Dan Harmon Ousted as Community Showrunner

Fans of the low-rated but much loved comedy series Community were excited by its recent pickup for a fourth season even though it was only a 13 episode order. At this point it’s hard to criticize NBC given that the network has stuck by it when it would’ve been a justifiable cancellation at any point in its run.

Still the buzz isn’t completely positive as the latest news is one that could turn off the hardcore fans who have supported it all along. Dan Harmon, the show’s creator and intensely active showrunner, has been fired and replaced by David Guarascio and Moses Port (Happy Endings).

Harmon was really who drove the show – it’s creativity, quirky characters, and daringly themed episodes largely came from his mind – and it’s hard to imagine what things will be like without him and the self-aware nature Community thrives on. Though he supposedly is hard to work with he’s also largely responsible for why it has worked and why it has been so greatly appreciated in the end.

It’s bizarre that the network would send Harmon packing when heading into what many are expecting to be a final season. The idea would be to collect enough episodes that it could enter syndication. If it goes beyond the shortened fourth season it would reach a more ideal range – so the network may be looking at extending its run by attempting to alter the show to reach a wider audience.