Holy cow, boys and girls: "Community" has been renewed, after all. The dream of six seasons and a movie is still alive — thanks to Yahoo, of all places, which closed a deal for an additional season of the cult NBC comedy.
The deal closed on the last day it realistically could, since the actors would all be released from their contracts at midnight tonight. The new season, comprised of 13 episodes, will debut this fall. Creator Dan Harmon and producer Chris McKenna, who returned to the show for season 5 after a year away, will stick around.
“I am very pleased that 'Community' will be returning for its predestined sixth season on Yahoo,” Harmon said in a statement. “I look forward to bringing our beloved NBC sitcom to a larger audience by moving it online. I vow to dominate our new competition. Rest easy, 'Big Bang Theory.' Look out, 'Bang Bus!”
McHale added, “The reports of our cancellation have been greatly exaggerated.” ---Mark Twain (The other version of this quote has been wrong for years). # SixSeasonsAndaMovie is real. Thank you Sony. Thank you Yahoo. Thank you Dan Harmon. And thank you to the greatest f%$#ing fans in the history of the human race. It’s the internet. We can swear now."
When NBC declined to order one last season just to fulfill their end of the "six seasons and a movie" meme (seized on by fans after a joke in season 2's fake clip show episode), the options for the show's survival were limited. Because of exclusive rerun deals with Hulu and Comedy Central (neither of whom could close a deal with Sony), Netflix and other cable channels weren't interested.