25 of the most memorable TV teachers

Professor Ian Duncan – Community

Community is the gift that keeps on giving. Not only did it bring Donald Glover into our lives in a real way, but it also gave us a surly John Oliver as the self-loathing, narcissistic psychology turned anthropology professor, Ian Duncan.

It’s hard to compete with the jerky nature of Joel McHale’s Jeff Winger, but Oliver holds his own in one of the best satires of college professors, well, maybe ever. Couple his inexplicable air of self-importance with his high functioning alcoholism, and you get a character you simultaneously laugh with and at.

Wildly unethical and haphazard with his teaching duties, he often establishes inappropriate relationships with students, openly fanning the flames of a feud with a former colleague turned student. His turn as an anthropology professor is wildly unfortunate because he admittedly knows nothing about the subject, and spends most of the class drinking and wasting time.

He and Jeff discover they have more in common than they thought and they become sort of friends, bonding over a soccer match. It’s hilarious to watch these two have a continued contest to see who can be the biggest jerk to each other and those around them.

It’s hard to dislike John Oliver in any way, so my love for the actor might bias my opinions about this character, but I just love him. I am envious of his teaching methods, and I enjoy his lack of personal boundaries when it comes to his students. He’s my fave.

Watch our higher education system at work on Hulu.