Jump to content

Arrested Development

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

This is an old revision of this page, as edited by Dirk gently~enwiki (talk | contribs) at 23:01, 17 August 2006 (fixed references). The present address (URL) is a permanent link to this revision, which may differ significantly from the current revision.

For the hip hop group, see Arrested Development (hip hop group).
Arrested Development
Arrested Development logo
Created byMitchell Hurwitz
Ron Howard
StarringJason Bateman
Portia de Rossi
Will Arnett
Michael Cera
Alia Shawkat
Tony Hale
David Cross
Jeffrey Tambor
Jessica Walter
Narrated byRon Howard
(uncredited)
Country of originUSA
No. of episodes53
Production
Camera setupSingle camera
Running timeapproximately 21 minutes
Original release
NetworkFox
ReleaseNovember 2, 2003 –
February 10, 2006

Arrested Development is a character-driven American comedy television series about a formerly wealthy and habitually dysfunctional family that ran from November 2, 2003 to February 10, 2006. The series is presented in a fashion reminiscent of documentary film/cinéma vérité, with omniscient narration (by Ron Howard), archival photographs, and historic footage. Although set in Newport Beach and Balboa Island, California, it was primarily filmed in locations around Culver City and Marina del Rey, about an hour drive north.

The show was created by Mitchell Hurwitz, the creator of The Ellen Show, and writer for The John Larroquette Show and The Golden Girls. Hurwitz, together with Ron Howard, Brian Grazer, and David Nevins (all part of Imagine Entertainment) are executive producers. It airs/aired on broadcast networks worldwide, including Fox in the United States and Latin America, TV3 in Ireland, BBC Two in the United Kingdom, Global TV in Canada, in Asia on STAR World and in Australia on the Seven Network & The Comedy Channel.

Since its debut, the series earned six Emmys, a Golden Globe, and a cult fan base of perhaps four million American viewers. It was also recognized with the "Future Classic" award at the 2004 TV Land Awards. Despite the critical acclaim, however, the show struggled to find a wide audience throughout its run.

Fox aired the final four episodes of the third season in a block as a two hour series finale on February 10, 2006. In the United Kingdom, BBC Two picked up the series in September 2004, and has finished airing the second season. Showtime was rumored to have offered to pick up the show with at least 26 planned episodes following its release from the Fox Network. However, Mitch Hurwitz had decided not to continue with the show.[1]

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 series' characters and plot. The pilot script was submitted in January 2003, and filmed in March. The finished pilot was submitted in late April, and the series was added to the fall schedule in May.[2]

Characters

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

The plot of 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), the patriarch of the family, is the founder of the Bluth Company, whose primary operations are building and marketing mini-mansions. 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 II; 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, constantly seeking validation of his father's love, 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 "Never Nude," who became an aspiring actor after his psychiatrist's license was revoked, and whose language and behavior often have inadvertent 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), a schoolmate of George Michael and Maeby; Stan Sitwell (Ed Begley Jr.), George Sr.'s main business rival; and Scott Baio as attorney Bob Loblaw (pronounced, "Ba blah blah"), a replacement for Barry Zuckerkorn, in part, because he "skews younger" (an allusion to Baio's "Happy Days" character "Chachi," who was brought in to inject youth into the aging Winkler's "Fonzie."). Julia Louis-Dreyfus, Charlize Theron, and Amy Poehler 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]

Episode list

Main article: List of Arrested Development episodes

Plot synopsis

Template:Spoiler

First season

George Bluth Sr., while retiring as CEO of the Bluth Company, is arrested by the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission for defrauding investors 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 psychiatrist whose license has been revoked, 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 (although Gob retains the figurehead title of president for some time). George Sr.'s twin brother Oscar (also played by Jeffrey Tambor) 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, Lucille signs Buster up for the Army, but he 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 inadvertently cons her way into a film studio executive position. While helping her father spread the Fünke name around the studio to help him land a part, she bumps into Mort Meyers (Jeff Garlin) who mistakes her for the Fünke everyone has been talking about. Tobias repeatedly paints himself blue in a futile attempt to join the Blue Man Group, originally believing them to be a support group for depressed men. 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. Later, however, it was revealed that she is mentally retarded, and that the hats are just poor fashion choices, apparently as a result of that condition.

