Community

Thirty-something disbarred lawyer Jeff (Joel McHale from “The Soup”) enrolls in community college after having problems with his law school degree, allegedly obtained “in Colombia” and mistakenly believed to be “from Columbia.” At the college, he befriends the token foreign guy, Abed (played by Danny Pudi), as well as Pierce (Chevy Chase), the old and socially disturbed guy who makes awkward and unappreciated advances toward fortyish divorcee Shirley (Yvette Nicole Brown). Of course, no formulaic comedy would be complete without a love interest, this time a 28-year-old high school dropout named Britta (Gillian Jacobs). As an added bonus, and, one might even say, an afterthought, the casting directors threw in John Oliver (from “The Daily Show”) as a friend and former client of Jeff's.

The cast is undeniably great, and the premise has some serious potential. Unfortunately, nothing more is offered as a reason to watch the show. A few funny one-liners here and there, a few “Soup” references, and some clichéd jokes add occasional laughs, mostly at the expense of Abed. The cast seems to have what could pass as chemistry, but they fail to develop it.

With such a wonderful cast full of recognizable people who are only a bit past their prime, one might think that the show would warrant some compliments and viewership. However, it doesn't. The writing is weak and the characters seem shallow. Regardless of how disappointing the first episode was, I say the show is still worth watching, if only to see where it goes.