Community

[Eli]

I'm not entirely sure what I just watched, but I'm pretty sure it puts the lie to the notion that there are no new ideas in television.

More specifically, this was probably my least favorite of the three episodes tonight. It was fun to watch but after a little while it started to feel flat.

Though the jive turkeys were an inspired villain.

[Sterling Archer]

Harmon out as showrunner, last remaining season one writer also gone.

[J. Walter Weatherman]

Harmon out as showrunner, last remaining season one writer also gone.

What the fuck?

[J. Walter Weatherman]

http://danharmon.tumblr.com/post/23339272200/hey-did-i-miss-anything

... So do not believe anyone that tells you on Monday that I quit or diminished my role so I could spend more time with my loved ones, or that I negotiated and we couldn’t come to an agreement, etc.  It couldn’t be less true because, just to make this clear, literally nobody called me.  Also don’t believe anyone that says I have sex with animals.  And if there’s a photo of me doing it with an animal - I’m not saying one exists, I’m just saying, if one surfaces - it’s a fake.  Look at the shadow.  Why would it be in front of the giraffe if the sun is behind the jeep?

Where was I?  Oh yeah.  I’m not running Community for season 4.  They replaced me.  Them’s the facts.

[J. Walter Weatherman]

http://twitter.com/danharmon/status/201483653673525248

[R-V]

This is truly the darkest timeline.

[Eli]

This is truly the darkest timeline.

Not until evil Abed finally gets to Jeff with that bone saw.

[J. Walter Weatherman]

This is truly the darkest timeline.

Not until evil Abed finally gets to Jeff with that bone saw.

Sony Pictures just ran him a length of extension cord.

[Slaky]

Why even do a show next year? I get it - because the cast needs money and they will be getting paid a lot of it.

Fine.

But this show cannot possibly be as good without Harmon. Even if it's half as good, the die hards aren't going to give it a chance.

[Powdered Toast Man]

Why even do a show next year? I get it - because the cast needs money and they will be getting paid a lot of it.

Fine.

But this show cannot possibly be as good without Harmon. Even if it's half as good, the die hards aren't going to give it a chance.

Plus, the last episode sort of felt like a series finale rather than a season finale.

I still love the show.  I don't know how it will work without Harmon.  I suspect a lot like how The Office went without Steve Carell.  The shirtless black guy in Leonard's Let's Potato Chips review was awesome.  Because who doesn't like shirtless black guys? Amirite, Thrill?

[J. Walter Weatherman]

Why even do a show next year? I get it - because the cast needs money and they will be getting paid a lot of it.

Syndication.

4 seasons' worth of episodes is apparently considered the bare minimum needed these days for M-F syndication to work.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/100_episodes

In recent years, the 100-episode milestone for syndication has been lowered to 88 episodes. Shows approaching the 88-episode target are often renewed despite low ratings in order to ensure syndication. Production companies can offer discounts on licensing fees to networks to encourage renewal.

Shows that are approaching the 88-episode syndication milestone but get poor ratings are often moved to graveyard slots on Friday or Saturday in order to burn off remaining episodes.

An extreme example of a show renewed for syndication was 'Til Death. During its third season, 'Til Death was pulled from Fox's lineup in October 2008 after seven episodes due to low ratings. 'Til Death was later renewed for a fourth season after Sony Pictures Entertainment offered Fox a discount on the licensing fee. Unaired episodes from the third season were broadcast alongside fourth season episodes from October 2009 onwards, first on Fridays and later on Sundays. The show eventually reached 81 episodes, enough for off-network syndication.

NBC's 13-episode order for Season 4 (with the possibility of more donuts to come) would bring the show to 84 episodes.

So Sony was probably willing to do whatever it would take to get this one final season, and they would have had little by way of leverage on their own end. It could be that one of NBC's conditions for renewal was that noted clubhouse cancer Dan Harmon would get the axe. It could simply be that NBC forced Sony to take such a severe haircut on Season 4 that they don't believe it would be cost effective to let Harmon continue to run it like the perfectionist he is.

Either way, we're probably left with a show basically running out the clock on the cheap.

My question is: what network is going to syndicate a show like Community?

[J. Walter Weatherman]

The shirtless black guy in Leonard's Let's Potato Chips review was awesome.  Because who doesn't like shirtless black guys? Amirite, Thrill?

