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Arrested Development

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For the 1990s hip hop group see Arrested Development (hip hop crew).
Arrested Development

Arrested Development logo
Format Comedy
Run time 21 minutes (approx)
Creator(s) Mitchell Hurwitz
Ron Howard (uncredited)
Starring Jason Bateman
Portia de Rossi
Will Arnett
Michael Cera
Alia Shawkat
Tony Hale
David Cross
Jeffrey Tambor
Jessica Walter
Narrator Ron Howard (uncredited)
Country USA
Network FOX
Original run November 2, 2003 – present
No. of episodes 49 (as of Jan. 2 2006)

Arrested Development is a character-driven comedy television series about a formerly wealthy, habitually dysfunctional family. New episodes currently air in the USA on Mondays at 8:00pm EST on Fox. The show is presented in a way reminiscent of documentary, with omniscient narration (by Ron Howard), archival photographs, and historic footage. Although set in Newport Beach and Balboa Island, California, it is primarily filmed in locations around Culver City and Marina del Rey.

The show was created by Mitchell Hurwitz (The Ellen Show, The John Larroquette Show, and The Golden Girls). Director-actor Ron Howard is an executive producer, along with Hurwitz, Brian Grazer (Ransom, Backdraft, A Beautiful Mind, 8 Mile), and David Nevins. It airs on broadcast networks worldwide, including Fox in the United States and Latin America, BBC Two in the United Kingdom, Global TV in Canada, and the Seven Network in Australia.

Since debuting on November 2 2003, the series has received six Emmys, a Golden Globe, and a cult fan base of perhaps four million viewers. Despite the critical acclaim, the show has struggled in the ratings since its debut.

After the November 2005 "sweeps" period, Fox announced that it would order another 5 episodes of the show (for a total of 13), but not the 9 episodes beyond that (which would have totalled 22 -- a typical full season's worth). There are two unaired episodes remaining in this abbreviated third season; according to Hollywood trade paper Variety, Fox's airdates for them are "TBA" (i.e., to be announced; this may actually be industry terminology for "never"). The last new episode aired on January 2, 2006; Fox has scheduled re-runs of its hit series House in what had been Arrested's time slot. In the United Kingdom, BBC Two, which picked up the series in September 2004, has finished airing the second season.

Origins

The discussions that led to the creation of the series began in the summer of 2002. Ron Howard had the original idea to create a comedy in the style of hand-held cameras and reality television, but with an elaborate, highly comical script resulting from repeated rewritings and rehearsals. Howard met with David Nevins, the president of Imagine Television, Katie O’Connell, a senior vice president, and two writers including Mitchell Hurwitz. In light of recent corporate accounting scandals, such as Enron and Adelphia, Hurwitz suggested a story about a "riches to rags" family. Howard and Imagine were immediately interested in using this idea, and signed Hurwitz on to write the show. The idea was pitched and sold in fall 2002. Over the next few months, Hurwitz developed the characters and plot to the series. The pilot script was submitted in January 2003, and filmed in March. It was submitted in late April, and added to the fall schedule in May.[2]

Characters

From left to right: GOB, George Sr., Lindsay, Tobias, Michael, Lucille, George Michael, Maeby, and Buster
Main article: Characters from Arrested Development

The plot for Arrested Development revolves around the members of the Bluth family, who generally lead excessive lifestyles. At the center of the show is the relatively honorable Michael Bluth (Jason Bateman), who strives to do the right thing and keep his family together, despite their materialism, selfishness and manipulation. His teenage son, George Michael (Michael Cera), has the same qualities of decency, but feels a constant pressure to live up to his father's expectations, and is reluctantly willing to follow his father's plans, even if they sometimes conflict with his own.

Michael's father George Sr. (Jeffrey Tambor) is the patriarch of the family. At times dictatorial, George Sr. goes to considerable lengths to manipulate and control his family. His wife, and Michael's mother, Lucille (Jessica Walter), is equally manipulative, as well as materialistic, and hypercritical of every member of her family. In particular, she has a tight grip on her youngest son, Byron "Buster" Bluth (Tony Hale), who, as a result of his mother's dominance and sheltering, is unstable, socially inept and prone to panic attacks.

