Abed’s Happy Community College Show

Abed’s Happy Community College Show

Danny Pudi

In the study group’s fourth year at Greendale, and Jeff is set to graduate once the semester is over. Abed is in therapy with Britta, worried that this might mean the end of the study group and all their friendships. Britta suggests that anytime he feels such anxiety he go to a “Happy place”, a serene and tranquil world in his mind to calm his nerves. For Abed this takes the form in his subconscious of a TV sitcom (complete with laugh track) of his life. The show is called “Abed’s Happy Community College Show” complete with a theme song. The song is based on the “Community” theme song “At Least It Was Here” with different lyrics. Abed’s “Happy place” theme song was first heard in the Season Four premiere episode “History 101”.

The song and the video was a parody of television theme songs and opening credits mocking the conventions found in such montages. This included an upbeat song whose lyrics explained the premise of the show, various clips from previous episodes and a sequence which closed out the video featuring a group shot of the main cast. The “Brady Bunch” opening theme has a few examples these typical sitcom clichés. This, along with Abed’s anxiety about the study groups fourth and possibly final year together at Greendale, was done as an obvious meta reference. Fans and critics worried that Season Four would lose its unique appeal and become a regular sitcom with the departure of series creator Dan Harmon that year.