Community Virtual Tour: Spotlight on Ken Jeong and Dan Harmon

by An Nicholson

The 'Community' season one DVD is already out. How do I know that? Because Ken Jeong can shill like no man.

On Friday morning, I popped open my in-box to discover an invitation to the writers who participated in the Drop Dead Diva virtual tour to join a similar one for Community. Because I love Community and had fun on the triple-D tour, of course I said yes. Unfortunately, we had a pretty short notification span. The virtual tour took place on Tuesday and they shot out the link on Monday night. If I didn’t have time to attend, I wouldn’t’ve minded having a bit more wiggle room to float it on the CliqueClack listserv. At the same time, considering the amount of traffic on the CliqueClack listserv these past couple days, I doubt that would’ve been a problem.

The ‘tour’ consisted primarily of Ken Jeong, initially channeling his Senor Chang personae, interviewing Dan Harmon, the series writer, creator, and executive producer while making certain we knew about the Community DVD.

Although we didn’t have a chance to type our own questions, everything Ken asked answered anything I would’ve thought, particularly considering my initial eagerness for the show turned to disappointment by episode three re-transformed into love by Christmas. I initially watched Community because of my geek girl crush on Joel McHale. However, after episode three, I walked away. However, a show with a 1980s premise without the heart, focusing on a cool, savvy lawyer unifying a lovable band of stereotypical misfits while chasing the hot girl felt too yawn-inducing. With a lead such as Joel McHale and an atypical setting (where I almost taught), I expected more than a stock television template. Yet, mid-way through the Fall season, the show stopped pushing the rote romance and started exploring the chemistry of its cast while upping the intelligence of its scripts. It went from a solo venture to an ensemble piece while realizing its audience’s intelligence sat higher. The cherry on top proved the bonanza of pop culture references. I always wondered what served as the catalyst to shift this show from the path of hack and knee to a self-aware text full of orgasm-inducing idiot savant references. Non-Erotic Naked Pool? Anti-Ghost-ing pottery? Genius. Luckily, Ken answered all.

What’s on tap for Season two

Ken will do less improvisation in S2. (He thinks the show’s trying to avoid tangential tenets. I don’t know if I’m on board with that. Chang seemed less funny in the final episodes to me, so I hope he won’t lose his kickassery).
Will the Britta/Annie/Jeff love triangle get resolved? In a word, yes. According to Ken, they address it in the premiere. Will certain tenets continue? Probably. Will they overlook the triangle this week? No.

How did the show become so awesome?

Episode 6 served as the turning point to debate fabo-ness. Dan discovered they had time to re-tool the show away from Joel as the stock hero and more as a villain. It gave the other characters their own plotlines and “opened up” the writing.
Ken discussed Community’s shift from Jeff as “moral center” with Joel; but, Dan views Jeff as a “moral compass” who augments, offsets, or contrasts another character’s position.
Dan initially thought Troy and Pierce would serve as the show’s Beavis and Butthead with Abed as a Buddha-like figure, but when Troy and Abed connected over the Biblioteca rap, they gave into the inevitable Bert and Ernie bromance.
Dan thought they wouldn’t return after the Christmas episode and used it as a milestone to finish telling the story of Jeff liking the misfits enough to want to stay. However, at that point, I think the show transcended the initial story. Plus, considering the awesomeness of the Christmas episode’s Breakin 2/Fly Boys references, tons of geeks would’ve stormed the NBC castle if they canceled it.
Dan just used the Jack Black episode to make fun of everyone.
Ken talked about his position as an Asian character and liked the ethnic diversity without the obvious stereotypes.
Dan admits they started out by trying to make casting race-blind by having various ethnicities read for each part.