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 intimate partners. Meanwhile, George Michael and Maeby deal with their previous kiss by avoiding each other.

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 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 walk down the aisle. Meanwhile, Tobias and Lindsay variously seek legal help from Bob Loblaw concerning their troubled marriage.

In light of FOX's possible cancellation of the show, the first episode of 2006 parodied various gimmicks that other shows had used during November sweeps in 2005. Thinly-veiled allusions were made to the possibility of HBO or Showtime picking the show up in the event of its cancellation. The episode took shots at frequently cited reasons for the show's failure in the ratings, such as complex storylines that are hard to follow, obscure references that may go over viewers' heads, and unlikeable, unrelatable main characters.

Disturbed by both Lindsay's and Tobias's advances, Bob Loblaw chooses to no longer represent the Bluth family. Attorney Jan Eagleman offers to represent the family, on the condition that they participate in a mock trial in a new reality courtroom show, presided over by Judge Reinhold. Meanwhile, Maeby and George Michael perform in a mock wedding which is accidentally conducted by a real priest, and the two become legally married.

The family members are afraid to testify at the mock trial and deposition, so Buster fakes a coma, Lindsay and Lucille fake entering rehab, and Gob flees the country to perform in a USO Tour in Iraq. All of the deceptions are uncovered by the prosecution, and in Iraq, Gob is arrested for inadvertently inciting an anti-US riot. Buster and Michael travel to Iraq to rescue Gob, and while there, uncover evidence that the mini-palaces George Sr. built in Iraq were actually ordered and paid for by the CIA for wiretapping purposes. After this discovery, the US government drops all of the charges against George Sr..

To celebrate, the Bluths throw a shareholders' party on the Queen Mary. During the preparation of the party, it is revealed that Lindsay was an adopted child, meaning that George Michael and Maeby are not blood relatives. At the party, the Bluth's other adopted child, Annyong, reappears. He reveals that he is there to avenge his grandfather's deportation, an event orchestrated by Lucille Bluth. Annyong has turned over evidence implicating Lucille in the Bluth Company's accounting scandals. Before the police arrive, Michael and George Michael flee on GOB's yacht, the 'C-Word', and depart to Cabo with half a million dollars in cashier's checks, finally leaving the family to fend for themselves. However, it is revealed in the epilogue that George Sr. is also on the yacht, having lured his brother Oscar into taking his place once again. Also in the epilogue, Maeby tries to sell the television rights to the story of the Bluth family to Ron Howard, who tells her that he sees it as a movie rather than a series.

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 quirky 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.

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.

"On the next…"

Nearly every episode ends with an epilogue segment called "On the next Arrested Development," in which lingering stories are wrapped up or extended humorously. These segments portray events that do not actually appear in the subsequent episodes, but remain part of the series' canon. However, on some rare occasions (typically in the first half of a two-part episode), scenes from these portions are worked into the following episode; also, the segment occasionally shows a significant plot twist (e.g. Maggie Lizer's deception, Buster's accident, Steve Holt's discovery).

The first two season finales changed the segment to "On the next season of Arrested Development…" and in the third season finale (which was also the series finale), it became "On the epilogue…"

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 Henry Winkler's jumping the shark from 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, the Upright Citizens Brigade 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 may be literal or subtle. In the episode "For British Eyes Only," 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 playing 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 by parodying typical television ratings ploys and hinted at the attempts of other networks to purchase the series from Fox. In addition, narrator 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. In that same vein, George Sr. has appeared as Osama Bin Laden and Saddam Hussein. 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". Other references include "Girls with Low Self-Esteem" (a parody of Girls Gone Wild), low-carb diets, and "Star Wars Kid" Ghyslain Raza.

Continuity

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," and the interrogative, "Her?") and will often use what creator Mitch Hurwitz has termed "call-forwards," wherein plots or events will be foreshadowed in extremely subtle ways.

