TV Show: Community
Created by: Dan Harmon
Cast: Joel McHale, Gillian Jacobs, Danny Pudi, Yvette Nicole Brown, Alison Brie, Donald Glover, Ken Jeong, Chevy Chase and Jim Rash
Rating: TV-14

One of the most underrated sitcoms, Community is a show which was unlike any other show of its time. It used a single camera setup, did not use laugh tracks, and every episode had a plot around a central theme which brought in a new flavor to this delightful show. At first glance, it may seem about the life of a study group who are in a community college but it is so much more than that. The show brought in new ideas and innovation to the world of sitcoms. It was an ensemble of some of the people who went on to have a career for themselves. If you just look at Season 1 -Episode 21: Modern Warfare, you get an idea of different ways that the writers introduced to show a story. There is a substance in the acting of the ensemble cast, which many actors in many mainstream and famous sitcoms have failed to show. Great actors and great stories need great directors. The episode mentioned above had a great concept but the story alone could not have worked to create the amazing experience I speak of. Directors brought the scenes that the directors envisioned flawlessly to create one of the best sitcoms of all time.

Just a fun fact: Anthony and Joe Russo were the chief directors for many of the seasons before they went on to direct in MCU movies

Book: The Hitch-Hiker’s Guide to The Galaxy
Writer: Douglas Adams

Originally a radio comedy broadcast on BBC Radio 4, this novel is an offspring of a great sci-fi saga and a hilarious comedy.

One fine day, Arthur Dent wakes up to find out that his house is being demolished by municipality to build a highway. Then Vogons, a race of unpleasant and bureaucratic aliens, destroy earth to make way for an intergalactic bypass. Luckily, Arthur’s friend, Ford Prefect, and saves them by transporting them into the Vogon spaceship. From there, it’s the beginning of a new intergalactic journey.

Original characters that have some quirky personalities are one of the key points of this novel. Have your ever heard about a robot suffering from boredom and depression? Well, Marvin the Paranoid Android, one of the characters is a robot who has “a brain the size of the planet” is just that.

Just give this novel a chance. With its interesting story and character, it will surely keep you engaged. As a bonus, this novel also answers why and how the earth came into existence and the ‘Ultimate Question of Life, the Universe, and Everything’.

Movie: Monty Python and The Holy Grail
Cast: Graham Chapman, John Cleese, Terry Gilliam, Eric Idle, Terry Jones and Michael Palin.
Release Date: 3 April 1975
Rating: PG

For people who don’t know about Monty Python, they are likes The Beatles of comedy. One of the biggest cultural icons in UK, questions regarding their TV Show ‘Monty Python’s Flying Circus’ has been incorporated in British Citizenship Examinations.

Monty Python and The Holy Grail follows the adventure of King Arthur and his Knights of Round Table as they try to find the Holy Grail. The Humor of the movie changes its stance throughout the movie. In one scene, King Arthur tries to trick his enemies by sending them a giant wooden rabbit to ambush them, an allusion to the tale of Homer’s Odyssey. This is an example of intellectual humor which uses the viewer’s knowledge of historical reference to deepen the impact of humor. Another type of humor comes from the satire of tropes found in stories of knights. One example might be the scene in which a knight fights even after all his limbs have been cut off. The third type of humor comes from a chain of illogical choices which lead to series of actions and situations that don’t fail to deliver laughter. There is one more type of humor other than the one mentioned above, a humor which tends to mix reality and fantasy.

In the end, this movie will make you laugh throughout its runtime, through its thoughtful, nonsensical and unique brand of comedy.