With “Community” airing its final episodes of the season tonight, we’re just going to get ALL of our “Community” wiggles out and probably peep down about the show for the next few months and focus our attention on TLC fare (did you here, there’s a dwarf competing on “Toddlers and Tiaras” now?). We’ve got the 12 Shows With Higher Ratings than “Community” that were canceled, we have All 68 Episodes of “Community” Ranked from Awesome to Awesomest (now, with only 8 slides), and we will have a massive live discussion tonight in which some awesome guests drop by. Please join us.

In the meantime, here’s a supercut of every single time Abed said “Cool, Cool, Cool.” 102 times, to be exact.

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Tonight “Community” is running three episodes culminating in the season finale. I feel like fans of “Community” deserve a three-episode night: The year has been hard on our souls, and while it’s easy to say it’s only a TV show, there is something decidedly different about “Community.” For its biggest fans, we feel a certain ownership in the show. It’s not just something we watch on Thursday nights, it’s something we’re invested in, from the story lines to the characters to the fate of the show. Maybe no one outside of the show itself feels as invested as the folks of Community Glow. This is our show, and we have the post and comment count to prove it.

I wanted to do something big to mark the occasion, and ranking every episode of the series felt like a fun challenge. There’s only one way to rank 68 of the best episodes of television over the past three years, and that is from Awesome to Awesomest. Even the worst episode (OK, the second-to-worst episode) of “Community” is better than the best episode of almost every other show on the networks. A list like this, obviously, is subjective, and I expect there’ll be plenty of disagreement. I’ll probably be called names by anyone who feels like their favorite episode was slighted, which will probably include everyone. That’s cool. What I’ve realized about fans of “Community” over the last three years is that they take the show very seriously, and everyone has a very strong opinion. It’s the strength of those opinions, and the passion for the show that’s kept it alive as long as it has.

Still, in theory, the list is meant to work like this: As you click through it, the voice inside your head will say, “That episode was great. How is this episode so low,” but then you’ll arrive at the next number and think, “Oh, well … OK. I see.” Take away the bottom five and the top 10, and there’s probably not a lot separating the other 53. It’s the difference between an 8 and an 8.5. That’s how good and how consistent the show has been for the last three years. I wouldn’t expect anything less from the three episodes tonight.

Here are all 68 episodes of “Community” ranked from Awesome to the Awesomest.

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We give an enormous amount of crap to NBC for its treatment of “Community” and the way it is often promoted the show, and perhaps the crap is deserved. But on the other hand, this is a show that has no business being on NBC or any other network, for that matter, and yet it’s been renewed for a fourth season. If you stop and consider it, and compare it to any other show on network television — even “edgier” fare like “Don’t Trust the B—- in Apt. 23″ or “Happy Endings” or even “30 Rock” — it’s clear as day that “Community” is not like the rest. It’s a show that goes on manic, obscure half-hour genre riffs with inside jokes piled on top of inside jokes. This season alone, there was an Apocalypse Now episode, an episode built around a fake show (“Inspector Spacetime”) based on a niche geek show (“Doctor Who”), and a clip show that used fake clips essentially to make more inside jokes. Alison Brie’s boobs? That’s universal, that’s been the draw for some, but “Community” is not a mainstream show. It wouldn’t even be popular on cable. It’d be a mid-rated Adult Swim show that dorks would get together in their college dorms to talk about over Tastykakes and joints.

So while it’s fun to hate on NBC for almost canceling “Community” three seasons in a row, they should get a little credit for keeping it alive. The Friday time-slot next year does seem more appropriate, but I do worry that without next day GIFcaps and reviews (who is going to do those on a Saturday?) the buzz may eventually fade. It is up to the audience to keep the fires lit next season, to keep the tumblr accounts going, to keep producing fan art, and to keep generating interest in what’s already a dismally-rated show. There’s still an opportunity for six seasons and a movie, but it’ll be up to the Internet to keep the pressure on NBC to renew. After all, there were at least 12 shows with, sometimes significantly, higher ratings than “Community” that were cancelled this year. Those include:

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“Community” fans, it’s time to start rooting for Whitney Cummings.

I know, my emotions are confused, too. But NBC has released its fall schedule (which we’ll discuss more later) for the 2012-2013 season, and “Community” has been moved from Thursday nights to Fridays at 8:30 p.m., where it will follow “Whitney.” As much as it pains me to say this: I don’t think it’s a bad idea, either. Now “Community” is away from “The Big Bang Theory” and the rest of the big boys on Thursday, and with its low budget, it could conceivably air quietly on Fridays for seasons to come. Plus, although “Whitney” didn’t get great ratings, it did OK. Maybe some Cummings fans (*shudder*) will stick around for “Community,” which will already likely get the same number of viewers it did on Thursdays — we’re quite loyal — if not higher because “Grimm,” one of the network’s few bright spots, follows at 9 p.m. Maybe, hopefully, possibly, etc.

So, yeah, I’m reaching for positives, but even I can’t find anything good in this:

NBC chief Bob Greenblatt has just confirmed what’s been an open secret in Hollywood: While “Community” has been renewed, lead producer Sony Pictures Television has not yet signed creator Dan Harmon to a new deal to exec produce the new batch of episodes. Harmon only signed a one-year deal when the show was renewed last spring, and insiders tell Vulture there haven’t been any intense talks just yet…So what happens if there is no deal? “Shows lose showrunners all the time and do well,” Greenblatt said. “We have to figure out at makes sense. I don’t have a specific answer for that yet.” (Via)

Dan Harmon’s a dick, but he’s OUR dick. “Community” wouldn’t be the same without him.

The rest of NBC’s fall schedule is after the jump. New shows are in italics.

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Here’s a brief rundown of what we know so far about the shows that are coming back next season. As Josh alerted last night, “Community” is back for 13 episodes, though more have not been ruled out. “30 Rock” has also been renewed for a FINAL season of 13 episodes. “The Office” will be back, as well. There has been no official renewal, but Ed Helms, John Krasinski, and Jenna Fischer all re-upped for next year yesterday. They wouldn’t do that unless there was a reason for them to return.

Moreover, while it’s not official, everyone and their dog knows that “Parks and Recreation” will be renewed, as will “Up all Night.” The question is when will they be renewed, and for how many episodes? So, fans of NBC’s Thursday night line-up, the only thing you REALLY need to worry about is whether “Community” will continue with the stubbornly inaccessible episodes next season, like last night’s and the “Inspector Spacetime” episode.

I should also note that “Parenthood” was renewed for another 15 episode season, which is great. They are also poised to renew “Celebrity Apprentice” for TWO MORE YEARS WHAT THE F— IS WRONG WITH YOU, NBC? Oh, and “Fashion Star” has been picked up for another year, too.

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