Darn tootin'...

Someone help me come up with some clever synonyms for "genius". The better to describe every last second of this show. Right down to the shirtless black dude in Leonard's chips review.

[Sterling Archer]

Why even do a show next year? I get it - because the cast needs money and they will be getting paid a lot of it.

Syndication.

4 seasons' worth of episodes is apparently considered the bare minimum needed these days for M-F syndication to work.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/100_episodes

In recent years, the 100-episode milestone for syndication has been lowered to 88 episodes. Shows approaching the 88-episode target are often renewed despite low ratings in order to ensure syndication. Production companies can offer discounts on licensing fees to networks to encourage renewal.

Shows that are approaching the 88-episode syndication milestone but get poor ratings are often moved to graveyard slots on Friday or Saturday in order to burn off remaining episodes.

An extreme example of a show renewed for syndication was 'Til Death. During its third season, 'Til Death was pulled from Fox's lineup in October 2008 after seven episodes due to low ratings. 'Til Death was later renewed for a fourth season after Sony Pictures Entertainment offered Fox a discount on the licensing fee. Unaired episodes from the third season were broadcast alongside fourth season episodes from October 2009 onwards, first on Fridays and later on Sundays. The show eventually reached 81 episodes, enough for off-network syndication.

NBC's 13-episode order for Season 4 (with the possibility of more donuts to come) would bring the show to 84 episodes.

So Sony was probably willing to do whatever it would take to get this one final season, and they would have had little by way of leverage on their own end. It could be that one of NBC's conditions for renewal was that noted clubhouse cancer Dan Harmon would get the axe. It could simply be that NBC forced Sony to take such a severe haircut on Season 4 that they don't believe it would be cost effective to let Harmon continue to run it like the perfectionist he is.

Either way, we're probably left with a show basically running out the clock on the cheap.

My question is: what network is going to syndicate a show like Community?

Looks like WGN America filled out in all the right places.

[Eli]

As a fan of the show, I think it sucks that Harmon is gone. I can't imagine it being nearly the same level of weird/funny/genius that it's been for three seasons.

That being said, I also get how being an employee works and it sounds like he's a disaster to work with. Scripts were apparently always late, episodes would run way over budget and he bullied people enough that the staff turned over pretty frequently. And that doesn't even get to him playing the Chevy Chase voicemail at his Harmontown thing, which by itself was probably a fireable offense.

Obviously I'd rather have him stay as the showrunner because none of that stuff affects me personally and I just want good TV. But I can't say that I don't understand why they shipped him off.

[Slaky]

Why even do a show next year? I get it - because the cast needs money and they will be getting paid a lot of it.

Syndication.

4 seasons' worth of episodes is apparently considered the bare minimum needed these days for M-F syndication to work.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/100_episodes

In recent years, the 100-episode milestone for syndication has been lowered to 88 episodes. Shows approaching the 88-episode target are often renewed despite low ratings in order to ensure syndication. Production companies can offer discounts on licensing fees to networks to encourage renewal.

Shows that are approaching the 88-episode syndication milestone but get poor ratings are often moved to graveyard slots on Friday or Saturday in order to burn off remaining episodes.

An extreme example of a show renewed for syndication was 'Til Death. During its third season, 'Til Death was pulled from Fox's lineup in October 2008 after seven episodes due to low ratings. 'Til Death was later renewed for a fourth season after Sony Pictures Entertainment offered Fox a discount on the licensing fee. Unaired episodes from the third season were broadcast alongside fourth season episodes from October 2009 onwards, first on Fridays and later on Sundays. The show eventually reached 81 episodes, enough for off-network syndication.

NBC's 13-episode order for Season 4 (with the possibility of more donuts to come) would bring the show to 84 episodes.

So Sony was probably willing to do whatever it would take to get this one final season, and they would have had little by way of leverage on their own end. It could be that one of NBC's conditions for renewal was that noted clubhouse cancer Dan Harmon would get the axe. It could simply be that NBC forced Sony to take such a severe haircut on Season 4 that they don't believe it would be cost effective to let Harmon continue to run it like the perfectionist he is.

Either way, we're probably left with a show basically running out the clock on the cheap.

My question is: what network is going to syndicate a show like Community?

Comedy Central?