Job safety was by no means one thing Dan Harmon had a lot of engaged on “Neighborhood.” In reality, he was fired from the present after season 3. Having what was primarily a year-long gig working for the premiere community for sitcoms — whereas managing to have a ton of artistic freedom — is one thing anybody within the enterprise would cherish. Talking with That Shelf again in 2014, Harmon defined why he believed season 2 of “Neighborhood” was the present’s peak, each creatively and occupationally:

“I’d guess the second season, as a result of it was 25 episodes lengthy and you’ll’t compete with that when it comes to job safety and figuring out what you are able to. Within the third season, we did some nice issues, nevertheless it was additionally solely 13 episodes and it began with the community saying ‘Oh, you are not on the air anymore.'”

“The fifth season, I am actually pleased with, too, and I really feel about the identical approach about that as I do the third season, however we’ll by no means get again to that time the place we’ll really feel like, ‘Hey! We’re like ‘The Workplace!’ NBC desires 25 episodes of our present per 12 months! We all know such and such an episode goes to be airing at Christmas, so let’s give folks Christmas episode!’ You’ll be able to’t compete with that.”

Harmon’s reminiscence is a bit fuzzy on this as a result of season 3 did have 22 episodes, although it infamously had a wierd launch the place episode 10 aired on December 8, 2011, and episode 11 did not air till March 15, 2012. However he had a full season. I agree with Harmon that season 2 was the present’s best, discovering the right steadiness of indulging in and subverting the tropes of the sitcom. They had been in a groove, which the enterprise needed to kill.