Tag Archives: Donald Glover

Sad News: Donald Glover Returning For Only Part of Community’s Season Five

Sometimes even when everything goes right, it still turns out wrong. Even though we were cautiously excited over NBC’s decision to renew Community for a fifth season, and were downright elated about the return of Dan Harmon, it appears as if it won’t be the same. Donald Glover, one half of the amazing show Troy and Abed in the Morning, will only be appearing in five episodes in the upcoming fifth season.

He says it is so he can focus on his music career as Childish Gambrino, which I understand and respect, but would one more year really make or break his chance at hip-hop success?

Community Troy and Abed

It seems more so that Glover might have made plans as if Community‘a cancellation was a sure thing and now he’s just decided to go through with them. As a fan of the show, a show that relies so heavily on its ensemble nature, this is disheartening. What makes Community work is the relationships between each of these characters that should not have much in common yet they end up being a type of family.

Now another one of the family members is leaving (along with Chevy Chase) and it just doesn’t sit right. Hopefully the writers are in a place in their preparation of the season that they can make Troy’s absence and departure happen organically. Otherwise not even the return of Dan Harmon will likely save the show and it will be canceled for good come next May.

Such a shame, we were so close to #sixseasonsandamovie

Sony Pleads for ‘Community’ Viewers: Watch it Live People…

Here we go again! After ABC sent out the call for people to “save” Happy Endings, Sony Pictures is following suit by releasing a video of their own asking the same thing.

Except it’s not the same. ABC was saying “save Happy Endings from us” whereas this time it’s the production studio begging the audience to save the show from NBC. Even though it seems quite a bit more genuine coming from Sony, the problem remains the same – unless people with Nielson boxes see this plea and tune in on Thursday nights, it will sadly make no difference.

Community

When will this ratings insanity end?!? I know there are more pressing issues in the world, but is it too much to ask that network executives rethink how they calculate ratings? The audience of shows like Happy Endings and Community aren’t watching the show when it airs, rather they are watching it off a DVR or online outlets like Hulu so even if the average joe watching live effected ratings, they just aren’t doing it.

Community
Credit to: geek-ramblings

Of course the internet has jumped on this, much to the delight of people like myself. Not only is there an online petition started, which you should go and sign right here… go, I’ll wait… but also plenty of people out there creating great art like this.

Community
Blogger JenKeiko has been sounding the alarm since 2011

You’d think this was streets ahead, but sadly this is leftover from the last time Community sat on the chopping block, or perhaps even the time before that, or maybe the time before that, or it could be from – you get the point. Community has had a rocky road, that is for sure, but the fans of the show are determined to make their voice heard, join us will you?

As with everything in today’s world, there are naysayers. People who kick their feet and scream about how great the show used to be and honestly, I don’t disagree. The writing was better in seasons past and this season has been a little weak, but I’d rather NBC give it another year to let it find it’s footing and go out on a good note. That’s not too much to ask is it? After all, the only thing we’ve always wanted is six seasons and a movie.

community

‘The To-Do List’ Red Band Trailer: Aubrey Plaza Stars, Rachel Bilson Dances in Her Bra

Yes, I led with a pic of Donald Glover in a flat top doing the running man and the promise of Rachel Bilson in her bra. That, my friends, is called a proper tease. Anyways, a red band trailer for The To-Do List has come out and holy crap, that’s a great cast. Obviously you have Aubrey Plaza playing the lead. The film also features Rachel Bilson, Bill Hader, Andy Samberg, Donald Glover, Connie Britton, Johnny Simmons, Maeby FünkeAgent Coulson…there’s just a lot of talent in there. It’s written and directed by Maggie Carey, who has done some stuff on Funny or Die and also happens to be Hader’s wife so I’ll assume she’s funny based off of that.

Admittedly, the red band trailer is…okay. But it gets the point across. If not, I’ll just fill in the essential plot points: Aubrey Plaza is going to college and feels she needs to get some more experience some more sex before she gets on with the next phase of her life. Solution? The To-Do List. Boom. It’s like the bucket list for virginal girls I guess. I’ll embed the trailer and then we’ll go over my thoughts:

Like I said, the trailer is basically there to show off the who’s who of all the awesome people starring in it. I didn’t find it exceptionally funny but again, I’d watch it when it comes out on Valentine’s Day. Granted, probably not over A Good Day to Die Hard but still. I like Aubrey Plaza more and more and dug her in Safety Not Guaranteed. Plus it takes place in the ’80s (I assume from all the wardrobe and hair choices, if not…uhh…wow) so I’m game. Of course, it also has this Rachel Bilson moment courtesy of FilmDrunk:

God have mercy. I love you Summer Roberts.

Donald Glover Cast in ’30 Rock’ Live Episode

As you all know we follow the career of Donald Glover quite closely here on Grizzly Bomb. Why? Because he’s awesome. That’s not a good enough reason? Watch any episode of Community or check out Grizzly Spotlight for even more reasons that you can’t deny. I don’t know if I would call my love of Glover a man-crush, or a deep seated respect for humor, comedy, and sick beatz. It may just be a man-crush.

Anyways, we are here for a reason. It was recently announced that Donald Glover has been cast in the next live episode of 30 Rock, playing a young Tracy Jordan (Morgan). Here’s a bit more on the upcoming episode from TVLine:

Continue reading Donald Glover Cast in ’30 Rock’ Live Episode

Community: Donald Glover, Gus Fring, and the Future of Annie’s Boobs

Last place network NBC has 3 of the 5 best comedies on Television right now with Parks and Recreation, 30 Rock, and Community.  Pair those with ABC’s Modern Family and the FX masterpiece It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia, and you’ve got the best 5 show rotation in a long time. Community however, has been consistently scheduled opposite CBS’ The Big Crap The Big Bang Theory, and it consistently gets its brains bashed in. Why television viewers seem to favor formulaic drivel put out by CBS to the far superior cast/writing/overall product produced by the peacock is unknown to me, except to say perhaps the ‘Nielson Ratings’ are outdated and stupid. Of the approximately 115 million households in America, Neilson boxes are present in only 25,000 of them. That’s about 1 in 4600 households making viewing decisions for the rest of us. Stupid.

