Get out your abacuses, people. I’m throwing numbers at you like the Count. This post is brought to you by the number “!”
“Community” had a good return to NBC: The show, pulled from the midseason schedule amid low ratings, delivered NBC’s highest non-sports ratings in its timeslot in 14 months and was up 38 percent over the show’s average for original episodes this season.
Airing at 8 p.m., the Joel McHale-led ensemble comedy had a 2.2/7 rating in the advertiser-coveted 18-49 demographic. It averaged a 1.6 rating earlier this season. [...]
Last night’s return spawned four different worldwide trending topic on Twitter, more than “American Idol,” one of TV’s highest-rated shows.
The 2.2/7 rating was NBC’s highest at 8 p.m. — aside from sports — since Jan. 27, 2011. [The Wrap]
I don’t want to read too much into this, but I would like to point out one thing: last night’s spike in the ratings coincides not only with the huge push by NBC and websites like this one to raise awareness, but also with the show’s first inclusion of Theo Huxtable doing choreography and singing along to a song by Boyz II Men. I’m not saying that every episode of “Community” should feature sitcom stars from the 80s and 90s performing Boyz II Men songs, but I think … wait. No, I am definitely saying that. LOUDLY. Six seasons and New Jack Swing tour.
In conclusion, this GIF forever and ever amen.
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Hand to god, when I saw that scene I thought “someone better check on Danger, he may be dead”
The only way it could be more relevant to you is if Blue Shirt Guy was one of the dancers
If that would have happened I would have turned off the TV and screamed “TAKE ME NOW, LORD.”
Red Shirt Guy > Blue Shirt Guy
Hmm. I suspect most viewers had no idea any Boyz2men choreography was gonna happen before they tuned in to it. I certainly didn’t. So, chicken or egg, internet?
YES. Maybe it’s not a hit, but at least the ratings didn’t go down. Small victory for good taste.
Doesn’t that translate to like 3 Nielsen families?
#ScrewtheNielsensystem
A girl in my office loves Community and has a Nielsen box. But they are taking it away. This will probably lead to the inevitable cancellation.
They’ll probably give it to my grandpa. Bassmasters and reruns of Gunsmoke will turn into the top rated shows.
As someone who’s never watched Community, I ask you die hards: Is it a show I have to watch from the beginning? Or can I watch the new season out of hatred for the Nielson rating system and still find it as hilarious as you do?
Honestly, it is much better to start from scratch. Much of the humor at this point is pretty context related. Some of it not. Annie’s Boobs is great whether you think this is referring to Annie’s boobs or the awesome air duct monkey. But if you had never seen the show before, Troy and Abed last night would have made almost no sense whatsoever.
Well, in my personal experience, no, that’s not necessary. I started watching towards the end of season 2. I think I saw the last three episodes of that season, and I’ve continued watching through season 3. I didn’t really totally get into it until the third or fourth episode of season 3, but by the time the hiatus came, I was in love with the show.
I bought the first two seasons on DVD around Christmas, and have watched ‘em a lot, enabling me to get a lot of the callbacks and context humor that numbersix mentioned, and I’ve fallen more in love with the show. But I don’t think knowing all the “back story” is really necessary. The only real context you need in order to enjoy the show is a basic understanding of the characters, which is pretty easy to get a handle on within a few episodes.
Late response (no reading WG on vacation): I started last season and actually think having some late season context makes the earlier episodes funnier.
POP POP! Hopefully some of the new viewers stick around.
I wanna live in that GIF for like 5 minutes.
God, I hope the numbers stay high!
“Last night’s return spawned four different worldwide trending topic on Twitter, more than “American Idol,” one of TV’s highest-rated shows.”
Nice to see SOMEBODY its paying attention.