‘Community’ Brings Back ‘Daily Show’s’ John Oliver for Season 5 (Exclusive)

NBC's Community is bringing back a familiar face.

The Daily Show correspondent John Oliver will return to Greendale Community College for a multi-episode arc, The Hollywood Reporter has learned.

Oliver, who recently completed an eight-week gig filling in for Jon Stewart as host of Comedy Central's late-night staple, will reprise his role as Professor Ian Duncan and appear in at least six episodes of the Dan Harmon comedy.

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The writer-actor-comedian first played the psychology professor in the pilot and recurred during the first two seasons of the cult comedy.

Oliver joins Justified's Walton Goggins, Breaking Bad's Jonathan Banks and Childrens Hospital's Rob Corddry with roles in Community's fifth season, which also marks the return of creator-showrunner Harmon and executive producer Chris McKenna.

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While a return date for Community's fifth season has not been determined yet, the Joel McHale-starrer will begin its syndicated run on Comedy Central in more than 200 markets on Sept. 16. The series will air five nights a week and start Sept. 15  with a special 10-episode block of fan-favorite episodes, running from 11:30 a.m.-4:30 p.m. Community will start from the beginning and air four-episode blocks every Friday night starting at 9 p.m. on Sept. 20 on the cable network. Comedy Central acquired syndicated repeats of Community in March 2012.

Oliver is repped by WME and Avalon Management.

E-mail: Lesley.Goldberg@THR.com
Twitter: @Snoodit

Lesley Goldberg