When Community ingénue Alison Brie (Annie) says, “It’s going to be a very special Christmas episode,” she means it. The sophomore comedy is officially going through with plans to produce a holiday eppy in stop-motion animation like the old Rankin/Bass classics.
“When I found out,” Brie adds, “I fell in love with the show all over again!”
She wasn’t the only one.
“It is so hard for me not to tell everybody I know about it,” exclaims Danny Pudi (Aped). “The minute we read that script, I was over-the-moon excited. It’s like that Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer special that you see every Christmas. But in true Community fashion, it’s also a little subversive and a little dark.”
Ironically, series creator Dan Harmon—who floated the idea in a NYMag.com interview over the summer—admits, “It’s something that I’ve always wanted to do but, I never anticipated having the ability to do it,” he admits. But “Jeff Gaspin at NBC woke up one morning and thought Community should do an animated episode. I was like, ‘Well, that’s weird, because that’s the kind of stuff I’m usually suggesting and guys like him veto.’”
Stoked, he and writer/cast member Dino Stamatopoulos, who plays Starburns, got right to work. “Holidays are a big deal at Greendale. We like to go all out,” he teases, adding that the college “is really just some weird Shakespearean purgatory, like some magical forest where anything can happen if you just lift up the right rock.”
So what do we know about the instaclassic? “I can confirm that we are not yellow [like The Simpsons], and we do not have a talking dog [a la Family Guy] in the episode,” Joel McHale (Jeff) reveals. “But all your favorite Greendalians will be going animated.”
Oh, and one more thing… “If there is anything that can top the paintball episode, it might be the Halloween episode or the Christmas episode,” he suggests. And I believe him. How about you? Weigh in below. (Reporting by Carrie Bell)










Oh my god. Genius!!!!!
i LOVE community, but didn’t its always sunny just do this for their christmas special?
That 70′s Show did it too. Not a whole episode, but section of one.
But that’s not what matters. It’s who does it best that counts.
very very true. i’m looking forward to this season!
“My Name Is Earl” did a claymation episode also!(minus the Xmas theme)
It was just a section of the episode, and was extremely surreal. I don’t think that’s the tone they’re looking for in Community.
My thoughts exactly, I LOVED IT when It’s Always Sunny did it, so even though it isn’t an entirely original idea, it will still be awesome.
AWESOME!
Yes! I can’t wait for the season to start.
YES!!! My favorite comedy getting the Holiday claymation treatment! Awesome!
Reason no. 72 why Community is amazing. Abed and Troy are my favorite TV couple – best bromance ever.
Yeah, It’s always Sunny did do this, but a lot of other comedy shows did their take on Rudolph as well, so it’s not like Community is ripping anyone off. I can’t wait!
Awesome. HOW does this show not get higher ratings??
That sounds pretty freaking awesome.
Perhaps CrazyLover missed the day in kindergarten when we learned about proper punctuation. Also she missed the day where we learned not to pull elaborate scams on people.
I think it was a joke about the first comment, or rather, ad.
I love stop motion Christmas specials it totally brings me back to when I was little. I cant wait and hope this is not a rumor and production is already on its way
This is going to be my favorite episode ever!
Seriusly I don`t know why this show doen`t get higher ratings or awards, it`s funnier than modern family…
Joel Mchale is picking his nose in the picture.
Wasn’t Ausiello saying 3 days ago that BBT is going to crush Community?
Charlie, looks to me like he is chewing his fingernail.