Though Community was brought back from the dead this summer after Yahoo Screen picked up the comedy following NBC’s cancellation, it will return with one less original cast member.  TV Guide reports that Yvette Nicole Brown will be departing the show before its upcoming sixth season due to family reasons, as the actress explains that she needs to care for her ailing father.  The split from the show was amicable as executive producers Dan Harmon and Chris McKenna said in a joint statement, “Yvette was an integral part of Community and is irreplaceable. We are sad to see her go and wish her the very best.”  More after the jump.

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While Brown will be leaving Community, TV Guide notes that she will remain onboard the new CBS sitcom The Odd Couple with Matthew Perry.  That show is a multi-cam format, which is much more agreeable schedule-wise, and Sony has allowed Brown to take a recurring role on the new comedy instead of a regular spot while she cares for her father.  Brown has also left the door open for the possibility of making a guest appearance on Community, should Harmon and McKenna opt to go that route.

Community is now down to just four original main cast members (plus Jim Rash and Ken Jeong) following the prior departures of Donald Glover and Chevy ChaseJonathan Banks, who was a regular last season, is not returning this year due to his commitment to Better Call Saul.  As a result, producers are looking to cast two new characters: a woman brought in to help shape up the school, and a retired salesman who comes to Greendale to reinvent himself.

Writing for Community Season 6 is currently underway, but an exact airdate on Yahoo Screen has yet to be confirmed.  It likely won’t be until after the New Year.

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Yvette Nicole Brown Leaving Community