Tag Archives: Dan Harmon

TV

Sad News: Donald Glover Returning For Only Part of Community’s Season Five

Leave a comment

Sometimes even when everything goes right, it still turns out wrong. Even though we were cautiously excited over NBC’s decision to renew Community for a fifth season, and were downright elated about the return of Dan Harmon, it appears as if it won’t be the same. Donald Glover, one half of the amazing show Troy and Abed in the Morning, will only be appearing in five episodes in the upcoming fifth season.

He says it is so he can focus on his music career as Childish Gambrino, which I understand and respect, but would one more year really make or break his chance at hip-hop success?

Community Troy and Abed

It seems more so that Glover might have made plans as if Community‘a cancellation was a sure thing and now he’s just decided to go through with them. As a fan of the show, a show that relies so heavily on its ensemble nature, this is disheartening. What makes Community work is the relationships between each of these characters that should not have much in common yet they end up being a type of family.

Now another one of the family members is leaving (along with Chevy Chase) and it just doesn’t sit right. Hopefully the writers are in a place in their preparation of the season that they can make Troy’s absence and departure happen organically. Otherwise not even the return of Dan Harmon will likely save the show and it will be canceled for good come next May.

Such a shame, we were so close to #sixseasonsandamovie

TV

Dan Harmon returning to ‘Community’

Leave a comment

When the “Save Community” call went out (again), there were many that thought the show should be canceled because this past season wasn’t close to the Community that we knew and loved. It was the same cast and same setting but the stories didn’t have the same feeling to them. There were others, myself included, that wanted the show to be picked up for at least a year so that the writers could come together and find a way to go out on a high note. Never in a million years did I think the real solution to bringing Community back to its old form would actually come to fruition.

That’s right folks, Dan Harmon is back. After being unceremoniously fired by Sony, it appears as if relationships have been mended enough for them to try and work together again – no doubt spurred on by flagging ratings and a very vocal backlash from the fanbase. However, the question still remains; will Dan Harmon find a way to meet everyone else halfway? He’s notorious for being a very difficult person to work for which apparently played a part in his initial firing. There’s no doubt that the show on screen is better when he’s involved, it’s just up for debate if the climate behind the camera is better.

At the end of the day, I don’t work for Dan Harmon and I enjoy seeing his ideas executed on-screen so Yay! Dan Harmon is back!

Image: NBC

TV

Sony Pleads for ‘Community’ Viewers: Watch it Live People…

Leave a comment

Here we go again! After ABC sent out the call for people to “save” Happy Endings, Sony Pictures is following suit by releasing a video of their own asking the same thing.

Except it’s not the same. ABC was saying “save Happy Endings from us” whereas this time it’s the production studio begging the audience to save the show from NBC. Even though it seems quite a bit more genuine coming from Sony, the problem remains the same – unless people with Nielson boxes see this plea and tune in on Thursday nights, it will sadly make no difference.

Community

When will this ratings insanity end?!? I know there are more pressing issues in the world, but is it too much to ask that network executives rethink how they calculate ratings? The audience of shows like Happy Endings and Community aren’t watching the show when it airs, rather they are watching it off a DVR or online outlets like Hulu so even if the average joe watching live effected ratings, they just aren’t doing it.

Community
Credit to: geek-ramblings

Of course the internet has jumped on this, much to the delight of people like myself. Not only is there an online petition started, which you should go and sign right here… go, I’ll wait… but also plenty of people out there creating great art like this.

Community
Blogger JenKeiko has been sounding the alarm since 2011

You’d think this was streets ahead, but sadly this is leftover from the last time Community sat on the chopping block, or perhaps even the time before that, or maybe the time before that, or it could be from – you get the point. Community has had a rocky road, that is for sure, but the fans of the show are determined to make their voice heard, join us will you?

As with everything in today’s world, there are naysayers. People who kick their feet and scream about how great the show used to be and honestly, I don’t disagree. The writing was better in seasons past and this season has been a little weak, but I’d rather NBC give it another year to let it find it’s footing and go out on a good note. That’s not too much to ask is it? After all, the only thing we’ve always wanted is six seasons and a movie.

community

TV

Chevy Chase Leaving ‘Community’

2 Comments

Polar bears like the cold. Superman goes out of his way to avoid kryptonite. The Kardashians are one big Attention Whore. In the movie Titanic, the ship sinks. In other completely unsurprising news, Chevy Chase is leaving Community.

If, by chance, you are surprised by this news, please come out completely from that rock you’ve been under and let’s do a brief history of Chevy Chase’s involvement in Community so far.

In February of this year, he gave an interview to Huffington Post UK, in which he described the decision to take the Community job “a mistake.” He also talked about the difference between television and movie saying that “hours in this kind of show are not commensurate with the actual product”. Granted, this is a long-standing tit for tat between movie actors and TV actors but come on, TV is paying your bills, how about not putting it down?

In March, there was a very public, and profanity laced feud between Chase and then showrunner, Dan Harmon. As the entire story came out, there were many who agreed with Chase, on principle at least but perhaps not execution, which prompted Harmon into sort of apologizing later.

