Community (NBC)

COMMUNITY centers on Jeff Winger (Joel McHale), a sharp-witted lawyer who finds himself at Greendale Community College after his college degree gets revoked. Hoping to attract the attention of fellow student Britta (Gillian Jacobs) while scoring some easy As, he forms a Spanish study group that unexpectedly brings together an eclectic group of students -- including pop-culture junkie Amed (Danny Pudi), hippie-turned-businessman Pierce (Chevy Chase), middle-aged divorcee Shirley (Yvette Nicole Brown), neurotic perfectionist Annie (Alison Brie), and former high school jock Troy (Donald Glover). Things tend to get a little crazy, especially when they’re in Senor Chang’s (Ken Jeong) class. And as Winger learns that street smarts don’t replace book smarts, he also finds himself getting a social education.

Created by the directors of Arrested Development, this well-written series successfully mixes traditional sitcom humor with some of the quirky social interactions made famous in The Breakfast Club. It is also mildly edgy thanks to the way the humor plays off of stereotypes associated with community colleges, the professors who teach there, and the people who attend them.

The members of the study group are far from perfect, but buried within the jokes is a positive message about the importance of getting an education at any age, as well as the importance of friendship. It’s definitely funny, and despite some of its pitfalls, Community manages to receive high marks.