As much as I love NBC and its shows, I’ll be the first to admit that they make more unpopular decisions than Nadya ‘Octomom’ Suleman. Their latest, firing Dan Harmon as the showrunner of Community, pretty much united the web in its scorn against The Peacock. Despite attempting to bury it in the new graveyard that is 5PM on a Friday, the news of Harmon’s dismissal rose from the grave like a zombie and tore them apart. So now the network is going into damage control, telling Community‘s staff and crew to just glaze over everything that went down like it never happened. Via The Hollywood Reporter:
Team Community:
With last night’s news of David Guarascio and Moses Port as new showrunners/EPs on Community running in the press, and since we know that cast members have interviews coming up this week, I wanted to forward some messaging we hope our cast will find helpful as they navigate questions that will undoubtedly come up. I know that David and Moses are reaching out to them all directly but I’ve also heard from some of the actors that they’d like some guidance on the topic.
I saw some of the tweets that went out and were glad they all addressed their own sentiments quickly, and we’re hoping that the news will lose some steam over the next day, especially if we’re not perpetuating the topic in any way
We’re tracking the coverage and conversation and will circle back if we feel the need to reshift our plan or messaging. Please let me know if you have questions.
Why did Dan get let go from the show?
We’re not made aware of why staffing changes take place but I will always be grateful to Dan for his great work on the show and wish him only the best. We’re also excited that we’ll be back on NBC’s schedule in the fall and are looking forward to working on those episodes.
Were you aware that Dan was going to be let go?
No, that’s not something we’re consulted on. I’m sad to see him go but I am looking forward to starting our next 13 episodes of Community.
Did the studio or network consult with you about these changes?
No they didn’t but we’re looking forward to working with David Guarascio & Moses Port on a new season of Community.
What are their plans for the new season?
It’s a little early to say at this point but we’re looking forward the stories our characters will find themselves in come September
So basically, your entire game plan here is pretending that something bad didn’t happen and hoping that the web will forget it? You’re kidding, right? The web neither forgives nor forgets. Look, I don’t agree with NBC’s decision, but I understand they’re thinking of the bottom line. It’s not a corporation’s job to placate fanboys. That being said, you can’t just dodge criticism by pretending you did nothing wrong. It’s a beloved show, you fired its creator. You’re going to get flack no matter what you do, so accept it and move on.
