As I have been making my way through past episodes of NBC’s “Community,” I came across one particular episode that took some shots at British Television. Pretty funny stuff and good to know that this class has at the very least given me the relevant knowledge to understand Community’s cultural references.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K82xjKCbL_Y
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kRPeqaZiQ-M&feature=player_embedded
Alright, so I’m a huge “Community” fan, and what I really like about the British TV references throughout the show is that they become something of a running bit for Troy and Abed – later in the series, they try to become “normal” but revert back to their old shenanigans because of their love for “Inspector Spacetime”. I think it’s interesting that British TV is portrayed as something that’s a bit out there and different for a “creative” pair like Abed and Troy to enjoy.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ndMfh3zPWtk&feature=relmfu
Because, let’s be honest, most people in the U.S. probably think “Doctor Who” is pretty weird…
On a side note, I love Britta’s comment, “They only ran six episodes. That’s the great thing about British TV – they give you closure.” But for a TV freak like Abed, it’s just not enough. (Going back to our previous discussions of American preferences of how many TV episodes we want in a series).
I love Community, but I hadn’t actually seen these clips since starting our class. As always with Community, things are ten times funnier if you really understand where the joke is coming from.
I think the Inspector Spacetime/Cougarton Abbey things are just some of the greatest things about Community, which I see as a show that plays to movie and TV nerds more than any other audience. They make fun of every movie and TV genre imaginable with different episodes dedicated to each, and intertextual spoofs of nerdy franchises like Dr. Who give it one more level of catering to the nerds, which is just great. These always make me smile. Community fans revel in that sort of insider knowledge and getting the references.