Dan Harmon Fired From NBC's Community

I have a confession to make. I have never watched a single episode of NBC's Community. Not even one. What's even worse? I've never even tried. I know, I know. I should watch, you're right. I just haven't.

I mean, I've heard about Community, and I have more than a few friends who are incredibly passionate about the show.

I read all about the sitcom's huge and loyal cult following, a cult which is apparently large and vocal enough to snatch the show from the jaws of cancellation. I know Community is hip and meta and parody, the cool kind of television that not everyone "gets." What's not to love, right?

But somehow, none of that has piqued my curiosity enough to give Community a shot. Nothing has, until today.

Today, I read that NBC has picked up the show for a fourth season, but that the network and Sony Pictures Television, which produces the show, sort of fired the show's (sometimes asshole-ish)  creator Dan Harmon. I say "sort of" fired, because apparently, they didn't actually fire Harmon, they just stopped calling him.

The network and Sony ended their relationship with the Harmon pretty much the same way sophomore boys break up with their girlfriends. You know how when a high school guy comes to the ambiguous conclusion that his current relationship is just "not working out," instead of having the balls to actually tell his girlfriend it's over, he just shuts down communication until the poor girl figures it out. Apparently, it works the same way in network television.

In response to the network's hasty "breakup" with him, Harmon wrote an incredibly funny and bitingly sarcastic blog post (read Harmon's rebuttal here). It's a pretty brilliant piece, and oddly enough, now that I've sampled his writing, I think I'm motivated to give Community a chance.

Of course, I'll start from the beginning and watch my way forward. I have no doubt the first three seasons, the episodes where Harmon's skilled hand guided the creative process, will be of significantly higher quality than the upcoming fourth season without him. Now that I think about it, maybe I'll watch those first three seasons on Netflix, and then just lose interest and walk away when the fourth season of Community starts on NBC next fall.