Michael's older brother GOB (George Oscar Bluth; pronounced /dʒoʊb/ "Jobe"), played by Will Arnett, is an unsuccessful professional magician whose business and personal schemes usually fail. He primarily uses a Segway for transportation, and sometimes converses with others from it while stationary, as if it were a pulpit. GOB is used by his father to undermine Michael's control of the family business. Michael's twin sister Lindsay (Portia de Rossi) is a self-proclaimed activist, who is flamboyant and materialistic, continually desiring to be the center of attention. She enjoys being objectified, but also protests it. She is married to Tobias Fünke (David Cross), a discredited psychiatrist, aspiring actor, and "never-nude", whose language and behavior often have homosexual connotations. Their attention-starved daughter Mae "Maeby" Fünke (Alia Shawkat) is the polar opposite of her cousin George Michael — skipping school, cheating on homework, and stealing money from the family's banana-stand business. The ever-rebellious teen, Maeby finds her chief motivation in going against her parents' wishes.

Several other characters regularly appear in minor roles. George Sr.'s identical twin brother Oscar (also played by Jeffrey Tambor) is a lethargic ex-hippie seeking the affection of George's wife Lucille. Lucille Austero, or "Lucille 2", played by Liza Minnelli, is Lucille's rival and Buster's love interest. Carl Weathers plays a parody of himself, as an unemployed, ultra-cheapskate actor.

Other notable characters include: Annyong (Justin Lee), Lucille's adopted Korean child and Buster's rival; Kitty Sanchez (Judy Greer), George Sr.'s former secretary; Barry Zuckerkorn (Henry Winkler), the family attorney; Ann Veal (Mae Whitman), George Michael's deeply religious girlfriend; Steve Holt (Justin Grant Wade), GOB's illegitimate son. Julia Louis-Dreyfus, Charlize Theron, Amy Poehler, Ben Stiller and Scott Baio also play recurring characters.

Casting

The most difficult part for casting the series involved finding people who would be believable as a family. Alia Shawkat was the first person cast. Michael Cera, Tony Hale, and Jessica Walter were cast from video tapes and flown in to audition for Fox. Jason Bateman and Portia de Rossi both read and auditioned for the network, and were immediately chosen. The character of GOB was the most challenging to cast. When Will Arnett auditioned, he depicted the character in an interesting way, different from expectations; he was chosen immediately. The characters of Tobias and George Sr. were originally going to have minor roles, but David Cross's and Jeffrey Tambor's portrayals mixed well with the rest of the characters, and they were given more significant parts.[2]

Plot synopsis

Template:Spoiler

First season

George Bluth Sr., patriarch of the Bluth family, is the founder and former CEO of the Bluth Company, which markets and builds mini-mansions, among other activities. George Sr. is arrested by the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission for defrauding customers and gross spending of the company's money for "personal expenses". His wife Lucille becomes CEO, and immediately names as the new president her youngest son Buster, who proves ill equipped. Seeing no other options, the family turns to Michael, the middle son, giving him control of the company. To keep the family together, Michael convinces his son and twin sister Lindsay's family to live together in a Bluth model home.

Throughout the first season, different characters struggle to change their identities. Buster works to escape from his mother's control through brotherly bonding and love interests such as Lucille Austero. George Michael nurses a forbidden crush on his cousin Maeby, while continually trying to meet his father's expectations. Lindsay's husband Tobias, a disbarred psychiatrist, searches for work as an actor, with the aid of Carl Weathers. Michael falls in love with his older brother GOB's neglected girlfriend Marta, and is torn between being with her and putting "family first". After he quarrels with GOB, Marta realizes that they do not share the same family values, and she leaves them both. Later, through an escalating series of dares, GOB gets married to a woman he knew for only one night, but cannot get an annulment because he refuses to admit that he did not consummate the marriage. Kitty, George Sr.'s former assistant, tries to blackmail the company, and survives the explosion of a yacht used in one of GOB's magic acts. After previous failed attempts, and a stint with Judaism, George Sr. finally escapes from prison by faking a heart attack. It is also revealed that George committed "light treason" by using the company to build mini-palaces for Saddam Hussein in Iraq.

