Community
Community
Now Showing

Community

"Mastering the B.S. degree at community college."

8.0
Yr 2009
Status Ended
Comedy
Your Verdict

Rate this show to unlock picks like it. Create a free account.

Back
Series Brief

Overview

Follow the lives of a group of students at what is possibly the world’s worst community college in the fictional locale of Greendale, Colorado.

Critical Reception

What critics are saying

Score 78 /100

Community is widely regarded as a unique, witty sitcom that balances sharp satire with quirky character dynamics. Critics frequently highlight its creative evolution, noting that it progresses from a standard college premise into a meta-commentary on higher education. While some viewers initially found the humor unconventional or slow to start, many consider it one of the elite sitcoms of its era, praised for its willingness to break television conventions.

Reception across the complete series is somewhat varied. While earlier seasons are celebrated for their sharp pop-culture references and inventive writing, later seasons saw more polarized opinions regarding quality. Despite these fluctuations, the show maintains a lasting reputation for its clever, referential humor and its ability to achieve a difficult mix of cynicism and sentimentality.

“This well-written series successfully mixes traditional sitcom humor with some of the quirky social interactions made famous in The Breakfast Club.”

“Community's handful of misfired jokes and one romantic plotline that never really went anywhere don't negate it from being one of the all-time great TV sitcoms.”

“Community continues to achieve a tricky balance of cynicism, sentiment and surreality.”

“Community can be quite witty with its frequent pop culture references and constant rule-breaking.”

Transmission Paths

Where to Watch

Hulu
US
Peacock Premium
US
Peacock Premium Plus
US
Show 4 more
Crave
CA
CTV
CA
Sky Go
UK
Now TV
UK
Why fans love it

Community plays with the familiar rhythm of the sitcom while dismantling its conventions at every turn. Since its 2009 premiere, the series has built a reputation for being equal parts cynical and optimistic. It treats the mundane setting of a Colorado community college as a blank canvas for high-concept parodies, often stretching the standard half-hour format into something structurally audacious.

The appeal lies in the friction between the characters. A group of misfits navigates the absurdity of Greendale under the constant, sardonic influence of characters like Jeff Winger, played by Joel McHale. Transitions between grounded, character-driven comedy and shocking, surreal departures happen without warning. This makes the show a study in creative volatility, where the stakes feel both entirely trivial and genuinely significant. Through a mix of academic satire and deep-rooted friendship dynamics, the series balances a sense of wonder with the messy reality of being an adult in a classroom.

