Community (Season 3): POP POP POP! - Page 42

Megan Ganz ‏@meganganz

I am Deanlighted to announce I am returning to COMMUNITY for season 4. Cool cool very cool.

Every Harmon-era costume:

Part of an all-Community-themed art exhibition running June 23-24 in Los Angeles.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Leto II 

Every Harmon-era costume:

 

 

Part of an all-Community-themed art exhibition running June 23-24 in Los Angeles.

I will attend the shit out of this.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Spook 

 

I guarantee you that everyone at any network would give their first born, no questions asked, for a Seinfeld or Friends-sized hit.  Fuck, they'd settle for Big Bang Theory numbers, which are dwarfed by the ratings of juggernauts like Friends, Seinfeld, Cheers, etc.

 

The reason you have these fights is because the size of the pie is rapidly getting smaller.  Networks are beholden to parent companies who are in turn beholden to shareholders, and there is a very clear mandate to drive profits.  Like it or not, TV is a business.  The art that we get to enjoy is very much a by-product of the main point of television: eyeballs that will watch advertisement.  You can crow all of you want about creators and the need for the suits to leave them alone, but creators came into the business with eyes wide open and made a deal with the devil (so to speak).  To be shocked, shocked that the networks want to make money off your baby is naive at best--and most likely dishonest.

 

ETA: fuck, I sound like such a Republican.  I swear to god I'm voting for Obama!

yeah, I don't doubt that network execs would do anything to get the huge hits that once existed, but now more than ever,  they want to do it while trying to figure out a way to pay the actors/producing it less than minimum wage.

It's not just the 'creators' that can be naive....look at what the "suits" tried to do with 'the Walking Dead'.... "could we just 'hear' the zombies instead of showing them...it's costs too much to actually show zombies".....this on a show ABOUT zombies.

Yup, that pie is getting smaller...which, IMO, should make you want to make YOUR pie that much better so that people want to 'eat' it instead of some cheap microwaved Hostess fruit pie that's 6 months beyond it's expiration date.

But instead, we keep end up getting the Walmart-ization of everything....clothing, food, etc.  Now movies/TV....how cheap can we make something so we can maximize our profits? (cough...'reality' shows, 'Whitney' )

I think I'm preaching to the choir here so if you'll excuse me, I have to go chase those damn kids off my lawn. :)

Quote:

Originally Posted by Dr. Murder 

Megan Ganz ‏@meganganz

I am Deanlighted to announce I am returning to COMMUNITY for season 4. Cool cool very cool.

Excellent. This ensures I will at least tune in, and try to swallow my bitterness.

I'm surprised they didn't include a pronunciation guide for the new showrunners' names.

I doubt anything subversive will come from that memo; we have seen networks kill previously announced renewed shows (Southland comes to mind) and anymore negative publicity might cause NBC to reevaluate whether the show is even worth keeping around.  

I don't find the next season decision baffling at all.  They spent $150m and didn't make it back, Dan Harmon's vision was a financial failure.  Next season is a last ditch attempt to break even or make some money, no matter how small that chance may be.  That's all, plain and simple.

Somebody there sees the potential in this excellent cast to make some money and is giving it one last try.  I'm OK with that, I first tuned in to see the guy from The Soup anyway.  That I've fallen for the rest of the cast isn't just due to Harmon's unassailable awesomeness.  It's at least as much, if not more, a testament to them as performers.  And Annie's Boobs.

And Childish Gambino is playing here in Vegas on Sunday.  Take that.

Yes, Ganz staying gives me the slightest sliver of hope.  Hopefully she gets a good amount of input beyond just the few episodes she'll write as I get the feeling that even Harmon trusted her quite a bit.

The idea that networks don't want their shows to get too successful is crazy.  We don't have to look back that far to see exactly how insane Charlie Sheen had to go before his show let him go.  Even after letting him go they went wild finding another "name" they could stick in there and overpay to try to keep that gravy train rolling.

Harmon was acutely aware of the ratings of Community.  He tweeted about it constantly.  I think that the ratings going up the second half of the season gave him hope but at the end of the day Community was never going to be a big money winner for NBC/Sony.  It was made to be the smart/prestige show that is kept on the air with little to no profit while other shows are bringing the network money.  The problem is that it was on NBC and they don't have any of those shows.

