Who knew that NBC could still make genuinely funny comedies? Unless I’m forgetting something, their sole two entries last season in the sitcom category were the execrable Kath and Kim and the uneven Parks and Recreation. And while Parks has shown signs of improving greatly with its first sophomore season episode, Community doesn’t need any time to jell. The funny is already there, in the very first episode.

The premise (a motley crew of community college students) may not sound like must see TV, but never underestimate the power of casting. When heavy-hitters like Chevy Chase, up-and-comers like The Soup’s Joel McHale (displaying a welcome affinity for the sitcom format) and unknowns like Gillian Jacobs (pictured left with Joel McHale) and Danny Pudi are playing the misfits, however, the sum can be much funnier than the parts.

Jeff (McHale) finds himself forced to enroll in community college in order to obtain a valid degree (turns out, degrees from Colombia aren't quite the same as Columbia). Unwilling to both with pesky things like studying, he tried to blackmail a former client for all of the answers to all of the tests, while simultaneously trying to lie his way into the pants of the sexy and sassy Britta (Jacobs) by inventing a Spanish study group—one that actually takes shape as word spreads. The supporting actors are all reliably hilarious as they bend and stretch their stereotypical roles to their own individual quirks, and Jacobs and McHale bring a refreshing tartness to their banter (and look adorable together).

Whether Community will graduate past most-promising freshman entry into a primetime heavy-hitter remains to be seen, but its odds look good.

Photo courtesy of NBC.com.