Chevy Chase has taken a lot of abuse over the past decade and a half. His 1993 talk show, which was canceled after less than two months on the air, seems to have started it all. Then a list of bad movies (Cops and Robbersons? The Karate Dog?), and a few Doritos commercials fanned the flames. He even takes flak for his history with Saturday Night Live, not so much for the great work he did there, but for his decision to leave after the first season to pursue movie roles and other non-TV work, something he admits he feels was a huge mistake.

Now, The Hollywood Reporter has broken the news that Chase is coming back to TV, on an NBC sitcom called Community starring The Soup's Joel McHale. They report that the show will feature McHale as a lawyer who goes back to college because his degree has been found invalid, and that Chase will play a fellow student and multiple divorcee. The Reporter calls the role a "potential full-time primetime series gig."

I'm rooting for the show, and for Chase. McHale has a great combination of easy charm and sarcasm, and could be a great match for Chase. And when I look at Chase's career, I see some truly funny work, from National Lampoon and Lemmings to his presidential impressions on SNL to a host of films - Vacation, Caddyshack, Fletch and even the much maligned Nothing But Trouble and the mostly forgotten Modern Problems. Yes, Chase has a pile of stinkers to his credit, but that shouldn't eclipse the rest of his resume. Who knows what Community will ultimately look like, but I'm hoping Chase can remind people of why he was once one of the biggest stars in comedy.