The final two seasons of “Community” were a painful affair, as the beloved comedy series fought valiantly against its own inevitable decline. The show losing its original showrunner, Dan Harmon, after season 3 was the first strike. Harmon returned to “Community” in season 5, but then the show had to deal with the departure of two major cast members, Chevy Chase and Donald Glover. Strike two.
By the end of season 5, there was still some hope that the show might have plenty of years left in it. The departure of Troy and Pierce was handled gracefully, and the quality of the writing itself had returned to pre-season 4 quality. Then “Community” was canceled, and then brought back to viaa little-known streaming service run by Yahoo, and then a whole other round of cast departures was announced. Not only would Buzz Hickey (Jonathan Banks) and Professor Ian Duncan (John Oliver) not be in season 6, but the great Shirley Bennett (Yvette Nicole Brown) was leaving the series too. Strike three.
Of the seven original cast members that made up the study group, only four now were left. “Community” season 6 was still a fun time, but the show at this point seemed to know the end times were near. It was basically thirteen episodes straight of “Community” coming to terms with its own death. The show could just barely handle Troy and Pierce leaving. Shirley leaving was the final straw, but there was a good reason for Brown’s departure.
Why did Yvette Nicole Brown leave Community?
In September 2014, Yvette Nicole Brown announced that she’d be leaving the show because she had to take care of her sick father. “My dad needs daily care and he needs me,” she told TV Guide. “The idea of being away 16 hours a day for five months, I couldn’t do it. It was a difficult decision for me to make, but I had to choose my dad.”
The “Community” producers were sad to see her go, but were still supportive of the decision. Dan Harmon and co-executive producer Chris McKenna released a statement along with the news, saying, “Yvette was an integral part of ‘Community’ and is irreplaceable. We are sad to see her go and wish her the very best.” In a 2024 interview, Brown talked a bit more about her relationship with her dad, explaining:
“I’ve been my dad’s full-time caregiver for 11 years. He has Alzheimer’s and he used to live with me. Unfortunately, he had a fall a few months ago. Now he’s bedridden and requires 24-hour care that I can’t give him anymore. He still remembers me and says ‘Hi’ when I come in. But as far as having long conversations with this man that is delightful and funny and wise, we can’t do that anymore.”
That interview was to promote her recent podcast, “Squeezed,” which is all about her experience with caregiving and navigating the healthcare system in America. “The series is a love letter to those who care for others, whether that’s an elderly parent or the person next door or your kids,” she explained.
How did Community explain Shirley’s absence?
“Community” season 6 took inspiration from real life and established early on that Shirley had left to take care of her ailing father. Of course, “Community” wasn’t content with leaving it there; it also established that Shirley had gotten a job “as a personal chef to a brilliant, but troubled Southern detective.” Abed describes it as a spinoff, and Annie insists that nobody “spins off” in real life. Nevertheless, the premiere ends with a scene of Shirley in her new life in Atlanta. It’s only a few minutes long, but it establishes the premise for a TV show that looks genuinely exciting. I know it’s a joke, but I’d 100% watch this:
Shirley was mentioned repeatedly throughout season 6, especially since Britta was now working at the on-campus sandwich shop Shirley established in season 3. She makes one final surprise appearance in the series finale, during an imaginary study table scene dreamed up by Abed. Granted, this isn’t a canon Shirley moment, as her interactions with Frankie and Annie here are all in Abed’s imagination. Still, it was nice to have her back.
The good news for Shirley fans is that the actress now seems very available for the upcoming “Community” movie. We still don’t know when it’s coming out, but Yvette Nicole Brown seems very much excited about it. “We don’t know when, but I’m on board,” she told TVLine in August 2024.
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