The tumultuous history of Community has been heavily documented. Following creator Dan Harmon’s exit, the loss of three leading cast members and its brief cancellation, the quirky sitcom has fought back at every turn and emerged the victor. With its future in the balance, Yahoo stepped in to save the meta-comedy and offer it a unique ‘delivery method’ for its sixth season – its streaming service, Yahoo! Screen.
Today, the web giant has announced the premiere date for Community‘s season 6 as March 17th. On that date, the first two episodes will appear followed every Tuesday by a brand new episode. Instead of harnessing the benefits of what the digital format has to offer, the decision has been made to stick to the traditional weekly schedule. An unusual move? Certainly. But, the agonizing weekly wait between episodes was part of the television experience; until Netflix opted for entire seasons to debut at once.
Nevertheless, Harmon has stated that the move to Yahoo! won’t affect the show or who can watch it. He clarified to EW that to tune in, viewers need to simply visit the Yahoo! app. Nothing’s for free, however, and there will be a series of pop-up ads designed to support the show.
The look of Community will vary from season 5, as series regular Yvette Nicole Brown has since departed. Her exit will be addressed during the show’s first episodes, before the remaining cast – Joel McHale, Gillian Jacobs, Alison Brie and Danny Pudi – take centre stage. Joining the leading quartet are newcomers Keith David and Paget Brewster, along with returning supporting cast members Jim Nash and Ken Jeong.
Community season 6 will debut on Yahoo! Screen on March 17th.