Quote:

Originally Posted by kernel 

I don't find the next season decision baffling at all.  They spent $150m and didn't make it back, Dan Harmon's vision was a financial failure.  Next season is a last ditch attempt to break even or make some money, no matter how small that chance may be.  That's all, plain and simple.

That doesn't make any sense at all.  For one, dumping it on Friday night indicates that they've all but given up on it being a success.  And the $150m (I'm assuming that's accurate) is sunk; they could be spending the 4th season money developing something new that would have a chance at being a breakout hit.  If they can revamp the show enough to win back the diehards this pissed off and rope in new people despite the deathly timeslot, it would suggest that they would've had as much or more success with an original project.

Really, it feels like there must have been some sort of miscommunication between Sony and NBC between the limited pickup and firing the brain behind the show and sending it to the Bates Motel of timeslots.  

Quote:

Originally Posted by Schwartz 

 

That doesn't make any sense at all.  For one, dumping it on Friday night indicates that they've all but given up on it being a success.  And the $150m (I'm assuming that's accurate) is sunk; they could be spending the 4th season money developing something new that would have a chance at being a breakout hit.  If they can revamp the show enough to win back the diehards this pissed off and rope in new people despite the deathly timeslot, it would suggest that they would've had as much or more success with an original project.

 

Really, it feels like there must have been some sort of miscommunication between Sony and NBC between the limited pickup and firing the brain behind the show and sending it to the Bates Motel of timeslots.  

It's all about syndication.  They need to pass that 100 episode hurdle to make their money back.  This show will be big in syndication.  Same with 30 Rock and Parks & Rec.

Don't be surprised if a couple of things get cancelled and Community gets a 22 episode order.

They'd need 29 episodes.

Heck, Star Trek TOS was 79 episodes.

I'm willing to be they begged Ganz to stay to keep the fanboys at least somewhat happy.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Leto II 

Every Harmon-era costume:

 

 

Part of an all-Community-themed art exhibition running June 23-24 in Los Angeles.

I will be there.

Also, why do I feel like the Dean wore more outfits than that? So weird.

Comedy Central already bought the syndication rights.  13 more episodes won't make a difference there.

No, but if Sony wants to sell the rights to anyone else, the more episodes they have the better.
 

Yeah, but that same argument could be made for renewing every show ever.  

New showrunners can be found on Twitter at @guarascioport 

Wonder how long they can continue this "we know nothing about Community" bit. I'm enjoying it.

That's a fake account, still funny though

Quote:

Originally Posted by Deanburger 

That's a fake account, still funny though

Like, RIDICULOUSLY fake.

Aww. Oh well. It's a funny gag whoever is behind it.

Yeah, just a gag account, but if it was actually them, it would give me some serious hope about season 4 being worthwhile.  I particularly love the memo parody, and the leaked script page, where Britta's inexplicably been replaced by her sister, and they introduce a cool new skateboarding student.

Ironically, something like that's exactly what the new showrunners should have done. If I ever thought it was them, I'd feel a lot better about whose hands the Final 13 were in. (ETA: Ferguson!!!)

(I don't feel right referring to it as "Season 4"--or even "Fauxr"--being sans Harmon, a short order, and a longshot to get renewed further. I keep going with "The Final 13" for its ominous tones, or maybe "The Apocryphour")

Remember what happened the list time we started looking for the 13... everyone was disappointed in the final 5 cylons.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Trav McGee 

Ironically, something like that's exactly what the new showrunners should have done. If I ever thought it was them, I'd feel a lot better about whose hands the Final 13 were in. (ETA: Ferguson!!!)

 

(I don't feel right referring to it as "Season 4"--or even "Fauxr"--being sans Harmon, a short order, and a longshot to get renewed further. I keep going with "The Final 13" for its ominous tones, or maybe "The Apocryphour")

Fall in line, McGee! It's Season Fauxr or I start cracking skulls.

But it's not a full season! It's a goddamn coda! By guest hosts!

I'd love to think that Dan Harmon is behind that fake twitter acct.