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. In the second and third seasons of the show GOB's duet with his puppet Franklin, title "It Ain't Easy Being White," has also become a repeated joke. The duet parodies Stevie Wonder and Paul McCartney's "Ebony and Ivory."

"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 Arlo Guthrie's "Alice's Restaurant" and is often used in scenes with aged hippie Oscar Bluth or his stash of marijuana. "Gonna Get Together," by Leroy, is used in many instances to convey a sense of excitement by George Michael about his cousin, Maeby. Nikka Costa's "Everybody Got Their Something" is also used in the score for energetic segues.[3]

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," Vince Guaraldi's piano theme from A Charlie Brown Christmas, plays when George Michael Bluth is depressed. Mentions of Mexico get a Spanish guitar riff, and displays of Balboa Bay Window magazine are accompanied by upbeat elevator music. The same dramatic soap opera style music can always be heard (and abruptly cut off) whenever Oscar makes a hint about being Buster's father.

Response

Ratings

The show was critically acclaimed but did not gain 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.[4] To promote their re-broadcast of the animated series Family Guy, FOX announced that it would halt the production of the second season at eighteen episodes–four episodes short of the planned season. Despite rumors that this was a prelude to cancellation, the network defended its actions, claiming that the show would fare poorly during network sweeps period and that it was simply a procedural matter. For the third season FOX positioned the show directly opposite Monday Night Football. Ratings were even worse than previous seasons. David Cross alluded to poor marketing of the show by FOX on the second season DVD. 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. FOX ended up showing the last four episodes in a two hour timeslot—directly opposite the opening ceremonies of the 2006 Winter Olympics. The ratings for the final episodes were poor. FOX has officially cancelled the show.

Future

Despite months-long rumors of Arrested Development having been picked up by the Showtime Network, and star Jason Bateman's confirmation that two new seasons of the series had been ordered,[citation needed] the San Francisco Chronicle reported on March 28, 2006 that creator Mitch Hurwitz will not be returning.[5] As Showtime had made it clear that Hurwitz's involvement was a requirement for the continuation of the show, Arrested Development is considered by both its creators and fans as having reached its end on television. Hurwitz has, however, previously alluded to the possibility of a feature film.[citation needed]

On July 27, 2006, it was announced that Microsoft's MSN.com and the cable channels G4 and HDNet have purchased the syndication rights to the show, allowing it to be re-aired through 2009, despite only having 53 total episodes.[6] The threshold for a show to be re-aired in syndication is generally considered to be 100 episodes. G4 bought the cable rights to the show and will have a daily 11:30 PM spot for the show beginning on September 4th. HDNet, which bought the exclusive HD rights to the show, will air back-to-back episodes on Wednesday nights, beginning September 2006.[6]

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[7]
"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[8]
"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[9]
"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[10]
"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 Directing for a Comedy Series," and "Outstanding Writing for a Comedy Series," both for the pilot episode written by Mitchell Hurwitz and directed by brothers Joe and Anthony Russo. In 2005, the second season brought eleven Emmy nominations in seven categories and one win, for "Outstanding Writing for a Comedy Series" for the season finale "The Righteous Brothers," written by Mitchell Hurwitz and Jim Vallely. For its truncated third season, the show received four 2006 Emmy nominations, including Outstanding Comedy Series, Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series (Will Arnett as GOB Bluth), Outstanding Single-Camera Picture Editing for a Comedy Series for the episode "Ocean Walker," and Outstanding Comedy Writing for the episode "Development Arrested."[1]

Other awards include:

  • The Television Critics Association 2004 Awards for "Outstanding Comedy" and "Outstanding New Program," and the 2005 award for "Outstanding Achievement in Comedy."
  • The 2005 Golden Globe Award for "Best Performance by an Actor in a Television Series - Musical or Comedy" for Jason Bateman.
  • The 2004 Writers Guild of America Award for best teleplay in an episodic comedy, for the first season episode "Pier Pressure," written by Mitchell Hurwitz and Jim Vallely.
  • The TV Land Award for "Future Classic."
  • In 2004, for season one, the Golden Satellite Award for "Best Television Series, Comedy or Musical," along with best performance by an actor/actress in a supporting role, comedy or musical awards for Jeffrey Tambor and Jessica Walter. In 2005, for season two, Jason Bateman and Portia de Rossi won best actor and actress in a series, comedy or musical. Jason Bateman also won the same award for the third season.

