The cult classic show and critical darling “Community,” fiercely advocated for by an extremely active and vocal group of fans, will no longer see its scheduled midseason premiere on Oct. 19. The premiere, pulled only 11 days before it was supposed to air, has been pushed back indefinitely and fans will have to await NBC’s decision as to when the program will return to the airwaves.
For many Human Beings (Greendale Community College’s mascot for those who haven’t seen the show), this push will likely create some frustration. NBC has maintained a long tradition of not marketing the show well – or at all sometimes, despite fan support, even putting the show on an indefinite hiatus last season that left many wondering if the show would ever return.
Fan and network contention reached a boiling point last spring when Sony Pictures Television fired the program’s showrunner Dan Harmon. The issue was surrounded by intense controversy, much of it fueled by Harmon himself, considering that he was well-loved by fans.
Harmon was especially vocal, talking directly to fans throught his peronal Tumblr and through a question and answer session on Reddit. The aftermath of this feud is sure to not only generate intrigue about the show, but provide for a loyal fan base that will want to see if their show remains the same as ever, despite the unceremonious loss of their fearless leader.
Now, in addition to its already reduced season order, another blow has been dealt to the show. “Community,” as well as the NBC comedy “Whitney,” has received the boot and will have to wait for executives to decide what to do with the show.
As of now, the network’s official statement is as follows: “Given the success we’ve had for the past four weeks – including winning the first week of the season in A18-49 – we’ve decided to continue to concentrate our promotional strength on our new NBC shows that are scheduled Monday through Wednesday and have therefore decided to hold ‘Community’ and ‘Whitney’ from their previously announced premieres of Oct.19.”
To be fair, the prevailing wisdom from the network is that NBC has chosen to delay the program for two main reasons: to help focus on the success of their current fall lineup, particularly their new shows, and to better market the show itself when it returns.
“Without having to launch these comedies on Friday at this time, we can keep our promotion focused on earlier in the week – plus we will have both comedies in our back pocket if we need to make any schedule changes on those nights. When we have a better idea of viewing patterns in the next few weeks, we will announce new season premieres of “Whitney” and “Community,” the network recently commented.
With a lineup that heavily features fine programming such as “Animal Practice” and “Guys With Kids,” it appears it will only be a matter of time before NBC welcomes “Community” back into the fold with open arms.
However, it’s no secret that the show has had a difficult time with ratings. After an initial viewership of 7.89 million for the shows pilot, Nielsen has reported steadily declining numbers reaching a low point with last seasons finale at only 2.48 million viewers.
Despite the ratings rollercoaster that the show has ridden for the last three years, the indefinite hiatus last year garnered much attention, form both fans and critics, and has catapulted the show into the public eye. Season four, then, may be exactly what the show needs to attain its much sought after “six seasons and a movie.”
That being said, there is no denying the disappointment that fans are sure to experience when Oct. 19 rolls around and all people can watch to cope with the loss of “Community” are re-runs of “Grimm.” Hang in there, Human Beings, hang in there.
