NBC’s ‘Community’ season 5: Is Ken Jeong’s future in question thanks to new series?

Why is it that so many “Community” actors continue to book possible roles in other shows? We already know for sure that Donald Glover is leaving the show, and will only appear in the first five episodes when the show comes back on the air. (He has a project in development in FX, a year after trying to make something work with NBC.) Meanwhile, the show currently has an important actor in John Oliver who is rarely available, and Alison Brie also has “Mad Men.” (Luckily, this show does not play much of a role at all in changing things up for the cast.)

So what is happening now when it comes to Ken Jeong? Basically, the actor, per Deadline, is developing a comedy with NBC known as “Dr. Ken,” and would revolve around his experiences he had as a physician prior to finding a name for himself as an actor. It’s a multi-camera project, which is something that NBC is trying to get back into this year courtesy of “Sean Saves the World.”

As for whether or not this would work, it’s hard to say; but, we do think that Ken is capable of playing much more than the “crazy guy,” as he does in both “Community” and “The Hangover.” The good news is that “Dr. Ken” is being developed by Sony Pictures TV for the network, and that is the same studio as Dan Harmon’s cult favorite. If the new show goes forward, he will probably be able to make occasional guest appearances depending on his schedule. It also helps that multi-camera shows have a reasonably cushy schedule for actors, and they can take on a few other things here and there.

What do you think: Does Ken deserve his own show at this point? Click here if you do want to read some more “Community” scoop, including the brand-new Comedy Central trailer featuring some funny new jokes.

Photo: NBC