Featured Players

Cast

Credited 75
Regulars 9
Longest run 110 eps
Joel McHale
Joel McHale
as Jeff Winger
110 episodes
Gillian Jacobs
Gillian Jacobs
as Britta Perry
110 episodes
Alison Brie
Alison Brie
as Annie Edison
110 episodes
Donald Glover
Donald Glover
as Troy Barnes
89 episodes
Yvette Nicole Brown
Yvette Nicole Brown
as Shirley Bennett
99 episodes
Jim Rash
Jim Rash
as Dean Craig Pelton
96 episodes
Danny Pudi
Danny Pudi
as Abed Nadir
110 episodes
Malcolm McDowell
Malcolm McDowell
as Professor Cornwallis
2 episodes
Show 67 more
Chevy Chase as Pierce Hawthorne 85 episodes Ken Jeong as Ben Chang 110 episodes Jonathan Banks as Professor Buzz Hickey 13 episodes John Oliver as Professor Ian Duncan 18 episodes Paget Brewster as Francesca "Frankie" Dart 14 episodes Keith David as Elroy Patashnik 14 episodes Brie Larson as Rachel 3 episodes LeVar Burton as LeVar Burton 2 episodes Kevin Corrigan as Professor Sean Garrity 3 episodes Rob Corddry as Alan Connor 3 episodes Alex Schemmer as Karl 2 episodes Alexander Klein as Lukas 2 episodes Joe Lo Truglio as Mark 2 episodes Jordan Black as Dean Spreck 5 episodes James Kirkland as Manager 2 episodes Craig Calman as Costumed Janitor 2 episodes Andrea De Oliveira as Alessandra Chang 2 episodes Coleman Lannum as Professor 2 episodes Mel Rodriguez as Sgt. Nunez 3 episodes Travis Richey as Inspector Spacetime (voice) 3 episodes Derwin Jordan as Reggie 3 episodes Larry Cedar as Cornelius Hawthorne 2 episodes Dan Bakkedahl as Murray the AC Repairman 4 episodes Katherine Von Till as Nurse 2 episodes Dominik Musiol as Pavel 8 episodes Robert Tarpinian as Delivery Guy 2 episodes Malcolm-Jamal Warner as Andre Bennett 4 episodes Kwesi Boakye as Elijah Bennett 2 episodes J.P. Manoux as Faux-by 4 episodes Max Barakat as Ted 4 episodes James M. Connor as Subway Rep 3 episodes Wil Garret as Old Man 3 episodes Marcy McCusker as Quendra 4 episodes Greg Cromer as Rich 3 episodes John Platt as Abed's Pierce 3 episodes Abigail Marlowe as Nicole 3 episodes John Michael Higgins as Professor Whitman 3 episodes Matt Jones as Stoner Friend 3 episodes Eric Christian Olsen as Vaughn 4 episodes Lauren Stamile as Professor Michelle Slater 5 episodes Bill Parks as Bill 6 episodes Kelsey Gunn as Science Student #1 3 episodes Iqbal Theba as Gobi Nadir 3 episodes LeJon Stewart as Abed's Troy 3 episodes Irene Choi as Annie Kim 3 episodes Jeremy Scott Johnson as Carl 8 episodes John Goodman as Vice Dean Laybourne 6 episodes Dominic Dierkes as Buzz 3 episodes D.C. Pierson as Mark Millot 4 episodes Eddie Pepitone as Crazy Schmidt 4 episodes Michael Kenneth Williams as Professor Marshall Kane 3 episodes William Love as Greendale Human Being 7 episodes Dan Harmon as Commercial Announcer (voice) 3 episodes Jerry Minor as Jerry the Janitor 6 episodes Brady Novak as Richie 9 episodes Charley Koontz as Neil 16 episodes Leslie Simms as Rhonda 4 episodes Craig Cackowski as Officer Cackowski 10 episodes David Neher as Todd 9 episodes Danielle Kaplowitz as Vicki 23 episodes Erik Charles Nielsen as Garrett Lambert 43 episodes Darsan Solomon as Dave 5 episodes Meggie McFadden as Linda 4 episodes Luke Youngblood as Magnitude 15 episodes Dino Stamatopoulos as Star-Burns 39 episodes Crystal the Monkey as Annie's Boobs (uncredited) 5 episodes Richard Erdman as Leonard 53 episodes
Production Board

Crew

Director of Photography
Gary Hatfield
Makeup Department Head
Pamela Lljubo-Obrien
Director
Gail Mancuso Kyle Newacheck Adam Davidson Justin Lin Jay Chandrasekhar Jim Rash Anthony Russo Tristram Shapeero Tricia Brock Richard Ayoade Victor Nelli, Jr. Jeff Melman
Leadman
Kenneth Turek
Post Production Supervisor
Andrew Sommer
Set Decoration
Don Diers
First Assistant Camera
Darby Newman Eric Dyson Gavin Alcott
Costume Supervisor
Shawn Barry
Creator
Dan Harmon
Second Assistant Camera
Giselle Brewton
Costume Designer
Sabrina Rosen
Second Assistant Director
Dan Mulvaney
Script Supervisor
Adrienne Hamalian-Mangine
Construction Coordinator
John Richardson
Stunt Coordinator
Jimmy N. Roberts
Script Coordinator
Tim Saccardo
Production Design
Denise Pizzini
Signal Match

Similarity

Where Community overlaps with other shows, and exactly what they have in common.

Keyword Cloud

Keywords

colorado parody cynical group of friends community college sitcom shocking adult in college wonder relaxed absurd dramatic sentimental admiring audacious cheerful excited joyful optimistic sympathetic wry
Technical Sheet

Details

First Aired
September 17, 2009
Status
Ended
Origin
US
TMDB Votes
2,022