Second season

File:Arrested Development - Tobias as Mrs Featherbottom.jpg
Tobias (David Cross) dresses up as a British woman, Mrs. Featherbottom, to get closer to his family (the plot to Mrs. Doubtfire)

Because of his father's latest lie about a heart attack, Michael decides to leave his family and company behind. Lucille appoints GOB to be the new Bluth Company president, but he proves incapable and the position reverts back to Michael. George Sr.'s twin brother Oscar moves in with Lucille in an attempt to rekindle a previous love affair. After faking his death in Mexico, George Sr. returns to the family model home, where he hides in the attic. Meanwhile, Buster joins the Army, but escapes serving in Iraq when his hand is bitten off by a loose seal. He bonds with his uncle Oscar, who is revealed as Buster's presumptive biological father. George Michael begins dating a deeply religious girl, Ann Veal; his father does not like her, and tries to disrupt their relationship. Michael fails to break them up, but George Michael sees a chance for his crush on Maeby to bear fruit, and the pair kiss while the living room of the model home collapses under them.

Maeby becomes a film studio executive covertly, and Tobias repeatedly paints himself blue in a futile attempt to join the Blue Man Group. Throughout the season, various blue paint marks can be seen around the family's house and on the back of Tobias's neck when not in full makeup. After being kicked out of the house by Lindsay, Tobias dresses up as "Mrs. Featherbottom" to be around Maeby and prove to the family that he is a good actor. This is an explicitly-narrated reference to Mrs. Doubtfire. Although it is obvious to the whole family that Tobias is in disguise, they enjoy using him to clean up after themselves. Kitty returns to steal a sample of George Sr.'s semen to make her own Bluth baby. George Sr., in revenge for twin brother Oscar's affair with his wife, exchanges appearances with an unconscious Oscar, who is mistakenly sent to prison in the place of George Sr., who flees again.

Third season

File:Arrested Development - Rita.jpg
Rita (Charlize Theron), wearing one of her various hats. The show's writers have made repeated suggestions to the audience that she is a spy, and that her hats contain hidden cameras.

In the third season, Michael once again begins searching for his runaway father. GOB gets an invitation to a father/son reunion outing, and believes it to be George Sr. trying to contact him. In reality, the invitation was meant to reunite GOB with Steve Holt, son of Eve Holt, one of GOB's former loves. Meanwhile, George Michael and Maeby deal with their previous kiss by avoiding each other. Maeby becomes more interested in her former crush, Steve Holt, who, unbeknownst to her, is also her cousin.

George Sr., in an attempt to remain in disguise, joined the Blue Man Group. Michael discovers this, and arranges to have his father placed under house arrest. George Sr. claims that he was set up by an underground British group. Michael goes to Wee Britain, a fictional British-themed city district, to investigate, and in the process meets new love interest Rita (Charlize Theron). Michael and the audience are led to believe that Rita is a mole for the underground British group, working for a man named "Mr. F". In particular, the camera-work and character movements are used to suggest that her various unusual hats are actually hidden cameras or microphones. The true mole, Tobias Fünke, thought he was acting a part by dressing up as a mole. In the end of the episode titled "Mr. F", it is revealed that Rita is actually an MRF, or "mentally retarded female". The unknowing Michael proposes to her, and the couple run off to be wed. Michael eventually finds out the truth, however, and the two decide to end their relationship just as they are about to head down the altar. This was despite the best efforts of George Sr. and Lucille, who learned earlier that, in addition to being an MRF, Rita was also the incredibly rich owner of Wee Britain.

After Michael and Rita's breakup, Lindsay and Tobias' marriage has become so dysfunctional that Tobias has hired Bob Loblaw (who runs Bob Loblaw's Law Blog), and Lindsay hires Loblaw's former protege to work out their divorce. Maeby's career has advanced even further with Lucille's plastic surgery.

In light of FOX's possible cancellation of the show, the first episode of 2006, "SOBs", parodied various gimmicks that other shows had used during November sweeps in 2005. These included scenes filmed in 3-D (Medium), live episodes (Will & Grace, The West Wing), the possibility of a main character dying (Lost), and an (over)abundance of guest stars, the most prominent being Andy Richter (also playing his four identical quintuplet brothers, most likely a reference to his 2004-2005 sitcom, Quintuplets). Thinly-veiled references were made to the possibility of HBO or Showtime picking the show up in the event of its cancellation. The narrator also pleaded viewers to tell their friends about the show, and subtitles told viewers to visit www.saveourbluths.org, though that site does not exist. The name of the site may be a reference to the real fan site www.saveourbluths.com.

