Well, winter break is almost upon us, and pretty soon, everyone will have plenty of free time on their hands. Of course, as teenagers, our first priorities are sleeping and eating, but during those short winter days and long nights, we often find ourselves growing bored as we count down the days to our holidays.

            Now would be as good a time as any to try out a new television show. Sure, there’s a lot of fun stuff out there, from the ever dramatic Breaking Bad to re-viewings of Firefly laced with a mournful longing, but during the light-hearted holiday season, one sometimes just wants to watch a fun, guffaw-inducing comedy.  Multitudes of lackluster comedic films and shows are being released right now (I mean, have you seen Jack and Jill? I know I haven’t.), but thrown in the mix are a few gems. Modern Family is a well-known favorite, but some shows, like Firefly and Arrested Development, seem to pass right under the radar. One of these shows is Community.

            Some will react to the name with a grin or a chuckle of recognition, while others will stare at it blankly. This is the reason the comedy, one of the most innovative in television history, is at risk of cancellation. It’s a hilarious, critically-acclaimed series that really needs more love.

            Community follows the life of one Jeff Winger, a lawyer who lost his license when it was discovered his Columbia degree was from the country, not the college. Jobless and with nothing to lose, he enrolls at the not-so-prestigious Greendale Community College. Long story short, he creates a Spanish study group with incredibly diverse characters in an effort to impress a young woman, and thus, the show is born.

            It’s utterly impossible to do the show justice without simply watching it. The show struggled in its first season because it started as a relatively straightforward college comedy; but it has become something far larger. The show has featured a campus wide paintball episode in the style of a war movie, a stop-motion Christmas special (think Rudolph style), and even an episode with multiple inter-dimensional timelines. In its third, and possibly last, season, it continues to be an obvious pop-culture homage with a brilliant cast and intelligent writing that works on multiple levels.

            The show has a massive online following, but, unfortunately, a low Nielson rating. The cast has encouraged people to spread the word about Community. The entirety of the show is currently available to Hulu Plus members, and with over 50 episodes under its belt, there’s a lot to love. So over your holiday break, give the show a try. Share it with your friends, and spread the word because it really is one of the funniest, smartest comedies around.