Issue date: 10/23/09 Section: The Verge

E!'s Joel McHale and Chevy Chase star in the new NBC comedy "Community," which airs Thursdays at 7 p.m. central. (Photo Courtesy of NBC)

College is something many people enjoy attending. Whether it is just the next step in a career path, venturing away from parents or the parties, it is nearly impossible to not find something worth while, but if someone attends community college his experience could be quite different.

Different is only one way to describe the students who attend Greendale Community College in the new comedy series "Community," which airs on NBC on Thursdays at 7 p.m.

With a cast full of veterans and rising stars such as Chevy Chase, Joe McHale, host of E!'s "The Soup," John Oliver, a correspondent for "The Daily Show," and Ken Jeong, who played in recent comedies like "The Hangover" and "Role Models," it is hard not to imagine this show becoming a hit.

The plot revolves around Jeff Winger, played by McHale, as a suspended lawyer who must return to college after the State Bar Association deems his college degree as invalid. Winger is a smooth-talking character who cheats to get ahead in life and school. The people he meets along the way become the strengths of the show.

Jeong, for example, acts the role of Señor Ben Chang, a full- of-himself Spanish professor who loves giving the students a hard time while ridiculing them for their supposed stupidity. Oliver plays Dr. Ian Duncan, a psychology professor who became friends with Winger because he once acted as his lawyer.

One of the most recognizable faces of the cast is Chase, who plays the role of the unaware, demeaning, rich, aged, dimwitted Pierce Hawthorne who returns to college for something to do in his freetime. Although Chase doesn't stretch far for this role, he brings his own style of comedy that never gets old. Perhaps this role is more offensive than we are used to seeing him play in classics like "National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation" or "Three Amigos," but his natural ability for comedic timing is ever present.

"Community" certainly isn't a must-see show, but more of a show that someone could watch on NBC.com or Hulu.com to pass the time. The series depicts an accurate portrayal of what life is like at an average community college with characters who are beyond average to say the least. With a great cast and a fresh concept, "Community" is a show that seems like it will be picked up for a second season, but if this show sounds like a hit, it isn't too late to start watching because it's only six episodes into the first season.

Brad York can be reached at 581-7942 or bayork@eiu.edu

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