Community became a cult classic comedy during its six seasons on NBC, acting as a catalyst for lesser-known talents like Donald Glover, Danny Pudi and Gillian Jacobs and a memorable accolade for actors like Joel McHale, Chevy Chase and Ken Jeong.
After a decade of hints and hopes for a movie to conclude the beloved series, Peacock is finally giving fans what they want in late 2023 when Community: The Movie premieres. While it's bound to be just as hilarious as the original show, some memorable, running jokes are necessary to make that happen.
"Cool, Cool, Cool"
From "How you doin'?" to "Have mercy," sitcoms are best known for characters having unforgettable catchphrases, and Community was no different. While they had a few phrases the characters would often say - like the girls going, "Awww" in unison or the gang referring to messing up as having "Britta'd" it - no catchphrase is as memorable as Abed's "Cool, cool cool."
Abed could be heard saying those three little words more often than not, using them when agreeing to something someone said, or when he literally thought something was cool. As a character who knew the most about television and movies and would often get lost in the fictional side of things, Abed being the character to have the most used catchphrase went along with his best quirk.
Troy Idolizing LeVar Burton
While it's yet to be confirmed if Glover will reprise his beloved role of Troy Barnes in the new movie, odds are the film wouldn't leave that pivotal piece of the study group out entirely, and maybe they would even throw in an unexpected guest star.
Troy made his admiration for LeVar Burton clear from the start, and when he finally got to meet his idol when the actor guest-starred in Season 2, the running joke got even funnier when Troy's reaction was to freeze like a dear in the headlights and became a gag that continued until Glover left the show in Season 5.
"Daybreak" By Michael Haggins
Everyone remembers the iconic theme song from Community about tying rope and reasons to stay. But another song fans might not realize became a sort of running gag was "Daybreak" by Michael Haggins, which appeared in a dozen episodes of the series.
According to some Season 3 DVD commentary, executive producer Chris McKenna acknowledged the use of the song, saying it turned into a running joke after the use of "Roxanne" by The Police in the fan-favorite episode "Remedial Chaos Theory" had used up all their budget.
Rhyming With Celebrity Names
Some running gags are so obscure, they can only be remembered for the original show they were in. How I Met Your Mother did it best with the hilarious use of saluting whenever someone would use words like 'general' or 'major.' The Office easily claimed the "that's what she said" joke the second Michael Scott used it, turning it into a catchphrase from the series.
Best used in characters consisting of friend groups, Community had its own unique running gag when the characters would often rhyme sentences with celebrity names, most memorably when Chang said, "Peachy keen, Avril Lavigne."
Memorable Side Characters
A sitcom is only as good as its side characters, like Gunther from Friends or Sandra from Superstore. For Community, it had a slew of unforgettable side characters who were always just as interesting as the main cast.
The young man known as Magnitude was remembered for his signature catchphrase, "Pop, pop!" while Starburns got his nicknames for some obviously-shaped sideburns. Garrett, Todd, or even the monkey called Annie's Boobs would all be perfect editions to the upcoming movie by showing where these other Greendale students ended up all these years after graduation.
The Dean's Kooky Costumes
Dean Pelton held a pivotal role in the show as the seasons went on, going from the strange dean to becoming a good friend of the study group. While The Dean was known for many things - like his obvious crush on Jeff - his love of crazy costumes was just another questionable trait he never left at home.
The Dean would often show up at school dressed in different costumes and outfits, including several stints dressed as female popstars like Tina Turner and Lady GaGa, some unexpectedly sexy Halloween costumes, and notable full-body suits like a Payday candy bar and a bumblebee.
The Darkest Timeline
Acting as a Community multiverse, the idea of different timelines was first visited in the Season 3 episode "Remedial Chaos Theory" when a simple roll of a die created six different timelines that determined the group's fate all just to decide who would get the pizza at the door.
The Darkest Timeline was the worst of them all, where chaos erupted in the form of a deadly gunshot, a fire, and someone is institutionalized. Run by Evil Abed, the group in this timeline would make for an interesting storyline in the movie as they typically teeter between fiction and reality throughout the series.
Troy And Abed In The Morning
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Arguably one of the most memorable parts of the show was the show within the show, known as Troy and Abed in the Morning. This made-up talk show would be hosted by best friends Troy and Abed during one of their many escapes from reality, and always went along with their catchy jingle.
While it's still unknown if Donald Glover will return as Troy alongside Danny Pudi's return as Abed, fans can only hope they'll get a glimpse of these BBFs together again in the upcoming film, and would without a doubt be in the form of their beloved, make-believe talk show.
Paintball
Much like Slapsgiving on How I Met Your Mother or The Dundie Awards on The Office, it was the all-out paintball wars that were a running trend on Community, included in five episodes of the series.
As beloved as the paintball-themed episodes were, chances seem to be slim of it being included in the film. Creator Dan Harmon admitted to ruling out any paintball wars in the new movie, telling Six Seasons and a Podcast, "Would anything ever capture the joy of the original paintball episode?"
Six Seasons And A Movie
"Six seasons and a movie" became a sort of mantra for Community and its dedicated fanbase since it was first said in Season 2 by Abed of the show The Cape, arguing that it will last for six seasons and a movie when Jeff thinks it will only last three weeks.
The phrase was used several times after that as a way for the show to manifest its desires, succeeding with getting six seasons, but never a movie. Now that Community is finally getting its long-awaited movie, it's only right the film address this catchphrase now that it's finally coming full circle.