I suppose we can still have the yearly debate on thread title.  Nominees include:

Community Season Fauxr 

Community The ApocryFour Season

Community: It Just Feels Season Four-ced

Community Season 4:  The Opposite of Batman

Community Season 4:  The Ratner Years 

Community Season 4: Worst ending since Mass Effect 3.

Damn. Am I the only Community fan looking forward to more half-hours with these characters? It's a shame about Harmon and all, but I refuse to start clutching my pearls until I see, you know, a new episode that sucks.

I'm totally with you Singer.  I tune in for the cast and am looking forward to seeing them back in action.

I have way too much respect for the cast and the remaining writers to write the show off completely.  I'll be back watching in the fall, no doubt, but I'd be lying if I said I wasn't at least apprehensive about it.

I think the cast will make just about anything funny, but as I alluded to in the blog piece, I don't like being put in a position where if the show I like succeeds, it will encourage studios to drop difficult creators at the first sign of trouble in the future.  

Also, it's not going to be as good.  I'd like to be perfectly open-minded and give it a completely fresh chance to win me over on its own merits, but some things you just know in your bones.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Schwartz 

Yeah, but that same argument could be made for renewing every show ever.  

What I meant was that if they want to sell syndication to anyone who isn't Comedy Central it would be a lot easier for them if they're at least close to the 88 episode threshold. Comedy Central airs lots of short-lived shows, but usually only for a fairly short time, at least regularly. There's a lot more money in being able to sell a show to local networks and a wider variety of cable channels than in one niche network.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Schwartz 

I suppose we can still have the yearly debate on thread title.  Nominees include:

 

Community Season Fauxr 

 

Community The ApocryFour Season

 

Community: It Just Feels Season Four-ced

 

Community Season 4:  The Opposite of Batman

 

Community Season 4:  The Ratner Years 

I also insist that the new showrunners be referred to as The Deanelchanggers.

Finally caught up on this show.  I was the person that watched the first 5 or so and then gave up.  I like the cast, I appreciate what it evolved into and it is fun.  However, I still don't find it particular funny.  I would go a few episodes before I even cracked a smile.  There are some utterly fantastic episodes, but holy cow is this show inconsistent - particularly the AD&D episode.  The first half of that episode is fabulous, but it really seems to rush to an ending.  I just wish it were better paced.

The second season is definitely the peak of the show, and moving straight into the third made it very apparent how awkwardly paced and unfocused the third season is.  I did expect Chang to be more annoying - especially since I don't care for Jeong that much, but he wasn't too bad in the midst of a marathon.

Additionally, I loathe Shirley so much.  Her character is underdeveloped and one note, but my biggest peeve is her voice.  The third season made an amusing comment implying it was her sexy voice, but I hate it anyway.

I understand I will be in the minority here when I say I am just mildly amused by it, but I felt I should jump in and add my 2 pennies after doing a three season marathon.

Fair enough, but at least you watched all three in a row. I tried to run through a season of How I Met Your Mother recently on netflix and made it about seven episodes.

I do think Season Two is certainly the highlight of the series, in final reflection. Season Three had so many backstage shenanigans going on that it's hardly a surprise, but it's certainly the most weirdly structured. Still, every three or four episodes they'd do one as strong as the pillow forts.

Journey To The Center of Hawkthorne is becoming a reality: http://www.reddit.com/r/community/comments/u4qlw/journey_to_the_center_of_hawkthorne_update_1

There's not much to it yet, just a couple screens and the characters, but the guy is constantly updating it. Cool. Cool cool cool.

OK - I just finally finished watching the 3rd season on DVR - and the very last episode made me realize something....maybe this show will still be good without Harmon. The final episode, unlike the ones immediately leading up to it, felt very much like a standard sit-com plot, almost "friends"-ish in its structure with a main "A" plot (Shirley vs Pierce) and two "B" plots (Troy vs AC School & Evil Abed). And while I didn't find that it had many totally absurd or referential moments, I found I really enjoyed it a lot. And I realized toward the end that the reason I enjoyed it was not the typical community insanity, but because I really liked the *characters*. Partly why the show works even when it doesn't always hit is that Harmon and crew did develop characters that, regardless of their flaws or insanity, feel like human beings. (Especially some absolute stellar work that Donald Glover's been putting in this season.) The episode and the ending much more than any of the previous recent ones made me feel like I would actually miss these characters.

