Dan Harmon on getting fired, then rehired on Community

Jian speaks with charismatic TV rebel and Community creator Dan Harmon, subject of a new documentary called Harmontown. It follows Harmon during the year he was fired from his NBC comedy and decided to take his podcast -- also called Harmontown -- on the road. It screens at Toronto's Hot Docs film festival this week.

On why he took his podcast on tour after being sacked as showrunner of the critically acclaimed NBC sitcom, Harmon confided that he craved immediate comfort from an adoring crowd.

"It was the most petty of motivations," he said, adding that after "a nasty breakup with a lover, you want to feel sexy again."

Harmon also acknowledged he has a reputation for being "difficult to work with," having previously been fired by comedian Sarah Silverman from her show. Parts of his sometimes abrasively honest personality became evident to him while watching his own behaviour in Harmontown, he said.

"You can actually see it in the movie," he said. "I have a certain kind of tone-deafness emotionally dealing with the people who are right next to me."

Click here for a web-exclusive audio clip of Harmon and Jian bantering off air (with Jian getting a bit of ribbing about his name)