Inside the Last-Minute Scramble to Save Community
"Six seasons and a movie" almost didn't happen. As June drew to a close, time was running out to save Community, which NBC had canceled in May. Talks to move the comedy to streaming service Hulu were falling apart, the deal options to keep the show's cast intact expired at the end of the month, and much of the crew and key writers had already moved on to new jobs. Even the comedy's offices on the studio lot had been taken over by a new series: Grace and Frankie, Netflix's upcoming sitcom starring Jane Fonda and Lily Tomlin. "When a show is canceled, it's usually canceled," says Sony Pictures Television programming president Zack Van Amburg, whose company produces Community.