(I know a lot of people love Season 2 best, but one thing I really disliked about that season is that much of the time it felt like these characters absolutely HATED eachother as they spent most of the season bickering. Though I thought this season started out week, I like that they shifted things so that they much more seemed like they actually genuinely care for eachother.)

Anyways, while I still feel like it will feel like a different show, I am not so down to feel like it can't be *good* as I was a few weeks ago. So I rooting for it to both be "good" and have enough success on a Friday night (where the standards ARE lower) to merit further episodes.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Schwartz 

I suppose we can still have the yearly debate on thread title.  Nominees include:

 

Community Season Fauxr 

 

Community The ApocryFour Season

 

Community: It Just Feels Season Four-ced

 

Community Season 4:  The Opposite of Batman

 

Community Season 4:  The Ratner Years 

Community: Boop-be-doop-de-boop-boop, FOUR!

(and yes, feel free to welcome me to the fold. I've been marathoning this show every Sunday with the girlfriend. I love it hard.)

Quote:

Originally Posted by skierpete 

OK - I just finally finished watching the 3rd season on DVR - and the very last episode made me realize something....maybe this show will still be good without Harmon. The final episode, unlike the ones immediately leading up to it, felt very much like a standard sit-com plot, almost "friends"-ish in its structure with a main "A" plot (Shirley vs Pierce) and two "B" plots (Troy vs AC School & Evil Abed). And while I didn't find that it had many totally absurd or referential moments, I found I really enjoyed it a lot. And I realized toward the end that the reason I enjoyed it was not the typical community insanity, but because I really liked the *characters*. Partly why the show works even when it doesn't always hit is that Harmon and crew did develop characters that, regardless of their flaws or insanity, feel like human beings. (Especially some absolute stellar work that Donald Glover's been putting in this season.) The episode and the ending much more than any of the previous recent ones made me feel like I would actually miss these characters.

 

(I know a lot of people love Season 2 best, but one thing I really disliked about that season is that much of the time it felt like these characters absolutely HATED eachother as they spent most of the season bickering. Though I thought this season started out week, I like that they shifted things so that they much more seemed like they actually genuinely care for eachother.)

 

Anyways, while I still feel like it will feel like a different show, I am not so down to feel like it can't be *good* as I was a few weeks ago. So I rooting for it to both be "good" and have enough success on a Friday night (where the standards ARE lower) to merit further episodes.

I don't know what the chance for future episodes is, but I'm with ya on rooting for it to be good. I'm timidly optimistic that the strength of the cast can pull anything off. I doubt things will have exactly the same feel without Harmon but if they can keep the basics of what makes the characters great alive I think we'll be okay. 

I too have faith in the actors, the characters as established, and enough of the returning writers that the next iteration probably won't be flat-out bad. My biggest fear is the characters becoming caricatures.

I do, however, expect to lose some of the season-arching thematic depth Harmon brought, as well as the outside-the-margins weirdness such as the Beetlejuice easter egg and something like Abed's entire adventure with a pregnant woman in labor occurring in the blurry background one ep in season 2. It's Harmon's deft ability with both the biggest things and the littlest things that's going to be missed. Everything in between will most likely be handled well enough, and could still be damn funny, but that's not what made the first three seasons so special.

Community Season 4:  STARBURNS LIVES!!!!

Hmm, not if Dino Stamatopoulos doesn't want to come back.  Maybe.

Quote:

Originally Posted by neoolong 

Hmm, not if Dino Stamatopoulos doesn't want to come back.  Maybe.

Pretty sure Dino is out.

I don't know what kind of contract binds him.  Though he was sorta killed off, so it wouldn't be one for Starburns necessarily.

In the season finale, Starburns is revealed to have faked his death. But after Harmon blogged about his firing, Dino tweeted that people should consider Starburns dead since he didn't plan on returning.
 

I know, but in articles before that it seemed like he was gone for good anyhow.  Then he was alive.  But then there was the tweet, so I don't know what's going on at this point.