SECOND UPDATE: TheWrap has a source close to the talks, who says reports that Hulu has dropped out of talks to pick up Community were false. Another, still unknown entity is also interested in the show. With the clock ticking down towards June 30th, when the cast deals expire, a deal needs to come soon or not at all.
UPDATE: Entertainment Weekly confirms that talks with Hulu have largely stalled, but that another party is still in talks. Hulu reportedly “still wants to be part of the conversation.” Don’t give up hope yet, Community fans!
ORIGINAL POST: It’s with a tremendously heavy heart that I bring you news this morning that the beloved NBC cult comedy Community will not be saved by streaming giant Hulu after all, as many of us fans had hoped. According to Michael Ausiello of TVLine, talks have broken down between Sony Pictures Television and Hulu.
There is, however, a faint glimmer of hope that Community could still be rescued before the actors’ deals expire on June 30th, as a source close to the show noted that another player is still in the mix and said:
“Sony does not give up easily. A lot can happen in one week.”
Sony Pictures Television has a good track record with getting its shows picked up by other networks. It helped Rose Byrne and Glenn Close’s legal drama Damages move to DirecTV after FX cancelled it, kept Community going through five seasons, pushed Rules of Engagement through seven low-rated seasons and successfully brought back Drop Dead Diva and Unforgettable after they were both cancelled (by Lifetime and CBS, respectively). But Community, an undeniably quirky show, may be its biggest challenge yet.
I’m plainly shocked that Community is having this much trouble finding a new home. The critically adored comedy features a cast of increasingly famous actors, including The Soup host Joel McHale, rapper/actor Donald Glover (aka Childish Gambino), Mad Men actress Alison Brie (who just landed the lead role in New Line’s comedy How to Be Single), Last Week Tonight host John Oliver, Breaking Bad alum Jonathan Banks, and Oscar winner Jim Rash.
On top of that, it’s the kind of show that most growing networks yearn to find – one with a tremendously loyal fanbase (#sixseasonsandamovie!) and a strong creative future. Especially for a streaming service like Netflix, Hulu, Amazon Prime or Crackle, landing a comedy like Community would immediately ensure subscriptions from all fans, which is by all accounts a pretty sweet deal.
It’s interesting to note that McHale told We Got This Covered that, “There is talk and talk is good” just three days ago. Does the actor know something we don’t, or will this news have blindsided him as much as it did us? Hopefully it’s the former, and we’ll hear about a saviour for Community stepping into the spotlight sooner rather than later.
