Wishes Granted: 'Community' Returns March 15, 2012

It's one small step for NBC, one giant leap for a show with a die-hard following that's missed it dearly . . . and quite possibly someone's future massive fall backward.

After months spent speculating about when (or sometimes, "if") "Community" would finish out its third season, fans can exhale knowing that Dan Harmon's beloved cult comedy looking over one Greendale Community College study group's shoulders returns March 15, according to Entertainment Weekly today.

Joel McHale, Donald Glover and company will join a midseason NBC lineup that will include new comedies "Bent" and "Best Friends Forever" replacing "Whitney" and "Are You There, Chelsea??" once both floundering sitcoms close out their freshman seasons. "Community" will also be joining Betty White's hidden-camera show "Betty White's Off Their Rockers," which plays amusing pranks involving White's fellow mischievous senior citizens.

That's the good news. These things always balance out, though.

Someone at NBC clearly believes in doing the same things repeatedly and expecting different results, according to EW.com's report. The series will indeed return, but will be once more matched right up against CBS' smash "The Big Bang Theory" at 8 PM ET/PT, which in the Greendale gang's absence has been putting up big numbers and nipping at the heels of FOX's reigning Thursday kingpin "American Idol." It's not like "30 Rock" - which will move to 8:30 PM when "Community" returns - has fared much better.

Both shows will be followed up by "The Office" and "Up All Night."

Oh, then there's "Parks & Recreation." It looks primed to be NBC's next great mainstay hit, and has found itself a nice Thursday night home - and is now taking five weeks off until "Up All Night" finishes up its 24-episode run and the Amy Poehler comedy can return April 19 to finish out its season.

OK, I beat this point to death week-in, week-out. But it's never been more confusing: someone please tell me, what person wielding great power at NBC is Whitney Cummings extorting that her show remains on the air - especially when NBC could now cut its losses, eliminate it and somehow shuffle "Community" into a slot where the rising "Big Bang Theory" won't spank it like a bad baby every Thursday night? With a few swift strokes of cancelation, Thursday night could truly once more be "Must-See TV" on NBC in a sense that means more than a slogan that hasn't rung true in a while.

"Are You There, Chelsea??" can be moderately funny, despite similar ratings. But "Whitney"? We're past even "Ol' Yeller" comparisons here. To make that comparison, something has to be beloved in the first place. We're down to "re-gifted Christmas sweat" by this sweater: something you'll gladly pass off, as long as it's gone.