Movies - TV
Community Writers Quit Because Of Insane Hours & Unstructured Format
By ADAM WESCOTT
In a 2011 Reddit post, “Community” showrunner Dan Harmon wrote that the show had become too demanding. He said, “Several of the writers are quitting because the hours are insane.”
The writers agonized over its experimental style. Harmon said, “Every episode had a week to be conceived and executed from scratch almost as if we were doing
a pilot each week.”
As showrunner, Harmon could be a temperamental boss. In his interviews with the AV Club, Harmon confessed to moments when he lashed out at his writing staff due to his own fears.
In 2018, staff writer Megan Ganz alleged Harmon made life very difficult for her on the set of “Community.” On his podcast “Harmontown,” Harmon acknowledged he was at fault.
Harmon explained that rather than resolve his personal feelings like an adult, he “made everybody else deal with them. Especially [Megan].” Even Harmon’s feminism came under fire.
Since “Community,” Harmon has publicly apologized for his foibles and sought to improve. However, his subsequent animated show “Rick and Morty” has been haunted by the same issues.