Paleyfest-Community

Last night I volunteered for Paleyfest at the Saban Theatre.  The show Community was being featured and it's a Paleyfest first that this show has been in the festival for three years.  This is my second viewing of Community and the cast is a blast to see interview. Yvette Nicole Brown amazes me in that she is a very smart performer and yet unlike a lot of the cast, she doesn't try to be silly or "on" during the panel discussion. When questions from the audience I was most interested in the unusual question of who was a great mentor or inspiration to the cast. Yvette answered Bea Arthur. I first thought of The Golden Girls but then I also thought of Arthur being one to push boundaries with her show being the first to talk about abortion. Yvette Nicole Brown said Arthur was the first sassy woman--that a lot of people talk about the black sassy woman but Bea Arthur was the first sassy woman-a trailblazer.
Lots of gals love Joel McHale and the fellas love The Soup but I have to say I have been crushing on Jim Rash. Last year I was hoping to meet him, but when I saw him winning his Oscar, I knew my chances to meet at Paleyfest were now even slimmer. He brought the statue with him and joked about it as well as the screen feed director played with the running joke of going back to the Oscar on the large screen behind the cast. Rash and the cast joked that he wrote the funny lines that Clooney's comatose wife was supposed to deliver. Audience questions also came from two young ones, making me realize the fan base for this show is bigger than the 20plus somethings. The kids love Abed. The greatest thing that always amazes me is having a large group for a screening. The communal experience is amazing and it's a greater experience watching a tv episode with a couple hundred others. The Community Panel also gave insight into what fans of television they are with references to show finales from years past-Eight is Enough, Quantum Leap, Seinfeld, and Newhart were mentioned. Although I think Community is ahead of its time and I often don't make time for viewing, every time I see the show I enjoy is as entertainment and also for what they are doing for future television. _______________________ _________________________________