Am I the only one who watched Community and instantly knew that Dan Harmon styled Troy and Abed after Geordi and Data? I think in one episode Abed even makes a reference to being like Data.
Also supported by the fact that they chose Levar Burton as Troy's childhood idol, and when he rides off into the sunset to circumnavigate the globe, it's with Levar Buton. Very good point, though I also see the relationship in Paris/Kim. I guess it depends which phase of the show you're looking at. Early on in the show it's more like Geordi/Data, and later on it's more like Paris/Kim with the hero/sidekick fantasies angle. Kim would totally always play Constable Reggie. He pretty much does in Captain Proton. In the Dreamatorium, no less. Edit: Come to think of it, they also gave Troy a natural engineering talent through the Air Conditioning Repair storyline.