When Community was cancelled earlier this month, there was a strange lingering sense of hope that stayed in the air. After all, the show has gone through more behind-the-scenes ups and downs than anything else currently on television and yet seemed to always survive (plus the mantra "six seasons and a movie" just felt too much like a prophecy). This sense of hope was damaged slightly when Netflix revealed that they didn't have the rights to bring Community back, but it turns out that was just a stepping stone to get to this latest news: Community may have a future on Hulu.
This amazing news comes to us via Deadline, which notes that a deal isn't 100% in place but that talks are happening between Hulu and Sony Pictures TV. Things are still preliminary, but the report notes that a cult show like Community is perfect for digital platforms and that a digital syndication deal is already in place (which is why Netflix couldn't have been the place for a sixth season).
Fans may not want to get their hopes up too high for this to go through, but it definitely makes a lot of sense. Just a couple weeks ago Hulu CEO Mike Hopkins announced during upfronts in New York that the company plans to quadruple its investment in original content, and adding Community would be a big move in that direction. Deadline also notes that Sony Pictures TV tends to be really good at helping save their cancelled shows, having not only worked to keep both Community and Rules of Engagement on the right side of the bubble for years but also resurrecting cancelled series like Damages, Drop Dead Diva and Unforgettable.
So would Dan Harmon be up for it? The Community showrunner certainly does have his hands full working on the second season of the Adult Swim animated series Rick and Morty, but the smart money says that he would be the man behind a sixth season of his beloved sitcom. In the days after the cancellation, Harmon wrote a blog post suggesting he was open to the idea of bringing his show back somewhere that's not NBC, adding, "I’m not going to be the guy that recancels cancelled Community."
This whole scenario opens up a seemingly endless number of questions, from who amongst the main Community cast will be able to return to how the move to Hulu would affect the show's budget, but those are all thoughts to be had later down the line. For now, we're just going to sit here, cross our fingers, and pray that this works out. Are you doing the same?
