Community would also be a smart purchase for Netflix in terms of building a lineup of smart, original programming. The streaming giant has already demonstrated its desire to produce programs that can rival the best shows on HBO, AMC and FX (to name some of television’s most dramatically strong networks). House of Cards is terrific television to be sure, but it’s Netflix’s Orange Is The New Black that makes me think that Community would be the right fit for the streaming giant. That prison dramedy drew raves for subverting expectations; rather than going for easy laughs at the expense of prisoners, it developed characters and used them to tell moving, enlightening and often hysterical stories.
Community, in its five seasons, has done very much the same thing. Part of the reason Community’s fans love it so dearly is that Harmon understands how to mix emotional truth into his storytelling. To give one example, last season’s “Bondage and Beta Male Sexuality” explored themes of loneliness, self-esteem, friendship and responsibility in a delicate way – but that same episode also featured a character encountering ghosts and some stinging jokes directed at Dane Cook, of all people. At its best (by which I mean, with Harmon at its helm), Community is hilarious, heartfelt and profound all at once. NBC, concerned with ratings and mass appeal, never appreciated the show for that. Netflix, on the other hand, has proven itself a more than gracious host for diverse, ambitious and impressive series. It would be the ideal home for a gift as wonderful as Community.
So please, Netflix, consider this request. The fans have spoken and continue to do so every day. A sixth season and a movie for Community would delight fans and send Netflix subscriptions through the roof. What’s more, picking the show up would signal to the world that Netflix is truly the future of television. It would demonstrate that Netflix takes the full measure of a show, examining its quality outside of how high its ratings are, and appreciates something special when it sees it. If Netflix wants to be a haven for truly great television, it could do no better than to save one of this century’s finest, most innovative comedies. #sixseasonsandamovie
