By Joe Ruggirello
After rebounding from a disastrous Season 4, NBC’s Community seemed poised for renewal and a chance to make fans’ dreams of six seasons and a movie a reality. Sadly, those dreams have been crushed today as NBC announced it was canceling the beloved comedy series.
Debuting in 2009, Community quickly amassed a small but fiercely loyal fanbase. Unfortunately, its ratings never matched up to the passion of those fans, and it was on the cancellation bubble pretty much right out of the gate. After the controversial departure of creator and showrunner Dan Harmon led to a poorly received 4th season, it seemed the show was doomed. However, Harmon’s miraculous return brought the show back to its former glory. Sadly, that wasn’t enough to save it, and it seems as though the students and faculty of Greendale have shot their last paintball.
Now, much like the show escaped cancellation several times before, there’s a slim chance that this is not the end. According to Entertainment Weekly:
"Sony Pictures TV, which produces Community, will now try to find another home for it on cable or a streaming service. The show has already been sold in syndication to Comedy Central, while Hulu owns the digital rights."So perhaps we’ll get that sixth season and a movie after all, though for now it doesn’t seem likely. At any rate, though it’s sad to see a great show like Community go, the fact that it lasted this long is still pretty spectacular. A show like that isn’t supposed to last for five seasons on a major network, certainly not with the ratings it pulled in. And yet, they somehow found a way to keep chugging along, and those of us who were along for the ride should be grateful for all the laughs and occasional tears this fantastic show gave us.
