Dan Harmon, who created and ran “Community” wonderfully for its first three seasons, had no creative involvement in 2013’s fourth season, and the first few episodes of that fourth season felt to me like clumsy fan fiction. I stopped watching. But tonight’s episodes of “Community” (8pm NBC), the first scripted by Harmon since 2012, immediately reminds us of why we fell for this series in the first place.
A few things:
1) You may have read that Donald Glover, who plays Troy, has left the series – but know that he remains a major component of this year’s first three episodes. Know also that his hiatus from the series appears to begin with episode six.
2) Although Chevy Chase has left the series, Pierce Hawthorne continues to be referenced by the remaining characters, and Pierce comes to play a big offscreen role in the Jan. 16 episode.
3) While “Daily Show” fixture John Oliver -- a major part of the “Community” pilot and a recurring presence during the sitcom’s first two seasons – returns on a recurring basis this season, he is not in tonight’s first two episodes.
4) Jonathan Banks – who offed Michael Tandino in “Beverly Hills Cop,” supervised Vinnie Terranova in “Wiseguy” and menaced Walter White in “Breaking Bad” – manifests a welcome addition in his recurring role as a member of the Greendale Community faculty.
Also premiering or returning tonight:
Assets (10pm ABC)
Big Bang Theory (8pm CBS)
Couples Therapy (9pm VH1)
The Crazy Ones (9pm CBS)
Do Or Die (10pm NGC)
Elementary (10pm CBS)
Frenemies (9pm ID)
Impractical Jokers (10pm Tru)
Michael J. Fox Show (9:30pm NBC)
The Millers (8:30pm CBS)
Mysteries At The Museum (9pm Travel)
Parenthood (10pm NBC)
Ridiculousness (10pm MTV)
Steven Seagal Lawman (10pm Reelz)
The Taste (8pm ABC)
Toned Up (10:30pm Bravo)
Two And A Half Men (9:30pm CBS)
A repeat of the SNL Ladies special did well on Boxing Day:
Thursdays, Nov. 21-Dec. 26, 2013
(18-49 finals; repeats in grey; prior weeks in parentheses)
2.6 (2.8) (5.1) (4.8) (3.3) (5.3) Big Bang Theory
1.4 (1.7) (---) (---) (---) (---) SNL Special
1.3 (---) (---) (---) (---) (---) Shark Tank
1.2 (1.7) (2.6) (2.4) (---) (2.8) The Millers
1.1 (1.5) (1.2) (1.0) (---) (1.1) Pawn Stars
1.0 (---) (---) (0.5) (0.5) (---) College Football
1.0 (1.4) (---) (---) (---) (---) 20/20
0.9 (0.9) (1.7) (1.8) (1.0) (1.8) Elementary
0.7 (0.9) (0.7) (0.6) (---) (0.6) Ground Floor
0.6 (---) (---) (0.5) (---) (---) Gypsy Sisters
0.6 (0.9) (0.6) (0.9) (---) (0.7) NBA Basketball
0.6 (---) (---) (---) (---) (1.0) Parks and Recreation
0.5 (0.6) (0.5) (0.7) (---) (---) Mob Wives
0.4 (---) (0.7) (1.1) (0.9) (1.4) Glee
0.4 (0.3) (---) (---) (---) (---) House Hunters
0.4 (0.4) (---) (---) (---) (---) House Hunters Intl
0.4 (0.5) (0.4) (0.4) (---) (0.4) Impact Wrestling
0.4 (0.6) (---) (0.4) (---) (---) Millionaire Matchmaker
0.4 (0.6) (0.6) (---) (---) (---) Rodeo Girls
0.3 (0.3) (0.6) (0.6) (---) (0.7) Reign
0.3 (0.2) (1.1) (1.0) (---) (1.3) Vampire Diaries
