-the-room-in-which-remedial-chaos-theory-was
Every character goes through something, goes through their little arc. I think it helps make the characters feel tangible despite their craziness. I liked BBT for a while, but the characters never changed. They stopped feeling like people, more like caricatures of people. It’s maybe good for a laugh now and then or a line or two, but it never changes.
So many shows are on right now that should be cancelled over cougartown. We have been bugging the station to put it back on for 4 months and now that its on in the middle of a season they want it to have the same ratings and 20 some eppisodes to keep it alive. It is a great show and will get the ratings if they just give it a little time instead of pulling it prematurely like they do with everything else. Please don’t kill this show, it has so many fans and so much potential.