The "Community" showrunner was fired from the critically praised show.
Dan Harmon may be heading back to Greendale.
The creator of NBC’s Community is in talks with studio Sony Pictures Television to return in some capacity for the series’ upcoming fifth season, The Hollywood Reporter has confirmed. Details on just what role the former showrunner would have remain unclear.
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Harmon broke the news during his Harmontown podcast on Sunday, according to HollyWookiee.com, which had a reporter present for the taping. According to the site, Harmon told the audience that he has been asked to return to Community — and later asked that his comment be edited out of the podcast, which has not yet been released online.
NBC renewed the Joel McHale starrer May 10, a day after the comedy wrapped its fourth season even year-over-year with its third frame, which was overseen by Harmon. David Guarascio and Moses Port took over this season, with some critics noting Community had lost the edge it had under Harmon.
Following his turbulent run on Community — which included an unflattering voicemail from series co-star Chevy Chase — Harmon has been vocal about his firing from the show he created. “I would have fired me,” he told KCRW’s The Business in August. “Sony was always so bummed out about the way I wrote and thought, and they always fantasized about doing the show without me.”
Harmon also acknowledged the Chase brouhaha during his podcast taping, joking that he would only return if the actor — who exited the show in November — was brought back to the series as well.
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A spokesperson for Sony Pictures Television told THR that there was nothing official to report at this time.
For NBC, Harmon’s return would help solidify Community, one of only two returning comedies the network has for 2013-14. (The series was left off the fall schedule, with a midseason debut once again.)
Email: Lesley.Goldberg@thr.com; Twitter: @Snoodit
