When Community returned to NBC for its fourth season, it did so without show creator Dan Harmon. Now he has confirmed that he's making a return to Greendale Community College. "Yes yes yes! I'm back I'm back I'm back," he wrote on Twitter, in response to a fan. "You can thank (Community actor) Joel McHale." The show recently completed its fourth season on May 9th, though it's struggled to maintain much of its original charm since Harmon's departure. However, last month NBC confirmed that it would be bringing Community back for a fifth season, and thankfully it appears that Harmon will be at the helm.

Djzapz

Canada10681 Posts

June 01 2013 19:01 GMT

#843

What has been going on anyway? Maybe it's just me but I hated season 4. I know Chevy Chase was on his way out and I would argue that it wasn't handled gracefully, but even beside that, I just don't think it had the charm of the first 3 seasons.

Defacer

Canada5052 Posts

June 01 2013 20:17 GMT

#844

On June 02 2013 04:01 Djzapz wrote:
What has been going on anyway? Maybe it's just me but I hated season 4. I know Chevy Chase was on his way out and I would argue that it wasn't handled gracefully, but even beside that, I just don't think it had the charm of the first 3 seasons.

Season 4 was a mess, that ranged from 'good enough' to bland to trying-to-hard, mostly because of a lack of leadership in the writing and editing room.

Dan Harmon, the creator and showrunner, was fired after season 3 because of his difficult work habits, and the simple fact that Community was routinely blitzed by Two and Half Men or Big Bang Theory in the ratings.

Season 4 was a last ditch effort to resurrect the show with it's bankable cast (partially as a result of how good Community was). So Sony brought in new show runners in the hope that they could improve the ratings. They couldn't improve them, but they didn't slide either.

So basically, NBC renewed the show realizing that it will get the same ratings wherever they slot it, and because they're really, really desperate for programming now that 30 Rock and The Office are over. And Sony finally realized that Harmon himself has a cult following that improves the profile/marketablity/quality of the show.

Djzapz

Canada10681 Posts

June 01 2013 20:22 GMT

#845

I see, thank you.

HaRuHi

1220 Posts

June 01 2013 20:42 GMT

#846

6 seasons and a movie^^

(Wedding/graduation - blackboard season 4 as a reminder to abed/troy)

Season 4 was so up and down and up and down,

will miss chevy,

but yeah for season 5 and 6, and the movie :d

LlamaNamedOsama

United States1900 Posts

June 01 2013 20:55 GMT

#847

I don't understand all the hate for season 4 - the first episode of the season sucked, and maybe 1-3 others were kinda meh, but the rest of them were pretty cool. I especially liked the finale. I think people just let the terribleness of the first episode color their perception of the rest of the season...

pookums

151 Posts

June 01 2013 22:11 GMT

#848

I'm optimistic about season 5. If Harmon came back and picked up where he left off then I'd be nervous. After listening to the season 3 commentaries, it seems like he knows he messed up. There were a few episodes where he admits the show got away from him and asked what was he thinking. This will be one of the more interesting experiments in television.

BlackMagister

United States5834 Posts

July 08 2013 20:47 GMT

#849

Oh wow bad news for Season 5. Donald Glover will only appear in 5 out of 13 of the new episodes. I think even Chevy Chase appeared in more in season 4.
http://www.vulture.com/2013/07/donald-glover-will-spend-less-time-on-community-season-five.html

Falling

Canada11328 Posts

July 22 2013 20:57 GMT

#850

Just finished powering through all four seasons in a month. First time watching and I quite enjoy it.
I do have to see there was a rather large difference on what Community was by the time it hit Season 4.

I think it was the Season 4, Thanksgiving episode that I was able to put a finger on part of what it was for me at least.
It seems to me in the beginning, Community was very much about subverting common tropes. They would set you up for a typical tv resolution and at the last second withhold the punch and say 'gotcha, thought we were going to end according to the trope didn't you?" Somewhere between season one and the Thanksgiving episode, I think Community started becoming the thing it used to parody.

