By Patrick Kevin Day, Los Angeles Times –
LOS ANGELES — It’s still an unanswered question whether or not NBC’s “Community” will be back for a fourth season. But as of this week, it’s an even bigger unanswered question whether Chevy Chase will be back on the show even if it does return.
Based on Chase’s feelings about show creator Dan Harmon in a voicemail posted on various websites last week, it’s apparent that there’s not a lot of hugs going around.
On the voicemail, posted on TMZ, Chase lets loose with a string of not-safe-for-NBC language describing his talent and his script as “an abomination, and your writing is getting worse and worse.” (That’s the part that’s printable. The rest is available for listen at TMZ, though beware foul language.)
According to reports, the phone call stemmed from an incident at the show’s third season wrap party in which Harmon reportedly dressed Chase down in front of the cast, crew and the actor’s wife and daughter.
“I don’t get talked to like that in front of anybody, certainly not in front of my wife and daughter,” Chase said.
Chase has had more than his share of feuds in the course of his career. There’s all the not-so-nice things pretty much anyone associated with “Saturday Night Live” has had to say about him over the years. And there’s the infamous Chevy Chase roast that’s notable for being one of the meanest events in that institution’s long history.
But Harmon himself isn’t a stranger to behind-the-scenes conflict. As the writer told Marc Maron on his podcast last year, he left “The Sarah Silverman Program” before it ever aired over conflicts with the show’s star.
The writer spent much time dealing with fans on Twitter taking him to task for his reported wrap party behavior.
David Fischer wrote, “Nothing warrants what you did to Chevy in front of his wife and daughter.” To which Harmon responded, “Very brave and sensitive of you! Absolutely ingenious topic to pretend to know anything about, with just the right audience.”
The voicemail was apparently played for a public audience, as the recording picks up the sounds of laughter at Chase’s fiercer comments.
Things had been looking up for the comedy series, which has long struggled with low ratings. It returned in March to the highest ratings of the third season after an intense campaign by fans to keep the show going.
