Gillian Jacob's nickname is 'Walking NPR'

January 5, 2012 11:48 AM

As fans of the television show Community wait through a Whitney induced hiatus of indeterminate length, they might be wondering what the cast and crew has been up to. At least one of those things was squaring off for a game of Trivial Pursuit hosted by Dan Harmon.
posted by codacorolla (43 comments total)

wait through a Whitney induced hiatus of indeterminate length

AAARRRRGGGGGHHHHH!!! IMMA STAB THE GUY WHO SAID "Let's turn the comic 'Cathy' into a TV show!" DAMN YOU!!!
posted by Mister Fabulous at 11:56 AM on January 5 [2 favorites]

ack!
posted by robocop is bleeding at 11:57 AM on January 5 [7 favorites]

They don't seem to like Chevy much...
posted by Constant Reader at 11:59 AM on January 5 [1 favorite]

Whitney-induced is my new go-to modifier for, well, anything bad.
posted by joe lisboa at 12:00 PM on January 5 [2 favorites]

I though 30 Rock was "Cathy" the tv show. CHOCOLATE CHOCOLATE CHOCOLATE ACK!
posted by 2bucksplus at 12:00 PM on January 5 [2 favorites]

I noticed they're moving Whitney to a new night, so I guess maybe she's not the powerhouse that the execs thought it would be. I reminded of this David Cross rant.
posted by nushustu at 12:06 PM on January 5 [5 favorites]

They don't seem to like Chevy much...

When I was researching the video, I saw that a recurring meme from the cast's twitter is #PierceOrChevy. Also, Jesse Camp wasn't pleased with Donald Glover's comment. Both links from the Reddit thread.
posted by codacorolla at 12:06 PM on January 5 [2 favorites]

They don't seem to like Chevy much...

He's got a reputation for being difficult to work with.
posted by empath at 12:07 PM on January 5

Is this something I'd have to have a game of Trivial Pursuit to understand?
posted by spicynuts at 12:09 PM on January 5

no
posted by found missing at 12:09 PM on January 5 [1 favorite]

Why I don't understand is how Two Broke Girls can be so much better than Whitney given they're both written by the same person. Not that Broke Girls is some masterpiece of television, mind you, but Whitney is just dreadful.
posted by tommasz at 12:10 PM on January 5 [2 favorites]

When I was researching the video, I saw that a recurring meme from the cast's twitter is #PierceOrChevy.

I love @oldwhitemansays!
posted by Edison Carter at 12:11 PM on January 5 [1 favorite]

And, at least in the case of Joel McHale, stopping by wife's cheese shop while I was sitting 10 feet away reading, thus robbing me of the chance to fanboy all over him.
posted by lumpenprole at 12:11 PM on January 5

"gilliananderson" tag? Brain fart there, I think :)

And I'm embarrassed for them that they didn't know Wyld Stallyns
posted by gaspode at 12:18 PM on January 5 [1 favorite]

Oddly, my favorite moment was when the closing music turned out to the same free track off Garageband that I've used in my own videos. I felt so professional to be sharing freeware instrumentals with Hollywood.
posted by itstheclamsname at 12:20 PM on January 5 [1 favorite]

They seem like such a fun bunch. They deserve good things to happen to them.
posted by Capt. Renault at 12:20 PM on January 5 [2 favorites]

I am pretty appalled they didn't know Wyld Stallyns was Bill and Ted's band. C'MON PEOPLE
posted by dismas at 12:24 PM on January 5 [4 favorites]

2bucksplus: "I though 30 Rock was "Cathy" the tv show"

and I thought was Caroline In The City.
posted by namewithoutwords at 12:41 PM on January 5 [3 favorites]

For some reason, was inordinately tickled by Chevy Chase mumbling "Burlington" while the other team was trying to come up with the first two Real World locations.
posted by eugenen at 12:45 PM on January 5 [10 favorites]

I'd rather see them play a little more paintball.
posted by brain_drain at 12:50 PM on January 5 [1 favorite]

Why I don't understand is how Two Broke Girls can be so much better than Whitney given they're both written by the same person. Not that Broke Girls is some masterpiece of television, mind you, but Whitney is just dreadful.

First of all, Kat Dennings.

Second, my understanding is that sitcoms are typically written by teams of people and the names we see are just a surface-scratching. Perhaps a combination of not needing to stroke Whitney Cumming's ego directly and better staffers makes 2BG less atrocious?
posted by phearlez at 12:51 PM on January 5 [2 favorites]

So, wait, Donald Glover is Childish Gambino??? WTF?
posted by Bovine Love at 12:55 PM on January 5

So, wait, Donald Glover is Childish Gambino??? WTF?