The Thanksgiving schtick was horrible relatives sent them retreating the basement, Abed make-believes Shawshank and then the twist is Shirly was using them as cannon fodder and haha racist Pearce sends the relatives back into the basement. But they really weren't parodying anything typical of tv shows and thanksgiving shows.

Part of the thing is I don't recall the endings being quite so earnest in their resolutions and 'lessons.' Jeff and his enstranged dad for instance. Maybe I am remembering wrong because the shows are a bit of a blur now (need to rewatch the first seasons), but I don't recall Jeff's speech's being taken quiet so seriously. Maybe it's his character arc that he start meaning him, but using his speeches as his character development then makes Community as a show seem a little weird compared to the first where it so consistently and seriously stands by its morale-of-the-story. Mind you, Community has generally had the happy ending, but sum up seems far too serious now and makes the tone of the show in a weirdly Aesop Fables zone.

Typical as tv show perhaps is how I might call it. It's got the sit-com hijinks and shenagins, but they have started playing them straight. This is Abed's so-called meta. The Season 4 dance for instance. He is supposedly being meta by knowingly creating a double-date scenario. But really he's just lampshading that he's playing it straight... especially once he does the speech at the end and it DOES work. There was almost the commentary on this sort of trope with the 'and now I would like to carry on this conversation in private,' but for the most part, I think they played the trope straight and were not really subverting it all.

I think the closest to old Community feel in Season 4 was Basic Human Anatomy written by Jim Rash. That weird, quirky humour was more or less present in that particular episode.

Season 4 was enjoyable, but it did feel enjoyable in a more typical sitcom sense.

Conti

Germany2516 Posts

July 22 2013 21:02 GMT

#851

Dan Harmon, the show's creator, was fired before season 4. That explains a lot, really. Luckily, they brought him back for the next season.

We're gonna lose Troy, though. He'll only be in the next season for the first few episodes.

Drowsy

United States4876 Posts

July 30 2013 06:38 GMT

#852

Harmon back with less Troy is a net gain, ultimately the writing is more important than 1 central character. I mean look how badly they butchered the episode with the inspector spacetime convention.

Nedereden

777 Posts

August 25 2013 14:03 GMT

#853

Went thru 4 seasons in 3 weeks...

Just LOVE this show...

Meta-meta humor for the win....

Cant WAIT!

teddyoojo

Germany22369 Posts

August 25 2013 15:51 GMT

#854

On July 30 2013 15:38 Drowsy wrote:
Harmon back with less Troy is a net gain, ultimately the writing is more important than 1 central character. I mean look how badly they butchered the episode with the inspector spacetime convention.

but... but... i love troy

+ Show Spoiler +

ZealotKiller

Canada161 Posts

December 09 2013 22:07 GMT

#855

So, first trailer for Season 5 has been released, and it seems like the season will be amazing!

Starts January 2nd with a one-hour premiere for those interested, so less than a month away!

You can watch the trailer here!

Edit: Found video on youtube:

BlackMagister

United States5834 Posts

December 10 2013 01:42 GMT

#856

A lot of fans guessed Jeff would become a teacher and I guess those fans were right. Looking forward to it a lot even though it will have no Pierce and we'll lose Troy.

BLinD-RawR

ALLEYCAT BLUES49986 Posts

December 10 2013 02:09 GMT

#857

Abed is right, it looks like its gonna end up like Scrubs season 9....

ZealotKiller

Canada161 Posts

December 10 2013 02:21 GMT

#858

I quite liked the trailer, nice imitation of a movie trailer for "Mr Winger". Anyhow, I don't see how you think it's gonna end up so badly from a one-minute parody of a movie trailer, but it's in your right to be cynical, especially after the disappointment that was season 4. I am very optimistic towards this season given the return of the original show runner, Dan Harmon.