Why ratings, syndication, Subway and a Chevy Chase feud may have brought Community season 4 a step closer...
There was a real fear towards the end of last year that the end was nigh for the finest sitcom currently running on US TV, Community. Mid-way through season three, the show was moved off the schedulees, and it only eventually reappeared a few weeks’ back. You could be forgiven for thinking, at that point, that the show was doomed.
Turns out, though, that there’s been quite a lot of life in Community yet. And the recent pointers suggest that, if anything, it may just get a season four order. I’m wary to write that, as I don’t want to tempt fate, but the signs are suddenly looking a lot more positive.
Firstly, and crucially, the ratings are up. Compared to NBC’s other comedy shows, it’s only The Office that has been regularly performing better than Community for the network on Thursdays. Certainly, the fresh wave of viewer enthusiasm for it has done Community season four’s chances no harm at all.
Nor has, as Vulture reports, a freshly inked syndication deal with Comedy Central. The ramifications of this are interesting. It’s often pretty much read that you’ve hit gold when your show enters syndication, which guarantees a revenue stream for both new and old episodes. And that’s crucial, here: there’s now an outlet for repeats of Community, every one of which will bring cash into NBC’s coffers. It should certainly make the recommission decision a little easier.
Then there’s the subtle sponsorship from Subway, that you may have noticed being sneaked into more recent episodes. Subway deserve some sort of geek medal, whether you like their food or not: it was the food chain’s intervention that was reportedly pivotal in saving NBC’s Chuck, when it too was facing an uncertain future at the end of season three.
Next? Well, here’s the interesting one.
It’s been well reported over the weekend that the ongoing unease between Chevy Chase and showrunner Dan Harmon has shown little sign of relaxing. The most recent incident? Well, if you believe reports, then at the season three wrap party for Community, Dan Harmon gave a speech along the lines of “fuck you, Chevy”, encouraging others to join in.
Chase, who was with his wife and daughter, apparently stormed out, and left Harmon an angry answerphone message. Harmon subsequently seems to have played that message to others, as a recording of him doing so, including Chase’s message itself (“your writing is getting worse and worse” …. “you goddamn asshole”) has leaked online. The link is at the bottom.
This has consequently fuelled speculation that Chase and Community would be parting company were there to be a season four, yet that’s something that, oddly, may yet help Community’s chances. There’s been talk for years about Harmon and Chase not getting on, so there may be nothing to this, but were the actor to leave the show, then it’d inevitably have an impact on the budget. Community would be cheaper to make, and at a point where NBC is making a tight decision on recommissioning the show, that may yet be the difference.
Whether the show would be quite the same without Chevy Chase is another matter. Appreciating his character isn’t utterly central to the show, he’s nonetheless a terrific scene stealer, and has value to Community. That said, would his departure leave room for Dan Harmon and his team to bring a fresh face to Greendale?
Hopefully, the collection of forces at work here offer some light at the end of the tunnel for Community. It’s a terrific show, with some of the most ingenious comedy writing on television right now. And as die hard fans of the show know all to well, the very least we want from NBC is six seasons and a movie. As is stands? Whisper it, but season four might just be looking a good bet...
