Megan Ganz Leaves Community, NBC Hopeful for 5th Season

Just days after Community writer Megan Ganz announced she’d taken a job on ABC’s Modern Family, NBC entertainment chairman Robert Greenblatt has said he is “optimistic” about a fifth season for Community — something that has seemed increasingly unlikely as time has gone on. At the Television Critic’s Association’s winter press tour, Greenblatt said it is “absolutely” possible Community will have a fifth season and that he is “always hopeful for a show to continue,” while acknowledging that “anything can happen between now and May,” when the studio will have to make a final decision.

Speaking to behind-the-scenes changes including the firing of former show runner Dan Harmon, Greenblatt said the returning show would be “relatively the same as before” and added that “there is a little bit more heart built [into Community in its fourth season], but we didn’t want to fundamentally change it.”

As for the departure of cast member Chevy Chase? “Actors come and go on a lot of shows and this is a big ensemble; I don’t think that’s in any way going to be a big negative about the future of the show. He’s in everything but two episodes.” Greenblatt went on to say he is eager to stay in business with actor Joel McHale, regardless of the future of Community.

Megan Ganz with the Community cast on the set of her first episode, “Cooperative Calligraphy.”