Template:Endspoiler

Themes and other characteristics

The show focuses on the tension that developed between the members of the Bluth family, primarily from their diminished spending power. Each show pulls from a serpentine mix of sibling rivalries, unresolved oedipal conflicts, sexual incompatibilities, personal identity crises, adolescent trauma, aging, pride, miscommunication, lying, guilt, subterfuge, determination, manipulation, mutilation, social status anxiety, incest taboo and countless other themes.

Much like other dysfunctional-family comedies such as Malcolm in the Middle, The Simpsons, Roseanne, and Married... with Children, the family unit is depicted as necessary for the survival of the individual. Much of the comedy comes from the quirks of the characters and the patterns that developed within the family structure. The show is considered by some as a faster-paced variant of the series Soap.

Unique presentation

Arrested Development uses several elements that are rare for American live-action sitcoms. Like a documentary, it often cuts away abruptly from scenes in order to supplement the narrative with false documents like security camera footage, Bluth family photos, website screenshots, and archive films. Flashbacks are also extensively used to show the Bluth family in various stages of their lives. The show does not employ a laugh track, allowing for uninterrupted back-and-forth dialogue and permitting more time for plot development and jokes. An omniscient third-person narrator (producer Ron Howard) ties together the multiple plot threads running through each episode, and provides tongue-in-cheek commentary. Wordplay is abundant, for humor and plot; a character may misinterpret an ambiguous phrase with embarrassing or disastrous results. Perhaps most startling for new viewers is the pace, which throws complex, often subtle humor and plot details at the viewer with little breathing room.

Intertextuality and reflexivity

The show is highly intertextual and reflexive, features commonly associated with postmodernism. For example, Arrested Development often alludes to the past work of its cast and crew through the restaging of familiar scenarios, such as Barry Zuckerkorn's jumping the shark from the Happy Days, and by casting former collaborators in small bit parts, including many cast members from Mr. Show with Bob and David. Guest stars frequently appear from other lauded television comedies such as Saturday Night Live, SCTV, The Daily Show, Seinfeld, Scrubs, Curb Your Enthusiasm, MadTV, and The Simpsons. Most of the show's intertextual flavor comes from television culture, but there are other examples, such as the famous falling wall stunt from Buster Keaton's silent feature Steamboat Bill Jr. reenacted by Buster Bluth in the episode "The One Where They Build a House".

File:Arrested Development - Burger King.jpg
Scene referring to Burger King and product placement:
Tobias: "It's a wonderful restaurant!"
Narrator: "It sure is!"

The show's reflexiveness can be literal—with uncredited narrator Ron Howard acknowledging the fact that he is a narrator telling a story—or subtle. In the episode "The British Bombshell", Michael tells George Sr., who he believes is trying to convince him of a lie, "You're a regular Brad Garrett." This is in reference to the cast member behind George Sr., Jeffrey Tambor, who had lost the Emmy for "Best Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series" to Brad Garrett right before the episode aired. The series has acknowledged its competition (Desperate Housewives), commercial sponsor (Burger King), its struggle to go after an "idiot demographic", its use of dramatic moments as act breaks, and Fox's cutback of the second season to 18 episodes. The episode "S.O.B's" made numerous references to Arrested Development's attempts to remain on air. In addition, Ron Howard has made several references to his experiences on the Andy Griffith Show.

Topicality

Arrested Development plays with divisive, controversial social and political issues. Writers have turned references to the Abu Ghraib prison scandal, the U.S. Army's recruiting crisis, the non-existence of weapons of mass destruction in Iraq, and George W. Bush's "Mission Accomplished" photo-op into jokes. It has also poked fun at the decadence of American white collar criminals, religious protest campaigns, controversy over public display of the Ten Commandments, and the restriction of protesters to "free speech zones". Less controversial references include "Girls with Low Self-esteem" (a parody of Girls Gone Wild) and low-carb diets.

