Community: Chevy Chase Once Again Bashes His Own Show

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It must be a slow news week if everyone is, once again, getting all up in arms over comments Chevy Chase made regarding Community, the show he’s been a cast member of for the past three years. A new interview has popped up loaded with choice quotes from Chase on how his decision to be a part of one of television’s greatest sitcoms was a “big mistake.” Of course, “new” is a relative term in this case. The actual interview took place way back in February, so it’s quite possible Chase has had a change of heart, especially due to the shuffle in the creative department.

I’m of course referring to Dan Harmon’s firing and his subsequent replacement with David Guarascio and Moses Port. Anybody who has read anything about Community toward the end of its third season should be familiar with the feud between the two, which sprung up over Chase’s refusal to film a scene. Harmon retaliated by cursing out Chase in front of his family at a wrap party. Things escalated from there with some angry voicemails left on Harmon’s phone by Chase, which were leaked online. Their relationship was certainly rocky, and I believe it was a reason behind the things he said. “I saw this pilot script, thought that it was funny, and I went into the room where they were casting and said, ‘I would love to play this guy.’ Then they mulled it over. Then they hired me and I just sort of hung around because I have three daughters and a wife, and I figured out I might as well make some bread every week.”

According to TV Guide, Chase didn’t feel the final product matched the effort put into it, saying “The hours are hideous, and it’s still a sitcom on television, which is probably the lowest form of television. I think the reason I have stuck around is because I love these kids, the cast – they are very good. It’s not like I am working with the great innovators of all time, but at the same time, they are my friends.” Well at least he liked something about the show, right? Even if it was a kind of backhanded compliment. Too bad it was just the one.”One of the things that bothers me about our show is that it is placed in that study room all the time, with the same light, the same color – that’s not interesting to see,” he said. “It’s just joke after joke after joke around that table. It’s hard to shoot it all the time in the same way, the same thing.” You can tell this quote is a little dated because most of Season 3 took place outside the study room.

But that was Harmon’s Community. Harmon is out now. If his influence on the show is what caused Chase’s dislike for it, then it’s possible he might enjoy the new showrunners. Only time will tell. Maybe if a few months he’ll be telling a different publication how much he hates the new Community.