Anyhow, based on the poor ratings from the select few Nielson households,  NBC placed Community on hiatus, while renewing terrible shows like Whitney. So once this happened the internet went nuts wondering if we would ever get to see our favorite study group again, then Donald Glover released this.

Not the most inspiring thing I’ve seen, but more recently announcements have been made that seem to indicate there will be more episodes, just not sure when or in what time slot. We do know the following though… First Joel McHale has informed TV Guide that someone will die…

“A character from the show will die,” reveals star Joel McHale. He says the victim, although probably not one of the comedy’s main stars, is “someone you’ve seen a lot. And he dies in the mid-afternoon.”

In response to this, Warming Glow released odds on who they think it will be…

Annie’s Boobs (2-1) — It is a monkey that lives in the heating ducts, plus the death of Annie’s Boobs has the greatest comedic potential.

Leonard Briggs (4-1) — He’s the oldest character on the show, he’s had his hip replaced, and he rides around in a wheelchair. This seems logical. Maybe too logical?

Alex “Star-Burns” Osbourne (12-1) — He is a drug dealer, which can be a dangerous profession. But then again, he only deals marijuana, and his clients are Greendale students.

Fat Neil (6-1) — Fat Neil is both fat, which makes him a health risk, and he’s manic depressive, having considered suicide once before.

Magnitude (5-1) — Although not a high risk for death, his catchphrase, “Pop Pop,” would make him a likely candidate as a gunshot victim.

Professor Ian Duncan (20-1) — He does have a huge drinking problem and his with rivalry with Señor Chang could lead to violence.

Vice Dean Robert Laybourn (7-1) — In addition to being overweight, Vice Dean Laybourne is the true power of Greendale, which could develop into a “Game of Thrones” type plotline, in which he’s picked off by Dean Pelton.

Dr. Marshall Kane (12-1) — He has served prison time, and is uncomfortable with the way that the world has changed in the two decades he spent inside. This could provoke violence, or even suicide, particularly if faced with the prospect of handling those new, tiny LEGOs.

The Greendale Human Being (15-1) — Fumes from magic markers used on his mascot costume have been known to make him aggressive; they could also potentially be lethal.

 My vote is for the ‘Greendale Human Being’, guys is just asking for it…

So the fact that they’re gonna kill someone off certainly indicates to me that the show would have to first come back to do so. In addition to that, there is also news that Breaking Bad star Giancarlo Esposito (Gus Fring) will be appearing a in an upcoming episode as a business associate of Pierce’s late father, Cornelius Hawthorne.

Gus's Face, Two-Face, Breaking Bad, Animated Gif

In addition to the little bit of actual news here, and since we still don’t have a real return date, I’ve included a bunch of pictures I thought you might enjoy, most of them from Warming Glow…

Grizzly Album Review: “Camp” by Childish Gambino

Many actors become rappers if they have the talent. Many rappers also become actors if they have the talent. Will Smith, Ice Cube, Xzibit, Drake, and Common are some of the names that come to mind, but now I’ve got a new name to add to that list, Childish Gambino. You may recognize him as Troy on the NBC show Community, or the even more successful Derrick Comedy sketches, the film Mystery Team, and as an Emmy-winning writer for 30 Rock. Truth is, Donald Glover AKA Childish Gambino, is one of the hardest working people in the industry right now, balancing both a music, acting, comedy, and writing career almost seamlessly.

Gambino first began releasing music in 2008 with his self-released debut album Sick Boi. The album was a success on the internet, which inspired five more releases (Poindexter, I Am Just A Rapper, I Am Just A Rapper 2, Culdesac, and EP) from 2009-2011 before he was able to release his debut studio release, Camp. Released on Glassnote records, Camp is not only a stylistic, but also a lyrical step forward for Gambino, whose raps consisted mostly of talking about his d***, his chicks, and his money. Personally I felt like his lyrics became much more relatable and interesting around the release of I Am Just A Rapper 2. He had fully taken on the responsibilities of his Childish Gambino personality, and he ran with it. Although d***s, chicks, and money is still extremely prevalent in his music, there’s a clever and usually wildly funny punchline to accompany it.


Earning a degree in Dramatic Writing at NYU, Glover is a skilled and able wordsmith, which is what makes Gambino’s raps not only smooth, but wickedly clever. One of my favorite lines on the whole album occurs on the album’s first single, “Bonfire”, and it goes, “You’re my favorite rapper now, yeah dude I better be, or you can f***ing kiss my ass, Human Centipede!” I mean, if you guys need any reason to go to college, let this be it. You can graduate, start working with Tina Fey on a daily basis, and then become a world famous rapper as a side-job.

Along with the great lyrics that are expected from Gambino come equally as engaging beats and rhythms. When performing live, Donald tends to use a live band as opposed to pre-recorded background. This may in some ways explain the layered and sometimes surprisingly alternative beats that come from him and his team. The result is not only one of the best releases of the year, but also Gambino’s best release ever. Even if you don’t like his voice, check out Camp just for the lyrics, they’re guaranteed to make you crack a smile or even burst out laughing.

Best Track: Bonfire and Backpackers

5/5 Bears