I just discovered Arrested Development

[Halcohol]

I don't know if there's another thread on AD out there (my search function wouldn't work), but I recently discovered this show thanks to the CBC airing it 3 times a day. Since my schedule doesn't really allow for me to watch every episode, I just finished watching the entire series off of my computer.



What the hell happened to this show? It's the best comedic show since Seinfeld, why did Fox cancel it? From what I can understand (mainly through references on the show itself), Fox kept moving the show into different timeslots so it couldn't really pick up an audience, then they eventually just dumped it (quite similar to how they treated Family Guy). Does that sound right?

I especially liked the recurring jokes throughout the series ("Really? Her?" and "Come on!"), but what really made the series enjoyable to me was the central theme of family and focusing on what was really important in life.

Anyone else have any thoughts?

 

[ghost_x]

Anyone else have any thoughts?

Who needs thoughts? Greatest show alive...period

 

[amazingfantasy15]

Fox didn't treat AD like Family Guy. The bigwigs really wanted it to be a success, they didn't move it around much, the first two seasons it stayed on Sundays, they moved it to Mondays for the third season. They really gave it longer than most shows would have received, with the ratings they had it shouldn't have last longer than 1 season, but they really believed in it. It just never found an audience.

 

[Shifty]

Fox didn't treat AD like Family Guy. The bigwigs really wanted it to be a success, they didn't move it around much, the first two seasons it stayed on Sundays, they moved it to Mondays for the third season. They really gave it longer than most shows would have received, with the ratings they had it shouldn't have last longer than 1 season, but they really believed in it. It just never found an audience.

The first season it aired after Malcolm in the Middle, which David Cross mocked and then the second season it aired after The Simpsons. Then Family Guy made its return so Fox didn't order the final three episodes of the second season. During the second season, a new president of Fox programming came onboard. He loved the show but knew it wasn't doing well in the ratings so instead of keeping it on Sundays were it could get by they move it to Mondays at 8/7 central to start off the evening. Which didn't make sense. Anyway the third season started in September and by the end of October it was pretty clear that AD wouldn't return for a fourth season.

It aired a couple times and in November, December and January. Then on the same Friday night as the Opening Winter Olympic Games, Fox aired the final four episodes. It won the Emmy for Best Comedy in its first season (which had its season finale left until June - and at the time of filming didn't know if this would be the last episode ever. Same with the second season finale.) and was nominated for some Golden Globes in its first season which probably kept it alive. Showtime and ABC were said to be interested in picking up the show, but the series creator/showrunner Mitch Hurwitz didn't want to do the show anymore after so Showtime didn't want to go ahead with seasons four and five. Hurwitz is adapting a political British series right now for ABC (so The Office/US Government) and there is always the movie. 53 episodes and Fox put them out on DVD quickly so its a lot better than the endless amount of shows that get cancelled by all the networks.

David Cross suggests a reason on the season two DVD.

 

[Halcohol]

David Cross suggests a reason on the season two DVD.

^I like this reason better. I mean... come on!

 

[NewYorkSpider]

I have never watched it.

 

[Halcohol]

I have never watched it.

You should really check it out, it's a damn good show.

Try this.

 

[NewYorkSpider]

You should really check it out, it's a damn good show.

Try this.

lol t: ,that was great. I will have to find out when this is on.

 

[Matt]

Welcome to the club, my friend.

 

[ghost_x]

lol Bateman for Batman

 

[DACrowe]

A great show. Possibly the best sitcom eve.r Certainly the best on air when it was (well maybe besides Scrubs).

It got axed because Fox is inept at showing good shows. Realize they also trashed Family Guy, Futurama and most criminally Firefly.

Yet shows like American Idol come back every year though.

 

[tzarinna]

I enjoyed it greatly.
I loved seeing Jason Bateman back in action and it was just a great cast ensemble.

 

[Archangel]

I'm just gonna go ahead with a "**** off, Lars" post right now.

Pretty much the best comedy ever conceived.

 

[Abaddon]

It was hilarious.

 

[hey yo its sean]

I will have to find out when this is on.

It's not. That's kind of the problem.

 

[Shifty]

It's not. That's kind of the problem.

HD Net airs 2 episodes on Wednesdays. Yes, HD Net isn't the most popular cable channel but its still on. G4 also airs the show weeknights at 1130 pm est.

Canadians are the lucky ones and have it on the most accessible channel in the country.

 

[Shifty]

Cast signed script of the very last episode on eBay.
http://cgi.ebay.com/ARRESTED-DEVELO...QtcZphotoQQcmdZViewItem?hash=item140098440831

 

[KingOfDreams]

Cruelly and needlessly cancelled in it's prime. It won freakin' Emmys! Damn Fox. I wonder why the ratings didn't reflect the praise. Maybe the show was too smart for the average TV watcher.

 

[hey yo its sean]

HD Net airs 2 episodes on Wednesdays. Yes, HD Net isn't the most popular cable channel but its still on. G4 also airs the show weeknights at 1130 pm est.

Canadians are the lucky ones and have it on the most accessible channel in the country.

Ohh yeah. G4 syndication completely slipped my mind.

 

[tupelohoney]

i started watching it on HDNET and i'm pissed i never watched it on fox. what an awesome show.

 

[bunk]

The seasons are only like 20 or 25 bucks a piece but I've had a hard time finding them.

 

[Halcohol]

Perfect example of this show:

Not a Spinner!

 

[Shifty]

Daddy horny, Michael.

Perfect example of this show:

Not a Spinner!

And it being his real life wife makes it better. They're reunited in Blades of Glory.

The C-Word

I've made a huge mistake.

 

[Savage]

Best. Show. Ever. ...Besides Firefly, MST3K and ATHF.

 

[Harlekin]

I watched this show in its entirety a few weeks back and it's definitely the greatest sitcom I've ever seen (yes, it tops Seinfeld in my book). I need to get the DVD's for myself and have sex with them. Really sad to see it cancelled. Did get some friends hooked on the show though.