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. The final 4 episodes of season 3 of Arrested Development were shown back-to-back in a special two hour block on February 10, 2006 from 8-10pm ET/PT on Fox.

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 UK on 29 September 2004, initially on both BBC2 and BBC4. Mid-way through the second season, however, the show was dropped from BBC4, while the time slot for BBC2 was repeatedly changed. The second season typically aired on BBC2 on Sunday nights at around 11:30 pm.

In Australia, the series premiered on November 30, 2004, on free-to-air Channel 7 at 10:30 p.m. on Tuesdays. It was later moved to the 11:00 p.m. timeslot on Monday nights on Channel 7, with the second season starting on November 28, 2005. Season 3 premiered on April 25 on Channel 7 at 12:00 a.m. with The Cabin Show. 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; South Africaon etv Season 1 2004 and Season 2 14 May 2006 and the Netherlands, September 3 2005.

DVD release

Season Releases

DVD Name Release Date Ep # Additional Information
Season 1 October 19 2004 22 This three disc box set includes all 22 episodes from Season 1. Bonus features include the unaired, extended pilot episode, commentary by creator Mitchell Hurwitz and other members of the cast, deleted and extended scenes, and various behind-the-scenes featurettes.[11]
Season 2 October 11 2005 18 This three disc box set includes all 18 episodes from Season 2. Bonus features include commentary, deleted scenes, bloopers, and the campaign videos featured in the episode titled "The Immaculate Election".[12]
Season 3 August 29 2006 13 This two disc box set will include all 13 episodes from Season 3. Bonus features include commentary on three episodes, 19 deleted and extended scenes, behind the scenes featurette, and Season 3 blooper reel. [13]

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.

The first two seasons have also been released on DVD outside of the U.S., including in the United Kingdom, Republic of Ireland, mainland Europe, Canada and Australia.

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 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.
  • In the episode Motherboy XXX, Barry Zuckerkorn (Henry Winkler, the Fonz on Happy Days) hops over a dead shark, referencing the jumping of the shark from Happy Days. The role of the lawyer was later filled by Scott Baio, who had been 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 Los Angeles, as the role was originally intended to only be a recurring character. Due to the character's popularity during test-screenings of the pilot episode, he was given a much bigger role, and is the only actor on the show to improvise a large portion of his dialogue.
  • Contrary to popular belief, almost none of the actors' lines were improvised (except the above-mentioned David Cross), and the show was very tightly scripted, with writers often on set during shoot to punch up dialogue. The actors' movements, however, are mostly improvised. Contrary to many sitcoms, which shoot in a multicamera setup with four or five cameras behind the fourth wall on a set, Arrested Development is shot in a single camera setup with several free moving camera operators which follow the actors around in the style of a documentary.
  • 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.
  • 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 reference to the similar announcements made in the end credits of James Bond movies.
  • In the episode Sword of Destiny, Dr. Stein (Dan Castellaneta) says D'oh! after mistakenly leaving tools inside Michael following an appendectomy, referencing his character Homer Simpson. "I knew it," Lucille quickly says.
  • 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").
  • In the episode Good Grief there are a significant number of Peanuts references.
  • In the episode Development Arrested a Skating With Celebrities promotional poster is seen at the Tantamount Studios campus, and later Buster says he prefers that show when Maeby attempts to get him to sign away the rights of the Bluth family story for a movie. (Celebrities not only took Arrested's Monday night time slot, but also increased the Monday ratings considerably.)
  • Scenes involving the Bluth Frozen Banana Stand were filmed next to the lighthouse in Fisherman's Village, Marina del Rey, California.
  • This is one of seven series in which the character Detective John Munch, played by Richard Belzer, has appeared. The other six are Homicide: Life on the Street, Law & Order, The X-Files, Law & Order: Special Victims Unit, The Beat and Law & Order: Trial by Jury.
  • In the episode Exit Strategy, a "translator" on the television, who is translating the (phony) words of Saddam Hussein, who himself is attempting to prove that he is not the "real" Saddam because the real Saddam has a scar on his forehead, references the website ImNoScar.com, which is a joke referring to both the scar on the head of what seems to be a Saddam Hussein lookalike living in the Bluth's Iraq house, and the website www.ImOscar.com from previous episodes.
  • On the show, GOB gets married to a stranger after a series of escalating dares. The woman is played by Amy Poehler, who is Will Arnett's wife.

