The beloved NBC comedy Community has been off the air since 2015. If there is one thing that die-hard fans of the quirky comedy have been waiting for is the anticipated movie following the series’ end. The show’s finale ended with a title card, “#andamovie,” momentarily capping off the fun mythology the sitcom baked into itself. The phrase “six seasons and a movie” was first said by pop-culture scholar Abed Nadir (Danny Pudi) in Community season 2 in the episode “Paradigms of Human Memory.” The impetus of this was Abed's claim that “six seasons and a movie” was the ideal shelf life for a tv show. And who could argue with Abed? Throughout the remainder of Community’s run, the mantra kept reappearing, and we were all certain that the prophecy would eventually be fulfilled.
Seven years have passed since the last Community episode aired. There is no movie. Yet, series creator Dan Harmon, arguably best known for his popular show Rick and Morty, has insisted that he is working on the script. Harmon admitted his biggest struggle was balancing capturing the audience of a new audience while also dutifully providing fan service. Since the show has left the air, it has developed a huge cult following. “Six seasons and a movie” has become infused in the pop culture lexicon. There is a camp of fans who insist this is arguably a better alternative than having an actual movie. But the reality is, this movie needs to happen.
Community ran for six seasons (as you may have guessed) and was met with critical acclaim for its meta-humor, grounded plot arcs, and a broad cast of colorful, memorable characters. It revolved around a group of community college students at Greendale Community College who initially form a study group for their Spanish class but end up becoming a family. A dysfunctional, idiosyncratic loveable family. The show starred Joel McHale, Alison Brie, Gillian Jacobs, Danny Pudi, Yvette Nicole Brown, Donald Glover, Chevy Chase, Ken Jeong, and Jim Rash. It featured a healthy dose of celebrity cameos, vast representation, and high concept episodes. Episodes such as "Epidemiology," "Remedial Chaos Theory," and "A Fistful of Paintballs" showcased the incredible production value, effects, and vision the showrunners were capable of. Harmon shared these duties with Joe and Anthony Russo, who went on to direct blockbusters for the Marvel Cinematic Universe.
What Will It Take?
There hasn’t been much of a dangling carrot to get the project off the ground. Many cite that an attempt at a film would be another spoke in the ever-moving fan service wheel that has left a sour taste in lots of IP. Yet many fans of the series are still eagerly waiting for a proper solid ending that would close the loop, satisfying all unanswered questions they had for their favorite study group. Thankfully, the gears are in motion, with Harmon writing the script. There has been no start date and no absolute commitment for the original cast to return. But the eagerness of the fans can hopefully sway the group to commit to one final ride. What would the story be? What are the motivations of the characters to reunite? These are among the many questions Harmon will hopefully answer.
Getting the Band Back Together
Since the show’s finale, most of the original cast has moved on to other projects. Joel McHale, Gillian Jacobs, Danny Pudi, Yvette Nicole Brown, and Ken Jeong have had success in numerous television bit parts. Donald Glover has had success with his irreverent FX series Atlanta, earning two Emmys and touring under his hip hop pseudonym Childish Gambino. Chevy Chase has seemingly slowed down in his career. But the ingredients are there. The only major hang-ups are still hashing out who this movie is for and what this movie will accomplish?
The history of Community already has its own tenuous history. The show was under constant threat of cancellation. During its initial run, it jumped networks from NBC to Yahoo (R.I.P.). Series regulars Chevy Chase, Yvette Nicole Brown, and Donald Glover left the show mid-stream. Not to mention that Dan Harmon was subsequently axed as showrunner, only to return a season later. This show is no stranger to tough times.
But the question of the movie returned in 2020 in a big way with the cast returning (sans Chevy Chase) to do a virtual table read to benefit Covid relief. It was well-received and even featured a special guest star, Pedro Pascal. While the movie wasn’t implicitly discussed in the table read, it was the elephant in the room. The table read event rejuvenated interest in the show, and thus, the conversations about #andamovie were kicked up again. When we see the Greendale gang on the big screen remains to be seen. The train is still being built and can’t leave the station until it's complete. The trust and confidence in Dan Harmon to deliver is strong, even if we don’t yet have an arrival time.