c/o hark.com

“Troy and Abed in the…Summer??”

So tweeted “Community” star Alison Brie, better known as Annie, in response to the gaping hole in NBC’s newly announced midseason lineup. In a bitter-sweet turn of events, Tina Fey’s “30 Rock” will occupy the Thursday-night slot “Community” used to occupy.

It’s hard to give proper treatment to Dan Harmon’s witty comedy that started in 2009. Set in the fictitious Greendale Community College, the show has never gotten the ratings it deserves. It follows the adventures of a motley study group of six. Highly referential, the show is full of subtle allusions and well-done parodies—often so well done they’re easy to miss. But that doesn’t detract from the show’s humor, which even the most culturally-illiterate person can appreciate.

It’ll be a while before anyone can get their full dose of Troy, Abed, or Annie’s boobs, but fortunately “Community” isn’t canceled as many worried; it’s benched, or more simply, on hiatus.

Though announcements now are saying that “Community” will return to NBC midseason next year, there is a long list of rumors surrounding the show’s sudden hibernation, including one that a new Google television channel will purchase the show.

The Hollywood Reporter’s Tim Goodman gave a both sobering and comforting assessment of the situation.

“If you’re smart enough to get ‘Community,’ you’re smart enough to know better when it comes to the rules of television,” he said. “So let’s cut the tears and outrage for a second. It’s coming back. It could even get renewed.”

While he’s hopefully got it right, just imagining a world without Abed is simply not cool. But instead of drowning your sorrows playing the unofficial “Community” drinking game (http://community-tv.livejournal.com/442963.html)—guayabera shots for all—try getting involved:

http://www.save-community.com/

https://twitter.com/#!/OccupyNBC

http://darkesttimeline.tumblr.com/

(Sites c/o fellow “Community” enthusiast Nicholas Quah ’12.)