Over the course of its first three seasons, Community was arguably the best comedy on TV, and undoubtedly the most ambitious. But just like another couple of excellent NBC sitcoms, 30 Rock and Parks & Recreation, it struggled to find an audience to match its quality and the spectre of cancellation constantly loomed. However, the show proved remarkably resilient and an unlikely fourth season was eventually secured to it’s vocal fan-base’s delight, only for NBC and Sony Pictures Television to unceremoniously oust showrunner Dan Harmon and replace him with David Guarascio and Moses Port.
Now TV shows change showrunners all the time, but Harmon’s singular voice was widely considered to be central to the show’s quality and unrivalled ambition that had set it apart, and without him many feared Community would suffer greatly. A year and 13 episodes later and those people were proved right. A generous assessment of the fourth season would be to call it uneven, while its harsher critics have it pegged as a pale and unfunny imitation of a formerly great show. With the principal cast (albeit sans Chevy Chase) still on board, though, and a fifth season of 13-episodes ordered by NBC, a return to form isn’t beyond the realms of possibility, and certainly not if this latest rumour is to be believed.
Dan Harmon records his highly recommended Harmontown podcast each week in front of a live audience, and although the latest edition is yet to go live, reports from an audience member have the writer claiming he has the opportunity to go back to Community. “Dan Harmon just told the audience of his podcast Harmontown that he has been asked to return to Community,” says the piece on HollyWookiee.com, which then adds that Harmon immediately asked for his quotes to be edited out of the podcast. The piece doesn’t mention whether Harmon commented on whether he would be likely to accept that offer (although does mention that he joked about the possibility of only returning if Chevy Chase does too), but it seems a real possibility given his comments on an earlier podcast.
Harmon was then speaking after an article was published on Deadline earlier this month suggesting that he had already been contacted with a view to return to the show. “That rumour on Deadline, I think the reason for it is that weeks ago Sony reached out through private channels,” confirmed Harmon, although he then went on to explain that he felt he was essentially being used as a bargaining chip by Sony, who at that point were still trying to secure a fifth season order from NBC. But when asked whether he would entertain the possibility if asked he said: “I’m a professional storyteller, and that’s an amazing third act, so I would definitely, I would not be closed to that amazing story.”
All that makes us inclined to believe that this latest rumour is true, and we’ve got everything crossed that it is. But until we find out whether our geek dreams are coming true, you can get your Dan Harmon fix via the new season of Arrested Development, in which he has a very small cameo. Should these reports come to nothing, however, we’ll have to wait until December for his return to television, when his new animated show is set to debut on Adult Swim.