In May, Chase gave an interview to Vulture in which he said that if he were writing the show it would be funnier and that he was tired of playing Pierce. I don’t know about anyone else, but if I hadn’t started wondering how on Earth he was still employed by this point, this one certainly turned the tide in that direction.

In October, after staying out of the headlines for a few months, Chevy Chase got back in the news after dropping the n-word in frustration would be a good idea. It was reported that he was frustrated over dialogue and the direction Pierce was taking and said something akin to “What are you gonna have him say next – “.

I beg to differ Pierce.

So now that everyone is on the same page, anyone surprised that Chevy Chase has decided to leave the show? He’s been saying, in public, for about nine months now exactly how much he doesn’t want to be a part of Community anymore. At this point I think it’s for the best. Apparently the finale has already been recorded but when the new season premieres on Feb. 7th, there will be at least two episodes that have no Pierce. I’ll try to miss him.

TV

NBC’s Comedic Marketing Campaign

Leave a comment

Can you imagine how excited I am for Community? No, that’s not sarcasm. Moving to Fridays and airing right after Whitney, the greatest comedy of all time? And it’s on NBC, which always deliver great shows with great ratings? And the cherry on top of the sundae, Dan Harmon, the executive producer to Community, was replaced going into what probably won’t be the final season of the show, since he is totally not responsible for the show’s quality? I mean, the show averages 3.93 million viewers. That’s a lot to a premium cable channel. There’s no way the fourth season is the show’s final season. Oh wait, NBC’s network TV? Who cares? NBC is awesome. It’s like a unicorn galloping on rainbows and shitting Nutella. They did so well in their coverage of the Olympic games, they’re expecting to make tons of profits. Wow, I am genuinely looking forward to the show returning in fall.

Continue reading NBC’s Comedic Marketing Campaign →

TV

Vampires on the Peacock: NBC Greenlights “Dracula’

Leave a comment

As you know, I normally write about video games. Movies and TV shows are not my thing, but whenever I get a chance to take a shot at NBC, I have to. The peacock is so damn stupid, I almost feel bad about laughing at the network. It’s like laughing at someone who’s mentally challenged. It’s not their fault they do not have a normal IQ level. But then, NBC is run by people who are getting paid six figures, so f— them.  Anyways, the NBC execs have cancelled a number of shows only to replace them with something worse. It’s OK if people actually watch NBC, but NO!!!! Even fewer people tune in to their new shows.

Remember Southland? They cancelled the show after they have finished shooting six episodes of season 2. We’re talking about flat-out withdrawing all of the episodes from schedule before the season premiere even aired.  They replaced it with more Chris Hansen. (Thank God TNT picked up the show. The police procedural will air its fifth season  in February, 2013.)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p4dKvcrie70

Don’t even get me started on The Jay Leno Show. You know you done messed up when you have an entire Wikipedia article dedicated to the controversy. Last year, their marketing campaign focused on Whitney, which many consider to be the worst “comedy” on TV right now. Obviously, there was little to no mention of Community or Parks and Recreation. NBC also started Grimm out on Fridays. Sounds like a great idea to be placing a show with potential broad appeal in the TV graveyard.

Someone has to be sucking someone’s dick to keep this show on air.
I don’t know who. For all I know, it can be the catering guy.

Oh, and they fired Dan Harmon right after Community’s third season. Yea, as if the show will last more than four seasons, especially after the peacock decided to air the show on Fridays this coming fall.

If they can’t net you 10 million viewers, nothing can.

Even more recently (we’re talking about a few hours ago recent), NBC decided against airing the Olympic opening and closing ceremony live. Really? I know you gotta make that paper but this is just a new low, even by peacock standards. Can’t you just display banner ads at the bottom of the screen?

Anyways, imagine how I feel when they decided to give Dracula a green light. No, I’m not excited or ecstatic, or anything along those lines. I am merely surprised, since this move is so damn logical (albeit safe). I mean, you have 9 million Twihards out there, and vampire is the hit thing right now. NBC maybe a little too late, but they can still make some money off the show.

Personally, I would have gone for Blacula. Just saying…

Johnathan Rhys Meyers (from The Tudors, which is pretty awesome) was casted as the titular role, Dracula. The protagonist will pose as an American entrepreneur trying to introduce technology to the late 19th century Britain. His real intent, however, is to take revenge on some people who stepped on his toes a few centuries ago. Obviously, there will be a girl whom he falls in love with, and the girl in question will bear striking resemblances to his long-lost love.

Say what you will but he’s one beautiful dude. Damn, it should be illegal to be that good-looking.

The fall pilot season is absolutely looking disastrous. Don’t believe me? Try taking this quiz. Find out which of the posters belong to actual NBC comedies airing in fall, and which were photoshopped. It’s not just the comedies either. The rest of the peacock’s schedule is just horrendous. See for yourself.

Dracula will not begin production until later this year. Expect the show to come out in 2013. Not like it matters. NBC’s 12-13 season is done.  Keep going hard as the 4th among network TV. Yes, that was sugar-coating “last place”.

Well, at least we will have spent 12 episodes worth of time watching this piece of eye candy by the end of 2013. I’m straight, in case you’re wondering.

By the way, please watch Parks and Recreation and Southland. Both of them are fantastic shows. As for Community, let’s just say it won’t be the same show without Dan Harmon.