LITTLE ROCK — And now, the final season of the little sitcom that refused to die.
Community, an oft-delayed ensemble comedy that launched in 2009, returns at 7 p.m. Thursday for its final bow.
Season 4 of the cult favorite will have only 13 episodes, but at least it will be allowed to wrap things up on its own terms.
Community has long been one of those series that seem to be a consistent bench warmer for the network. Never a big hit, the show nonetheless cultivated a dedicated audience that rose in indignation whenever NBC messed with it.
The series debuted to respectable numbers in 2009, earning 7.9 million viewers for its premiere. Only 4.4 million were around for the season finale.
In 2010, 5 million tuned in for the first episode, and 3.3 million saw the finale. By the third season, the dedicated fan base had shrunk to 3.9 million for the season premiere, with only 2.9 million around to see it off.
With slipping ratings, it’s no wonder the network treated the show like a poor stepchild.
Such was the case in the 2011-2012 season when NBC opted to put the show on the shelf at midseason to allow the return of 30 Rock.
The roused Community faithful took to their social media outlets in protest and the remainder of the full season of 22 episodes eventually aired.
30 Rock finally ended its critically acclaimed seven-season run last week, and Community has stepped into the void to finish out its contribution as a network sub.
Do ratings matter? To be fair to Community, you need only look at 30 Rock’s ratings over the years. The media darling peaked in Season 3 with an average of 7.5 million viewers and also has been slowly sliding downhill ever since.
Last season 30 Rock averaged only 4.6 million and was ranked TV’s No. 130 show. Yet Tina Fey’s creation was at one time on every magazine cover and all over the entertainment programs.
Media darlings come and go. The current favorite, ABC’s Modern Family, enjoyed almost 13 million viewers each week last season (its third) and has more than 14 million so far this season.
Not every show can be such a hit. For every Modern Family, there are any number of comedic offerings plugging along and filling their time slots and making a modest profit for the network.
CBS’ The Big Bang Theory is a huge hit averaging more than 19 million viewers this season. ABC’s Happy Endings, meanwhile, pulled in only 6.6 million viewers last season, but was still strong enough last week to replace the canceled Don’t Trust the B++++ in Apt. 23 with back to-back episodes.
I liked Apt. 23. I thought it was innovative, witty and occasionally even smart. But the ratings headed south following a second season premiere that drew a mere 4.2 million viewers. Seeing no hope for redemption, ABC pulled the plug with eight episodes still in the can.
Every series that gets canceled is somebody’s very most favorite ever. The key to Community was that the fans it did have were organized and dedicated. NBC wants bonus points for tossing them a bone.
Here’s the scoop for those who have not been in the Community loop.
Community is set at fictional Greendale Community College in Colorado and follows the misadventures of Jeff Winger (Joel McHale), a slick, fast-talking, disgraced and suspended lawyer whose degree has been revoked. He enrolls at the college.
A confirmed womanizer, Jeff kicked off the series by inviting the comely Britta to his imaginary Spanish study group so that he could put the moves on her.
Jeff’s plan might have worked except that Britta also invited pop-culture junkie Abed (Danny Pudi) to join the group.
Abed, in turn, invited former high school football star Troy, high-strung perfectionist Annie, sassy divorcee Shirley and businessman Pierce (Donald Glover, Alison Brie, Yvette Nicole Brown, Chevy Chase) to join the group. Suddenly, the fake group becomes real.
The group soon bonds and we have the foundation for ensemble comedy.
Adding to the wackiness at the college is Jim Rash as Dean Craig Pelton (who has a crush on Jeff) and former Spanish teacher “Senor” Ben Chang, played by Ken Jeong.
If Community was one of your favorites, I’m sorry for your loss. But let’s rejoice in the fact that the series gets to shine for 13 more episodes before riding off into the sunset.
TV Week, Pages 77 on 02/03/2013