Source: Sony Pictures Television

March 4, 2012

The cast of "Community" is getting animated in new shorts that are set to debut Wednesday, March 7 on the free, ad-supported Hulu; the Hulu Plus subscription service and NBC.com, with new shorts appearing on consecutive days. The three promotional shorts, titled "Abed's Master Key" parts I, II & III, feature the animated alter-egos and voices of the "Community" series regulars and run approximately two minutes in length. Dave Seger ("Ikea Heights") & Tom Kauffman ("Ikea Heights") wrote the animated shorts.

In the three-part sequence of "Abed's Master Key," Dean Pelton hires Abed as his temporary assistant. Entrusted with a Greendale Master Key, Abed abuses his power to help his friends, and after Britta confronts Abed, she heads down the same dark path.

"These animated shorts are a vital component to our multi-pronged campaign aimed at driving awareness to the show's return to NBC on March 15," said Chris Van Amburg, senior vice president of U.S. marketing, Sony Pictures Television. "The 'Community' actors and team were eager to lend their voices and support to an effort intended to engage their loyal fan base that has rabidly kept the show thriving via flash mobs, fan art, viral videos, dedicated fan sites and on Facebook and Twitter."

On Thursday, March 15 at 8/7c, "Community" returns to the NBC lineup with the episode, "Urban Matrimony and the Sandwich Arts," in which Andre (Malcolm Jamaal Warner) and Shirley (Yvette Nicole Brown) plan to remarry, throwing Annie and Britta into wedding-planning mode. Jeff, meanwhile, prepares a speech while Troy and Abed practice acting normal. Elsewhere, Pierce and Shirley present a sandwich-shop proposal to Dean Pelton.

Created by Dan Harmon ("The Sarah Silverman Program"), "Community" is a smart comedy series about a band of misfits who attend Greendale Community College. At the center of the group is Jeff Winger (Joel McHale, "The Soup"), a fast-talking lawyer whose degree has been revoked. With some help from his fellow classmates, Winger forms a study group who eventually learn more about themselves than their course work. Also among the series stars are comedy legend Chevy Chase ("Chuck"), Gillian Jacobs ("The Book of Daniel"), Yvette Nicole Brown ("Rules of Engagement"), Danny Pudi ("Greek"), Alison Brie ("Mad Men"), Donald Glover ("30 Rock"), Ken Jeong (The Hangover) and Academy-AwardŽ winning screenwriter Jim Rash.

You can check out a teaser of the animated shorts below!

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