Continuity

Template:Spoiler The plot regularly features callbacks to previous episodes (e.g., GOB's recurring use of the phrase "Come on!", repeated use of family members' "chicken dances", George Sr.'s Cornballer invention, repeated use of the phrase "I've made a huge mistake," and the interrogative, "Her?") and will often use what creator Mitch Hurwitz has termed "call-forwards", wherein plots or events will be foreshadowed in subtle ways. For example, many references are made to the loss of limbs, foreshadowing the loss of Buster's hand in the second season. First season episode "Pier Pressure" has several flashbacks to George Sr. hiring a man with a prosthetic arm to teach his children lessons by staging elaborate scenes in which the man has his arm cut off as a result of the children's improper actions. In the first episode of the second season, a news report of a seal attack is played in the background of a scene. Before losing his hand, Buster retrieves his hand-shaped chair, which his mother had secretly given to her maid. Upon retrieval, Buster states, "I never thought I'd miss a hand so much." Bus stop benches have also been utilized for this purpose. In one scene Buster is partly obscuring an Army bench so our view reveals "ARM OFF" and Rita, who we find out later is mentally handicapped, is sitting on a Wee Britain bench so our view reveals "WEE BRAIN". Template:Endspoiler

Music

File:GOB on stage.jpg
GOB on stage, performing to "The Final Countdown"

Besides the short ukulele-based theme song composed by David Schwartz, which is also used as Lindsay's cell phone ringtone, a couple of other songs are featured prominently in Arrested Development. GOB uses Europe's 1986 hit single, "The Final Countdown" in his magic acts, attempting to increase the audience's excitement through improvised dancing and rapid-fire magic tricks. The dramatic, synthesized chords, combined with GOB's high energy and overacting are a clear parody of modern magic acts. "The Final Countdown" is also GOB's ringtone.

The Ashford and Simpson song "Solid" was introduced by GOB as a theme for the Bluth Company during the episode The One Where They Build a House. However, the idea is criticized by Michael because "Solid as a Rock" sounds too similar to "solid as Iraq", Iraq being the country wherein George Sr. built homes and in the process committed "light treason".

"Free at Last", written by David Schwartz and Gabriel Mann, and performed by Mann and Maxayn Lewis, is used in conjunction with parties, protests, or other events involving gay men, transvestites, or male strippers. A recurring gay crossdresser holds a "Freedom" sign of various sizes under this music. An original song called "Big Yellow Joint", apparently written about the Bluth Banana Stand, sounds almost identical to "Alice's Restaurant", and is often used in scenes with aged hippie Oscar Bluth or his stash of marijuana. Nikka Costa's "Everybody Got Their Something" is also used in the score for energetic segues.[1]

Short clips of music are also used to highlight recurring comedic themes in the series. For example, during George Sr.'s stints with religion, or other religious experiences, whether real or feigned, a duduk moans in the background. "Christmas Time Is Here", the piano theme from A Charlie Brown Christmas plays when George Michael Bluth is depressed. Mentions of Mexico get a Spanish guitar riff, dramatic soap opera piano enters when the identity of Buster's father is questioned, and displays of Balboa Bay Window magazine are accompanied by upbeat elevator music.

Response

Ratings

The show is a hit with critics but has not gained a sizeable audience. According to the Nielsen Ratings system, U.S. ratings in the second season averaged about six million viewers, while the third season averaged about four million viewers.[11] To promote their highly anticipated re-broadcast of the animated series Family Guy, FOX announced that it would halt the production of the second season at 18 episodes—4 episodes short of the planned season. Despite rumors that this was a prelude to cancellation, the network defended its actions, by claiming that the show would fare poorly during network sweeps period, and that it was simply a procedural matter. On November 9 2005, FOX announced that the show would not be airing in November sweeps and that they had cut the episode-order for Season 3 from 22 to 13. Although FOX has not officially stated it, news agencies have reported that the show has been cancelled.

Future

While Fox is not expected to make an official announcement about the show's future until the fall schedule is released in spring 2006, other networks have shown interest in the show. In particular, both ABC and Showtime have had serious conversations with 20th Century Fox TV, but formal negotiations have yet to occur. [14]