Celebrity guests

Well-known actors appearing in guest roles and cameos include:

Broadcasters

References

  1. ^ "Series Creator Mitch Hurwitz Says No More Arrested Development". Retrieved April 28. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |accessdate= (help); Unknown parameter |accessyear= ignored (|access-date= suggested) (help)
  2. ^ a b "Interview: Katie O'Connell". Retrieved November 24. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |accessdate= (help); Unknown parameter |accessyear= ignored (|access-date= suggested) (help)
  3. ^ Episode transcript of pilot, retrieved July 5 2006
  4. ^ "Die-hard Arrested Development fans already feeling sting of loss". Retrieved November 23. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |accessdate= (help); Unknown parameter |accessyear= ignored (|access-date= suggested) (help)
  5. ^ "San Francisco Chronicle: "R.I.P., Arrested Development"". Retrieved March 28. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |accessdate= (help); Unknown parameter |accessyear= ignored (|access-date= suggested) (help)
  6. ^ a b ""Arrested" breaks out on 3 fronts". Reuters. 2006-07-27. Retrieved 2006-07-28.
  7. ^ "EW DVD Review". Retrieved November 21. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |accessdate= (help); Unknown parameter |accessyear= ignored (|access-date= suggested) (help)
  8. ^ "New York Daily News: Box sets that make great gifts". Retrieved November 21. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |accessdate= (help); Unknown parameter |accessyear= ignored (|access-date= suggested) (help)
  9. ^ "Guardian Unlimited: "A Family Affair"". Retrieved November 24. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |accessdate= (help); Unknown parameter |accessyear= ignored (|access-date= suggested) (help)
  10. ^ "The Age: Arrested Development". Retrieved November 24. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |accessdate= (help); Unknown parameter |accessyear= ignored (|access-date= suggested) (help)
  11. ^ "Amazon.com Arrested Development Season 1 DVD: Product details". Retrieved November 18. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |accessdate= (help); Unknown parameter |accessyear= ignored (|access-date= suggested) (help)
  12. ^ "Amazon.com Arrested Development Season 2 DVD: Product details". Retrieved November 18. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |accessdate= (help); Unknown parameter |accessyear= ignored (|access-date= suggested) (help)
  13. ^ Lacey, Gord. "Arrested Development - Phew! Extras on Season 3". TV Shows on DVD. Retrieved 2006-07-01.
  14. ^ "Arrested Development: For British Eyes Only". Retrieved 2006-04-09.
Wikiquote has quotations related to Arrested Development.

Note that some or all of these sites are no longer available. They were all, at one point or another, functional, and are listed here as a reference. The Internet Archive Wayback Machine may have archived versions of these sites. Official website

Sites mentioned in the series

  • ImOscar.com, mentioned in "The Cabin Show" episode. Set up by Oscar Bluth to generate support for his innocence (now offline).
  • ImNoScar.com, mentioned in season three. Set up by an apparent Saddam Hussein lookalike to prove his innocence. (now offline)
  • Never-Nude.com, the official site describing the plight suffered by Never-Nudes worldwide (now offline).
  • FreeAnnyong.com, a site dedicated to freeing Annyong from the Bluth family (now offline).
  • TonyWonder.com, magician Tony Wonder's official web-site (now offline).
  • Barrygood.biz, mentioned in the season one episode "In God We Trust," on a chair advertising lawyer Barry Zuckerkorn. Note: this external link is not official, but does have a link to "Save our Bluths".

Petitions

Fan sites

Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Arrested_Development&oldid=70318222"