A "That's Nater-Tainment!" Special Writing

Last week, NBC announced their midseason lineup; which starts January 2012. When reading the list of all the new and returning series that will be airing throughout the week, I made a glaring observation: "Community," which debuted September 2009 and is currently airing its third season, was nowhere to be found! After reading a few articles, I learned that NBC is planning to put the series on hiatus for an interminable amount of time come Mid-January. This is a great concern;considering that it is not clear when the show will in fact return. Henceforth, I am greatly worried that this great show might be gone forever come Mid-January!

Community" centers around the lives of a seven-member study group taking classes at a fictional communmity college in the state of Colorado. The show's ensemble, which includes Joel McHale, the ever-witty host of "The Soup" on E!, as well as Original "Saturday Night Live" Castmember and Comedy Legend Chevy Chase, possesses great chemistry; as they are able to play off each other with ingenius penache. In addition, everyone's acting matches-up perfectly; thus establishing them as genuine indivudals. Furthermore, the show's writers supply a good amount of humor and emotion into the episodes; thus allowing the audience to become completely engrossed in their adventures; not wanting to miss a moment of the action. In other words, "Community" is a program that that shouldn't be missed!

Now I could just go on and write a long opinion piece like I always do. But the very fact that "Community" is going to be leaving televisions for an unknown amount of time, possibly forever, I thought it would be pivotal to write a more creative and reflective piece. After all, "Community" deserves something different than my usual type of writing. Thus, without further ado, I now present:

An Ode To NBC's "Community"

Image of (from left to right): Yvette Nicole Brown as Shirley Bennett, Danny Pudi as Abed Nadir, Ken Jeong as Ben Chang, Donald Glover as Troy Barnes, Gilan Jacobs as Britta Perry, Chevy Chase as Pierce Hawthorne, Allison Brie as Annie Edison, and Joel McHale as Jeff Winger
taken from http://www.google.com/imgres?hl=en&sa=X&biw=1280&bih=592&tbm=isch&prmd=imvnsu&tbnid=Cmbh4cVgG980OM:&imgrefurl=http://laist.com/2010/09/30/tv_junkie_442.php&docid=lmrBTfAAeFnefM&imgurl=http://laist.com/attachments/la_tomdog/NBC-Community.jpg&w=350&h=339&ei=HQDLTqidEafr0gHQkfkG&zoom=1&iact=rc&dur=875&sig=105171626053390580017&page=1&tbnh=124&tbnw=128&start=0&ndsp=19&ved=1t:429,r:1,s:0&tx=80&ty=100

Since Fall 2009
The quality of my favorite programs hasn’t been entirely fine
“Saturday Night Live’s” writing has become very poor
And even though I still like “The Office,” it’s not quite as good as before
Fortunately there is a show that more-than-satisfies me
With great performances and writing; it’s called “Community”

For now two-and-a-half years
I’ve been letting out several laughs and cheers
The series’ primary characters are all funny
Learning life lessons at Greendale Community College; rain or sunny
A study group they are; seven in all
Their personalities all unique; thus making the show an absolute ball
And each character is perfectly cast
Their acting is exciting; their chemistry is a blast

Joel McHale dryly plays former lawyer Jeff Winger
Who’s routinely ready with a smirk and a zinger
A smooth-talking ladies' man Winger appears to be
But a strong lack of passion is a major drawback to him
Very self-conscious; feelings he tries to hold
To get his degree in four years and leave Greendale; that is his goal
It has been evident that for his friends he does care for
Thus confirming that with them, Jeff does have rapport

Britta Perry, vividly played by Gillian Jacobs, a high school dropout
She likes to make her opinions heard; even in the form of a shout
It was to impress her that Joel McHale’s Jeff Winger formed the study band
Though Britta, being a skeptic, his motives she saw and did understand
While she has proven to be cynical during each broadcast season
Britta ultimately serves as the group’s voice of reason
Even though the group mocks when her seriousness ruins their fun
She’s been with them since the series begun

Also, there’s Shirley Bennett; played cordially by Yvette Nicole Brown
Frequently sporting a smile; she has been known to seriously frown
Shirley’s taking classes at Greendale and is a mother of three
Though polite and warm, very judgmental is she
If someone performs an act that can be considered moot
Shirley is quick to impute
Ultimately, however, when it comes to helping a friend
Her caring doesn’t end

There’s also Abed Nadir, played deeply by Danny Pudi, who’s a pop-culture wiz
Taking classes in film; he hopes to one day make it big in the biz
By employing his knowledge of movies and TV
Abed can predict what the outcomes of a given situation will be
He is a fan of ABC’s “Cougar Town” and Director Quentin Tarentino
Along with Troy Barnes, they pretend to host a morning talk show
Though it appears Abed only knows entertainment, of life he is also wise
If anyone in the study group has a serious problem, Abed will give good advice

Donald Glover excitedly plays Troy Barnes; selected high school prom king
At the stat of the series, an overconfident manner did he bring
But as the show progressed, he had a change of mind
He became more easy-going, fun-loving, and kind
His friendship with Danny Pudi’s Abed Nadir is very tight
Hardly ever do they ever fight
Whether they are watching “Inspector Spacetime” or playing a game
They get along great; as their interests are typically the same
However, while it appears that for his life, there is no set plan
Troy Barnes’ has proven that he can be a responsible young man

Then there’s Annie Edison; played keenly by Allison Brie
Very academic; a highflyer she tries to be
At the start of the series, for Donald Glover’s Troy Barnes she did pine
But her yearning for him decreased over time
And as the series progressed, there have been signs
That feelings for Joel McHale’s Jeff Winger are on her mind
Jeff, in turn, appears to indeed care
When facing a crisis, for Annie he is often there
Annie's very bright, optimistic and cheerful
When frustrated, however, her screams are an earful

And back on television once more,
Chevy Chase greatly stars as Pierce Hawthorne
A moist towelette tycoon who goes to Greendale
To find companionship; though his view of the world is stale
He’s clumsy, confused, and at times can be a jerk
And as a result, with him his friends find hard to work
However, it’s established that he does mean well
When he surprisingly offers advice that proves to be helpful and swell

Throughout the series, the study group has experienced many a fight
But in the end, they manage to unite
At Greendale, they endure much confusion
Often caused by Dean Pelton, played by Jim Rash, who runs the institution
They also put up Ben Chang; their former teacher played by Ken Jeong
As the character’s state of mentality is not at all strong
After seeing them overcome many a challenge, I can honestly deem
This seven-member study group an AMAZING TEAM!!!

Upon closing my poem, I am forced to think
That a possible end to “Community” is on the brink
Realizing that come Mid-January, I will part
With this amazing show; that has plenty of humor and heart
My love for “Community” will never slack
When it leaves the airwaves, I will pray for it to come back
I will remember sitting on my couch every Thursday night
Watching the characters to my delight
I will be longing for all-new adventures come next year
And when and if the series returns, “For Greendale!” I will cheer

E-mail me at thatsnatertainment@gmx.com