Critical reviews

"Is it beating a dead horse to once again state that this underappreciated gem is the best sitcom on TV? Too bad. 'Arrested Development' is the best sitcom on TV!"
—Tim Stack, Entertainment Weekly, 14 October, 2005, p.133[9]
"If you're not watching this series on Fox, the least you can do is buy it on DVD. You'll love it, and it's such a dense show (in the best sense of the word) that it rewards repeated viewing. Like Scrubs and the British version of The Office, it's the sort of show that truly deserves to be seen uninterrupted, several episodes at a time, for maximum enjoyment. The laughs-per-minute quotient here is insanely high, making it great value as a home library purchase."
—David Bianculli, New York Daily News, 12 October, 2005[10]
"As Hollywood agents worry about the demise of the town's lowing cash cow, the multi-camera, staged sitcom, here to save the day is Arrested Development, a farce of such blazing wit and originality, that it must surely usher in a new era in comedy."
—Alison Powell, Guardian Unlimited (UK), 12 March, 2005[12]
"This lampoon about a wealthy American family trying to survive while its patriarch is in jail for fraud is one of the funniest shows on telly."
—Marc McEvoy, The Age (Australia), 17 October, 2005[13]
"As oddball as Arrested is, it's also humane. A flawless cast — from Will Arnett's breathy, bombastic Gob to Jessica Walter's boozy Lucille — grounds it, aided by Ron Howard's affable narration. Of course, the center of sensibility is good son Michael (Jason Bateman) and his even better son, George Michael (Michael Cera). Bateman and Cera give the best reacts around — the former all weary exasperation, the latter adorably bunny-stunned. Together, they're the sweetest, awkwardest straight men on the smartest, most shockingly funny series on TV...which is likely canceled, despite six Emmy wins. It's a perversion not even the Bluths deserve."
—Gillian Flynn, Entertainment Weekly, Best of 2005 Issue naming Arrested Development the best TV show of 2005

Nominations and awards

For the first season, the show won five Emmy Awards in 2004, including "Outstanding Comedy Series", "Outstanding Casting for a Comedy Series", and "Outstanding Writing for a Comedy Series" for the pilot episode. In 2005, the second season brought eleven Emmy nominations in seven categories and one win, "Outstanding Writing in a Comedy Series", by Mitchell Hurwitz and Jim Vallely for the finale "Righteous Brothers".

Other awards include:

Most recently, Arrested Development was nominated for a Writers Guild of America Award for Comedy series, whose winner will be announced on February 4th, 2006.

Broadcast history

The first season of Arrested Development premiered in the U.S. on November 2 2003, on Fox. The time slot has been repeatedly changed in attempts to increase its ratings. Three seasons, totalling 53 episodes, have been produced. It airs on Fox, Monday nights at 8:00 p.m. ET.

The series also airs in Canada, the United Kingdom, and Australia, among others. In Canada, the show airs Mondays at 8:00 p.m. ET on either Global or CH (many viewers can see the show on FOX if they get cable). The series began airing in the U.K. on September 29, 2004, initially on both BBC2 and BBC4. Recently, it was dropped from BBC4, while the time slot for BBC2 has been repeatedly changed. The second season is airing on BBC2 on Sunday at around 11:30 p.m.

In Australia, the series premiered on November 30, 2004, on Free-to-air Channel 7 at 10:30 p.m. on Tuesdays. It now airs at 11:00 p.m. on Monday nights on Channel 7, with the second season starting on November 28, 2005. It is also shown on Foxtel (Australian Cable TV) Saturdays at 6:00 p.m. on The Comedy Channel, with the first season on rotation in DVD order. It premiered on Foxtel in August 2005.

Other international markets which have aired the show include the following, listed here with premiere dates: Argentina, March 2 2004; Italy, April 8 2004; Ireland, August 5, 2004; Turkey, September 6 2004; Finland, February 2 2005; Sweden, February 14 2005; Iceland, August 12 2005; and the Netherlands, September 3 2005.

DVD release

The first season was released on DVD on October 19 2004. Extra features include the unaired, extended pilot episode, commentary by creator Mitchell Hurwitz and other members of the cast, and various behind-the-scenes featurettes.[4] The second season was released on DVD on October 11 2005, and includes such featurettes as commentary, deleted scenes, bloopers, and the campaign videos featured in the episode titled "The Immaculate Election".[5] Fans of the show hope that DVD sales will influence the fate of the show, as was the case with the previously cancelled series Family Guy—now back in production—and Firefly, which was brought back as the feature film Serenity.