Yes. I would assume this is why Troy's character raps so often (once per season, right?)
posted by codacorolla at 1:09 PM on January 5 [1 favorite]

Holy crap, I think Danny Pudi's portrayal of Abed is just one giant impression of Dan Harmon himself, who sounds just like Abed.
posted by Cool Papa Bell at 1:10 PM on January 5

Donald Glover is Childish Gambino. Also, he wrote for 30 Rock for 3 years and has an Emmy from it. And like his character on Community, grew up Jehovah's Witness.

This and more discussed on a very entertaining interview on WTF Podcast.
posted by mcstayinskool at 1:16 PM on January 5 [8 favorites]

Also making the rounds lately in Community news is that Jim Rash aka Dean Pelton has been nominated by the Writers Guild of America for the screenplay “The Descendants”.

There's lots of talent on Community. Let's hope Whitney fails in it's new time slot in a spectacular fashion.
posted by inthe80s at 1:16 PM on January 5 [1 favorite]

Yes. I would assume this is why Troy's character raps so often (once per season, right?)

It's hard to be Jewish, it's hard to be Jewish, it's hard to be Jewish in Russia, yo.

Dreidels.
posted by Bulgaroktonos at 1:18 PM on January 5 [3 favorites]

Man, I would have answered precisely none of those correctly.
posted by modernnomad at 1:44 PM on January 5

Yes. I would assume this is why Troy's character raps so often (once per season, right?)

Yeah, and a few brief snippets of Childish Gambino have played on various boomboxes in the Greendale universe. The rap about Senor Change comes to mind, and the look on Troy's face when Childish Gambino comes on at the end of Pierce's mom's death CD is priceless.
posted by Lorin at 1:56 PM on January 5

_{ugh, Chang!}
posted by Lorin at 1:57 PM on January 5

Related.
posted by brundlefly at 1:57 PM on January 5

Why I don't understand is how Two Broke Girls can be so much better than Whitney given they're both written by the same person.

"The question, Constable Reggie, is not 'why I don't understand', but 'when I don't understand'."
posted by Parasite Unseen at 2:02 PM on January 5 [11 favorites]

Something else some of the cast of Community has been doing: cameos on Chuck.
posted by el io at 2:52 PM on January 5

Don't blame Whitney. Blame 30 Rock and whatever piece of crap they are putting in place of Whitney on Thursday nights.
posted by gjc at 3:35 PM on January 5

I wish there really was a Fletch: The Videogame.
posted by jrossi4r at 4:03 PM on January 5

codacorolla: "Also, Jesse Camp wasn't pleased with Donald Glover's comment."

The man has Twitter's "Verified Badge” photoshopped into his profile picture. That really is very sad.
posted by the_artificer at 4:55 PM on January 5 [2 favorites]

I prepaid my iTunes subscription to the season. This is not timely delivery of the purchased goods. I want a refund.
posted by five fresh fish at 5:20 PM on January 5

Holy crap, I think Danny Pudi's portrayal of Abed is just one giant impression of Dan Harmon himself, who sounds just like Abed.

Harmon spoke to Wired about this, detailing how writing Abed led him to recognize his own aspergers and seek treatment. Also apparently he is constantly drinking on set and never drunk.

Reading their tweets and watching all the silly shit they film on set, I think there's a lot of real life in their art.
posted by Roman Graves at 5:46 PM on January 5 [2 favorites]

If you’re over thirteen, you know Whitney Cummings doesn’t choose her time slot, and that we’re no more entitled to it than any other show. If creatives were running things, we would try to create a situation in which everybody got to see everything they wanted to see. And that is the landscape that is emerging, and it’s a less profitable one for the previous generation’s conglomerates, and it is those companies that prefer you to think your selection of one show over defines you as a person and is a matter of life and death. The truth is, people that make you want to laugh are on your side, and people that want to make money off you laughing kind of aren’t, but they own everything and they get us connected to you.

— Dan Harmon

posted by Zozo at 6:02 PM on January 5 [17 favorites]

So they re-ran an episode of Community last night. Might I get my hopes up and expect it to return soon?
posted by nushustu at 10:28 AM on January 6

Community has not been cancelled. it will definitely be back this spring," Greenblatt stressed. He acknowledged that when the network's midseason schedule was released (which contained no mention of Community), "I failed to explicitly say it will be back. I want to dispel any notion that it's just quietly disappearing from the schedule." He added, "I know there are many fans of the show in this room and I want you to keep writing about it.
posted by codacorolla at 2:57 PM on January 6 [1 favorite]

Megan Ganz, writer for Community does an AMA on reddit
posted by the man of twists and turns at 4:03 PM on January 7

From the AMA: Not as of yet. But don't worry... there is a battle on the horizon. One unlike any you've seen before., regarding a future paintball episode.

I've been marathoning the show recently, and I noticed in the most recent Christmas episode that Troy and Abe have what appear to be laser tag guns laying around their apartment. I so, so hope that happens.
posted by codacorolla at 6:07 PM on January 7