‘Community’ has faced many problems during its run, from budgetary issues to Dan Harmon’s firing. Nevertheless, it remains a much-loved show amongst fans. Though it has been a while, fans wonder if the show is set to return at any point. Let’s explore the information we have gathered to reach a conclusion!
‘Community’ revolves around Jeff Winger being suspended from his law firm. It is soon found out that he lied about attaining a bachelor’s degree. He enrols himself at the Greendale Community College where he is quickly smitten by Britta Perry. In an eager attempt to woo her, he forms a study group. An unexpected chain of members is added when Britta asks Abed Nadir to join the group. He further brings Shirley Bennet, Annie Edison, Troy Barnes, and Pierce Hawthorne. Together they formed an unlikely community of misfits which revolved around them becoming the best of friends who face a bunch of misadventures through the course of the show.
Highlights —
- Yahoo’s failed attempts
- Budgetary issues for the makers
- Dan Harmon’s firing
In the last season, we saw its cast members embracing the onset of the adult phase of their lives. We last saw Jeff as a teacher at the community college, Britta as a bartender, Abed as a production assistant of a sitcom, and Annie as an FBI intern. If the cult comedy show ‘Community’ launches a season 7, fans would surely be elated to dig deeper in their future. Before we dive into the possible future of ‘Community’, let’s revisit the reasons due to which ‘Community’ was discontinued.
Good news for fans who have been patiently waiting for a Community movie announcement
Yahoo’s failed attempts
Curtains were officially pulled down on ‘Community’ at the end of season 6 in 2015. NBC dropped ‘Community’ after season 5. Its sixth and final season was taken over by Yahoo. At that time, Yahoo was just preparing the launch of its streaming service called Yahoo Screen. The company felt a popular show like ‘Community’ would help them make a big impact. At that time, Harmon had said:
“I am very pleased that ‘Community’ will be returning for its predestined sixth season on Yahoo. I look forward to bringing our beloved NBC sitcom to a larger audience by moving it online”.
Sadly, Yahoo Screen could not live up to its expectations. Many complained about the glitchy streaming. Yahoo was also unable to generate revenue. This led Yahoo to cancel ‘Community’ after just one season with an additional write-down of $42 million.
Which character in Community would you be? (Quiz)
Budgetary issues for the makers
Despite Joel McHale’s persistent efforts to renew ‘Community’ for season 7, it was estimated that the budget would be more than overwhelming. By the end of season 6, the contract of the actors had also expired, hence to get them on board would surely hurt the pockets of the makers. In an interview, McHale said, “All the actors on the show, almost without exception – their stock has risen significantly, and it’s out of the pay rate that is affordable to make the show”.
Dan Harmon’s firing
Dan Harmon’s own community college experiences and his methodological ‘Story Circle’ led to the creation of the fan loved cult comedy show ‘Community’. After three seasons, Harmon was fired as the CEO of ‘Community’. He was replaced by David Guarascio and Moses Port who oversaw season 4 of ‘Community’. Fans and critics of the show were quick to judge how the show had lost its edge under the shadow of its new creators. To many people’s delight, Harmon was hired again to help revive the show back for its fifth edition. He had covered up the previous season’s goof-ups by making the characters mention a gas leak that had caused everyone to act stupidly.
Unfortunately, until then, many viewers had moved on to other shows. Despite the re-hiring of Dan Harmon, ‘Community’ was rewarded with low ratings. For a brief period, the show’s ratings also suffered due to its time slot battle with another fan favourite sitcom ‘The Big Bang Theory’.
Hope for a ‘Community’ movie?
Good news for fans who have been patiently waiting for a ‘Community’ movie announcement. Recently, the cast of ‘Community’ reunited in a quest to raise money for those affected by COVID-19. The cast of the cult comedy show ‘Community’, and creator Dan Harmon came together through a Zoom call. A virtual table read of Season 5’s “Cooperative Polygraphy” was done.
During the session, Harmon stated “If there was some magical way of guaranteeing that everyone could come back all at once, let’s do it. But it would be a lot easier to put together a movie project and get them all on board than to say, ‘Let’s give it one more season!’”
Troy Barnes played by Donald Glover, who left in the middle of the fifth season, also showed interest in the possibility of a ‘Community’ movie.
The surreal journey that revolved around this little whacked up group deserves a future. Do you agree? Let us know in the comment section down below what do you think about the cult show.
