At least one good news after a deluge of bad ones : Megan Ganz, writer on Community since season 2, is coming back next season ! She announced that changtastic news on her Twitter account five hours ago.
She is credited as the writer of four of my favorite episodes of the entire series : Cooperate Calligraphy (2.08, aka The Bottle Episode), Intermediate Documentary Filmmaking (2.16, the mockumentary in the hospital), Documentary Filmmaking Redux (3.08, the mockumentary parodeaning Hearts of Darkness, aka the making of Apocalypse Now) and Basic Lupine Urology (3.17, aka the Law & Order episode).
Megan Ganz seems important in the writers' room, from what I gather. Other important writers who will hopefully continue to work on Community include Andy Bobrow (also supervising producer last season), Adam Countee and Matt Murray. Let's hope recurring directors such as Tristam Shapeero, Adam Davidson and Jay Chandrasekhar will come back as well. Sadly, Joe and Anthony Russo, who directed 32 episodes of Community since the pilot, left before the 3-month hiatus of last Winter (episodes 3.08 and 3.09 were their last, respectively).
I just went through many IMDB pages and it seems like many Community directors and writers went to work on Happy Endings (another Sony-produced comedy). It works both ways since the new showrunners, David Guarascio and Moses Port, were consulting producers on Happy Endings. They seem fun and get that for now they're obviously not exactly welcomed with open arms by us Human Beings who expect the series to change drastically and go downhill with Dan Harmon gone, but personally my initial complete despair was not about their arrival but only about Dan Harmon, Chris McKenna, Neil Goldman and Garret Donovan leaving, and the fact that Sony did not promote any of the writers already working on the show in lieu of Harmon.
Because I don't think Guarascio and Port will screw up the show, hopefully they won't make it too broad though, we're in season 4 and the show was moved on Fridays and paired with the worst 80s sitcom on 2012 TV, it's not going to get a new, expanded audience, it's too late to back down from the style imprinted by Dan Harmon. All we can hope for is a back 9-11 if many sitcoms fail or if NBC wants to reach the usual limit for syndication, 88 episodes, which is not the case with the current 13-episode order (the show is already assured to start airing on Comedy Central in Sept 2013), or if NBC wants to continue airing Community on Fridays from January to May 2013 (because I think Whitney got 22 episodes).
Jeff said it in early season 1, repeated it in episode 1.24 and episode 3.22 (and John Hodgman confronted him with that claim in episode 3.19) : when he entered Greendale, he had a four-year plan, and in episode 1.24 he specifically said he has a dinner appointment on May 23, 2013 to celebrate getting his lawyer license back. I hope we get the series finale of Community on May 23, 2013 (that would mean a return to Thursdays, for instance at 8pm in lieu of 30 Rock ending next December after its last 13 episodes, which would be amazing !). I hope Sony, NBC and others will at least respect that, and choose to order a back 11 so that Community has a full 24-episode fourth (and final) season instead of a 13-episode fourth season + a 13-episode fifth season.
#fourfullseasonsandaproperseriesfinale
Community, episode 1.24, English as a Second Language, 2:37' :
- Annie, I'm not big on planning ahead, but I have one unmovable appointment May 23, 2013.
- To buy a flying car?
- I have a table for one at Morty's Steak House where I will celebrate becoming a lawyer again.
I hope it will be a table for nine, Jeff (Chang is invited too, despite his turn to the dark side continuing in season 4 - I assume he'll probably join City College in their attempt to take down Greendale next season, we'll see...).
As you've guessed, the picture at the top of this thread is the DVD cover of Community season 3. I, for one, love it, the best one so far. Thanks to Yvette Nicole Brown for taking that picture and sharing it with us !
PS : And since Guarascio and Port are asking, I'm rooting for Bill Murray to guest as Jeff's dad. But if they do get Jim Belushi, that'd be fantastic - they're joking on that but if they have to cast the part of Jeff's dad for an upcoming episode (given the ending of episode 3.22, it has to happen), they should definitely ask Belushi... and Bill Murray first. Dan Harmon suggested Bill Murray a while ago : he's a fan, he thought about Murray's character John Winger in the 1981 film Stripes when creating Jeff. Ironically, Murray was also in feud with Chevy Chase back when they were cast members on the first seasons of Saturday Night Live. Who do you want as Jeff's dad ? Sound off in the comments.
And while you're at it, you should take the Community quiz prepared by Vulture (fellow fans of the show) : it's here.
I got 21/25, I'm an Annie :) (I had forgotten/could not deduct the name of the pizza guy, the name of the glee club professor, the name of the reality show watched during the Pillow vs. Blanckets war and Annie's constable name).
UPDATE : Thanks to JMC00 for pointing out that Andy Bobrow, writer on the show since season 2 (+ producer on season 2 and supervising producer on season 3) is returning for the Senior Year ! Plus newcomers Steve Basilone and Annie Mebane, credited on key episodes (Regional Holiday Music (3.10) and Introduction to Finality (3.22)) are also returning for season 4 !
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