It’s no big secret that NBC is currently struggling. It’s not the 90’s anymore – which means no more Friends, or Seinfeld, or Frasier, shows that once made NBC an entertainment powerhouse.

Since the turn of the century, NBC has been struggling. Their audience is consistently the smallest of the three American broadcasting companies, and their shows fail to win Emmys.

And yet, to me, and many others, NBC continues to create strong, funny television. Community is a frankly hilarious show that gets little to no recognition – it has failed to be nominated for any Emmy awards, partly due to it’s time slot – 8 PM Thursdays, meaning it competes with powerhouses like American Idol and The Big Bang Theory.

Community does not cater to most people. I get that. The humor can be subtle in a way, more focused on the characters’ personalities clashing than the highly physical humor often seen in other shows. (Or perhaps the audience simply doesn’t know when to laugh if it is denied a laughtrack) It’s a weird show, built on parodies and premises that aren’t often brought up in modern television. It challenges stereotypes in new and interesting ways, and it isn’t afraid to make its main character unsympathetic. It is, in short, a breath of fresh air and a great television show, perhaps one of the best on TV.

More than anything, Community makes me care about the characters. I honestly do want them to be happy, and I find them sympathetic and understandable even at their very worst. They are odd – but these quirks are human and believable, not caricatures that fit into a single stereotype and demand we laugh at their wackiness.

Community isn’t afraid to go outside the box – and in the end, that means it’s a great show, a needed show. Watch for a few episodes, and if you don’t fall in love with the characters…then it isn’t your type of television. I can understand. But please, for those of you out there who simply haven’t discovered it yet, let Community into your lives.

Then maybe, every Thursday night at 7:55, you’ll be sitting on the couch, eagerly anticipating the new and fresh adventure Community will bring. Just like I am.