Episode list

Main article: List of episodes of Arrested Development

Trivia

File:Arrested Development - Star Wars Kid.jpg
George Michael's video taped reenactment of Star Wars, à la Star Wars Kid
  • In the episode "The Ocean Walker", Buster loses his prosthetic hand when it becomes lodged in the dashboard of the stair car as he is dancing to Styx's song, "Mr. Roboto". Fans may remember a similar scene from a 1999 Volkswagen commercial which, not so coincidentally, also featured actor Tony Hale.
  • The episode "The Immaculate Election" features a video tape of George Michael reenacting scenes from Star Wars, parodying the internet meme video of Star Wars Kid. The scene is set in the family garage.
  • In the episode "Motherboy XXX", Barry Zuckerkorn (Henry Winkler, the Fonz on Happy Days) hops over a dead shark, in a reference to the jumping of the shark from Happy Days. In the third season, the role of the lawyer was played by Scott Baio, who co-starred with Winkler on Happy Days. This parodies Baio's being brought into Happy Days to attract younger audiences.
  • David Cross was originally approached to play Buster, but opted to play Tobias so he wouldn't have to spend as much time in L.A. (Tobias was intended to only be a recurring character)
  • David Cross improvises much of his character's dialogue.
  • As the narrator, Ron Howard makes several references to both The Andy Griffith Show and Happy Days, on which he played Opie Taylor and Richie Cunningham, respectively.
  • Charlize Theron, who plays Rita, was selected for the role after she told one of the directors how much she enjoyed the show and would like to appear as a character.
  • During the Season 3 arc with Rita, there are a few instances where at the end of the episode there is a message reading "The End...but Michael Bluth will be back in (episode name)," a knock on the message seen in the credits during James Bond movies.
  • In the Season 2 episode "Sword of Destiny," Dr. Stein (played by Dan Castellaneta, the voice of Homer Simpson) says D'oh! after mistakingly leaving surgical tools inside Michael following the latter's appendectomy, referencing his character of Homer, without using Homer's distinctive voice.
  • Many of David Cross's co-stars from Mr. Show with Bob and David have made brief appearances on the show, including Bob Odenkirk (as "Dr. Gunty"), Jay Johnston (as "Officer Taylor"), Jerry Minor (as "Officer Carter"), John Ennis (as "Supervisor") and Becky Thyre (as "Loretta").
  • At the begining of the series, the audience is informed that Michael's wife passed away. However, neither her name, nor her cause of death were mentioned. During the course of the series, background context clues have shown that her name was Tracy. (In the attic of the model home, there are boxes labeled "Tracy's Maternity Clothes".) Michael also says to his father "So you're wearing Tracy's maternity clothes". In the episode "The Ocean Walker", an sign at Michael's wedding says "Micheal loves Marry", with an extra "r" noticeably written in. Therefore, Michael's first wife maybe have been named Mary. In a third-season episode entitled "Prison Break-In" (a reference to fellow FOX show Prison Break), Michael attempts to have the yearly gala set up to raise money for ovarian cancer research, hinting to the audience that Tracy may have died of the disease.
  • The show's title, Arrested Development, has various meanings. One example is that their family is in real estate (or development) and the patriarch got arrested. Another is the phrase arrested development, which means someone who doesn't act their age. Another one is the fact that their development has been "arrested" or stopped. Yet another is the commentary on comedic sitcoms themselves and how they have not progressed past a certain point.
  • In the episode Good Grief there are a significant number of Peanuts references. The most notable one comes from the episode title (a line Charlie Brown frequently used) and how the Vince Guaraldi song Christmas Time Is Here is used frequently in times when a character is sulking. Also, there is a scene where a couple is carrying a broken-down tree like in A Charlie Brown Christmas, one where a beagle is lying on top of a doghouse like Snoopy, and a scene where the banana stand has a sign reading "The Banana Stand Operator is (Out)" sign, similar to the sign at Lucy's psychiatry stand.
  • On the community website ImOscar.com, Oscar's inmate number is 24601. This is the prisoner number of Jean Valjean in the book Les Misérables, written by Victor Hugo in 1862. The implication of this reference is that Oscar believes he is being unjustly imprisoned.

Celebrity guests

The show frequently brings in celebrity guests. A partial list is included below.

