Dan Harmon Out on COMMUNITY After Three Seasons and No Movie

Dan Harmon (left) and the cast of Community at the Summer TCA Press Tour. Photo: Fredrick M. Brown/Getty Images North America

So in other words, Community‘s cancelled.  It’s still moving forward, but without the singular vision of its creator that helped refine that vision into something greater.  (Chris McKenna, credited on “Remedial Chaos Theory” and many key episodes of the series, is also out.  Word is that The Russo Brothers are also gone but I haven’t seen any credible sources on this UPDATE: Yep, their contract with Sony ran out too.  Thank you Vulture!)   To make matters worse, Dan Harmon has explicitly stated that he was never contacted between renewal and last night’s announcement.  This isn’t a situation like Cougar Town where Bill Lawrence and Kevin Biegel have amicably stepped back because their contracts have run out, with a promise to stick around and consult; this is a straight-up firing.

COMMUNITY Renewed; Twitter Riots Delayed

One more full year, NBC.  That’s all this show needs.  Forget all the #sixseasonsandamovie talk; twenty-two more episodes takes the Study Group to graduation and the natural conclusion of the story.  Then you can cut it loose and absolutely no one sane will blame you…well, actually, no one sane would blame you if you cancelled it.  I’ve seen the numbers.  You cut The Playboy Club with those numbers, you would’ve been completely in the right to cut this.

Thank God you didn’t, though.  Assuming Dan Harmon will be back (it has been brought into question given his recent falling-out with Chevy Chase, but I can’t imagine this won’t happen), you just bought yourself a lot of goodwill.  13 episodes — with an option for 9 more — isn’t exactly what I was hoping for, but I’ll take what I can get — even if it means hoping to hell that your new, crummy-sounding comedies bomb.

It’s a great day for cult comedy.  First Cougar Town recently found a new home on TBS, now Community — in the midst of one hell of a weird and awesome story arc that is certainly alienating casual TV viewers while guaranteeing it a place in the comedy pantheon — gets the reprieve it needs.  Hopefully an announcement on Parks and Rec isn’t too far behind (according to this other Deadline Hollywood article, it shouldn’t be, along with renewals for Up All Night and The Office).

For now, the long knives are going away.  Community‘s hour long season finale airs next week, and it’s promising to be an event.  And the best part is, we can enjoy it knowing that there’s at least a little more to come.