With Arrested Development, fans were just happy to see the Bluths again, even if it was a one-off season (though word on the street now is that Netflix is mulling over a film continuation at some point). Similarly, Netflix recently saved AMC’s The Killing, opting to bring it back from the dead for an extremely limited, six-episode final season. That’s low commitment but high profit, considering that fans of The Killing will all be inclined to pick up a subscription to get a chance at closure with Detectives Linden and Holder.
Community would similarly be a low commitment, high profit purchase for Netflix. The show’s fans have proven themselves to be some of the most vocal and creative in television history, launching huge social media campaigns for renewal year after year, and going so far as to create an entire videogame based on one season three episode (“Digital Estate Planning”). It isn’t a risky assumption to make that they would follow Community if it went to Netflix. Conversely, fans have been clear about wanting a sixth season independent of NBC, so that Harmon can truly send the Greendale gang out on top without worrying about being stifled by the network’s censors.
Under Harmon’s watch, Community has made a name for itself as one of the most ambitious and versatile comedies on TV. If Netflix picks it up, the chances of Harmon producing Community’s best seasons yet seem high. After all, Harmon had planned for a sixth season while working on the fifth, and he concluded the fifth season with a definite note of promise for things to come. He even stated during a panel that, “‘I’ve always struck a balance between series and season finale, but this year, it would be especially unsatisfying for fans if the season 5 finale is the end. It doesn’t end with anyone saying, ‘And we all lived happily ever after.’”