Community (2009 — 2015)

Jeff Winger is disbarred and suspended from his law firm when it is discovered that he lied about possessing a bachelor’s degree from Columbia University. To earn a legitimate degree, he enrolls at Greendale Community College in Colorado. He quickly becomes attracted to his classmate, social activist Britta Perry, and pretends to run a study group in order to spend time with her. However, Britta invites classmate Abed Nadir (who struggles with social interactions and is obsessed with pop culture), who in turn brings other classmates along: religious single mother Shirley Bennett, naive over-achiever Annie Edison, former high school football star Troy Barnes, and racist, elderly millionaire Pierce Hawthorne. Despite their differences, the members of the group soon become close friends. They are often roped into helping the college’s flamboyant dean, Craig Pelton, in his schemes to make the school seem more respectable, as well as having to deal with the antics of their mentally unstable teacher (and eventual classmate) Ben Chang.

Season 1 follows Jeff’s creation of the study group and their subsequent misadventures. Season 2 sees Chang forced to enroll as a student and attempting to join the study group despite secretly planning revenge against them, while Pelton is forced to fight for Greendale’s sense of pride against the dean of rival school City College, eventually culminating in a desperate paintball battle. Season 3 focuses on Chang’s villainous plot to take over the school, as well as Troy struggling with whether or not to attend the cult-like air conditioning repair school. Season 4 shows the study group in their senior year, with all of the characters (especially Abed) struggling with what may be their final moments together, and Chang recovering from amnesia. Season 5 sees Pierce’s death and Troy leaving in the middle of the season, while all of the other characters return to Greendale after graduation to save the school, leading Jeff to take a job there as a teacher. Season 6 ends the series with the characters reflecting on the last six years while new staff member Frankie Dart arrives at the dysfunctional school to make it more respectable, forcing the group to question how much Greendale can be cleaned up while still remaining Greendale.