"Community" and the Case of an Axed Showrunner

 Mad Men, Breaking Bad, and Lost.  Three shows that I couldn't imagine existing without their original creators.  What about Community?

Yesterday I posted about the possibility that the upcoming fourth season of Community may be its last.  I also mentioned that show has already lost the talents of Dan Harmon, the creator and showrunner, due to problems with the studio (Sony), network (NBC), and its most well known stars (Chevy Chase).

The NBC comedy's new showrunners are former Happy Endings writers David Guarascio and Moses Port.  It's not unusual for a television show to change showrunners during the course of its run.  Most long running police procedurals like CSI and Law and Order switched showrunners multiple times.  However, there are certain shows that are dependent on the voices of their original creators.  The West Wing wasn't the same without Aaron Sorkin.  Gilmore Girls moved on without Amy Sherman-Palladino for its seventh and final season.  Fans of both those show were displeased with what they saw and heard on the screen after those writers left.  Those writers had unique styles and visions which were impossible to replicate.  Dan Harmon also has a writing style, vision, and (more importantly) passion for his creation that the new showrunners couldn't possibly possess.  So as soon as the news broke about Harmon being fired, critics and fans alike began to ask if no Community at all may be preferable to a Harmon-less Community.

NBC's Future: Comedy Night, Done Right?

30 Rock and The Office are Closing.  More to Follow?

For over two decades, Thursday nights on NBC was the place for "Must See TV."  Some of the most popular sitcoms in history made their home from the 8-10pm time period.  "The Cosby Show" and "Cheers" got the ball rolling in the '80s.  "Frasier" and "Friends" led a still thriving NBC into the 21st century.  Those four shows, along with "Seinfeld" and many others, garnered mass audiences for a reason.  The were broad.  People of all demographics could relate to the stories that were being told week after week.  I was barely a teenager when I first started watching reruns of "Frasier" and "Friends" and I never had a hard time understanding most of what was happening.  Sure, there was some minor adult humor that may have went over my head but those jokes didn't exclude someone of my demo from enjoying the show.