Recurring roles

  • Scott Baio — as "Bob Loblaw" in "Forget Me Now", "Notapusy", "Mr. F", and "Making a Stand"
  • John F. Beard — as himself in numerous episodes
  • Ed Begley Jr. — as "Stan Sitwell" in "Switch Hitter", "Queen for a Day", "Burning Love", and "Ready, Aim, Marry Me"
  • Zach Braff - as Phillip Litt in "Spring Breakout" and "S.O.B.'s"
  • Rob Corddry — as "Moses Taylor" a.k.a. "Frank Wrench" in "Burning Love" and "The Immaculate Election"
  • Julia Louis-Dreyfus — as "Maggie Lizer" in "Altar Egos", "Justice Is Blind", "Out on a Limb", and "Hand to God"
  • Jeff Garlin — as "Mort Meyers" in "Switch Hitter", "Queen for a Day", "Spring Breakout", "Righteous Brothers", "Mr. F", and "Making a Stand."
  • Judy Greer — as "Kitty Sanchez" in "Charity Drive", "Visiting Ours", "Missing Kitty", "Not Without My Daughter", "Let 'Em Eat Cake", "The One Where They Build a House", "Amigos", "Spring Breakout", "Righteous Brothers", and "The Cabin Show"
  • John Michael Higgins — as "Wayne Jarvis" in "In God We Trust", "Sad Sack", and "Righteous Brothers"
  • James Lipton — as "Warden Stefan Gentles" in "Staff Infection", "Altar Egos", "Missing Kitty", and "Prison Break-In"
  • Jane Lynch - as "Cindi Lightballoon" in "Shock and Aww" and "Altar Egos"
  • Super Dave Osborne — as "Larry Middleman" in "Forget Me Now", "Notapusy", "Mr. F", "The Ocean Walker", and "S.O.B's"
  • Amy Poehler (married to series actor Will Arnett) — as "Wife of G.O.B" in "Altar Egos", "Justice Is Blind", "Best Man for the Gob", "Whistler's Mother", and "Motherboy XXX"
  • Andy Richter — as himself in "Switch Hitter" and as himself/Richter brothers in "S.O.B.'s"
  • Ian Roberts — as Dr. Fishman, the Literal Doctor, (nicknamed "Dr. Wordsmith"), in "Let 'Em Eat Cake", "The One Where Michael Leaves", "Hand to God", and "The Sword of Destiny"
  • Ben Stiller — as "Tony Wonder" in "Good Grief!", "The Sword of Destiny" and "S.O.B's"
  • Christine Taylor — as "Sally Sitwell" in "Burning Love" and "Out on a Limb"
  • Dave Thomas — as "(Uncle) Trevor" in "The British Bombshell", "Forget Me Now", "Notapusy", "Mr. F", and "The Ocean Walker"
  • Charlize Theron — as "Rita" in "The British Bombshell", "Forget Me Now", "Notapusy", "Mr. F", and "The Ocean Walker"
  • Carl Weathers — as himself in "Public Relations", "Marta Complex", and "Motherboy XXX"

Cameo appearances

See IMDB for more guest listings.

Broadcasters

References

Wikiquote has quotations related to Arrested Development.
  1. Arrested Development. Created by Mitchell Hurwitz. 2003–present. Broadcast and DVD.
  2. ^ "Interview: Katie O'Connell". November 24. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |date= and |year= / |date= mismatch (help)
  3. "Arrested Development official site". November 18. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |date= and |year= / |date= mismatch (help)
  4. ^ "Amazon.com Arrested Development Season 1 DVD: Product details". November 18. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |date= and |year= / |date= mismatch (help)
  5. ^ "Amazon.com Arrested Development Season 2 DVD: Product details". November 18. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |date= and |year= / |date= mismatch (help)
  6. "IMDb.com Arrested Development (2003)". November 18. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |date= and |year= / |date= mismatch (help)
  7. "Balboa Observer-Picayune Reference section". November 19. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |date= and |year= / |date= mismatch (help)
  8. "Arrested Development Television Show - TV.com". November 19. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |date= and |year= / |date= mismatch (help)
  9. ^ "EW DVD Review". November 21. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |date= and |year= / |date= mismatch (help)
  10. ^ "New York Daily News: Box sets that make great gifts". November 21. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |date= and |year= / |date= mismatch (help)
  11. ^ "Die-hard Arrested Development fans already feeling sting of loss". November 23. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |date= and |year= / |date= mismatch (help)
  12. ^ "Guardian Unlimited: "A Family Affair"". November 24. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |date= and |year= / |date= mismatch (help)
  13. ^ "The Age: Arrested Development". November 24. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |date= and |year= / |date= mismatch (help)
  14. ^ "Inside Move: Nets keen to get 'Arrested'". December 13. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |date= and |year= / |date= mismatch (help)

Official sites

Fan sites

Other show sites

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