Dan Harmon Returns To COMMUNITY

When news broke in mid-May that Community would be returning for a fifth season on NBC, the reaction from critics and fans was decidedly mixed, if not outright wary, with folks contemplating whether or not the show deserved or even needed another season after the rocky fourth -- but the desire to get the show to a healthy number of episodes for syndication spurred production company Sony and network NBC on. Much of fan's frustrations with the fourth season stemmed from the absence of show creator and runner Dan Harmon, who was let go after the completion of season 3. Harmon, often described as the brilliant heart of the show, and a true TV auteur, was also labeled -- mostly by his own hand -- a troublesome man (his feud with now former cast member Chevy Chase is well documented, amongst other things), perfectly capable in the writer's room, but unfit to run a television show in its entirety.

Be that as it may, the odds are in Harmon's favor once again. Early this morning the man himself laid it out for fans on his Twitter stating:
 

RT @dpeanutbutter: @danharmon GIVE US A STRAIGHT ANSWER! ~ Yes yes yes! I'm back I'm back I'm back. You can thank @joelmchale.

This tweet was in fact proceeded by several which hinted at what Harmon was up to, and then followed by a further thanks to the rest of the cast as well as crew members. THR just went on record that Harmon's deal is not yet done, but he and former writer/producer Chris McKenna, are in the final stages of negotiations. Harmon will return as showrunner, replacing season 4 showrunners Moses Port and David Guarascio, and McKenna, one assumes, will be on as a writer/producer once again.

So, not only is this the timeline where Community gets a 5th season, it's also the one where the beloved if gnarly creator gets a second chance. My mind boggles at how not normal this is for TV. Heck, it's strange for almost anywhere in the industry. We may never know the ins and outs of how this all went down (although we may because Harmon often speaks sans filter), but it is nice to think that the goodwill amongst the cast towards this man, and the absolutely ecstatic appreciation from the fans for this man, could have actually made a difference for NBC and Sony. And that's kind of incredible.

I don't think I have to say this but... I am looking forward to season 5 of Community.

I mean who knows, maybe it'll be the worst season yet, but at least the captain who also built the ship will be able to go down with it.