Arrested Development, if you are one of the people who didn’t see it, aired on the FOX network from 2003-2006. It was created by Ron Howard and was loved by reviewers but ratings were not as high as planned. It was a cult comedy that was intelligent while embracing physical comedy as well. Fans have hoped for years that the show would return. Their wish has been answered. On May 26, 2013 a new 14 episode season will air on Netflix for subscribers. This has been rumored to be a lead-in to an Arrested Development movie.
During its three season run, Arrested Development won six Emmy Awards and one Golden Globe, in addition to 25 more wins and nominations for 38 other awards. The critical acclaim was widespread, from Time magazine to Entertainment Weekly. For some reason, the ratings never soared (as they should have) and the show was canceled in 2006. It became one of those cult series that a select group of fans loved and persisted in demanding a return to the house of Bluth.
The series begins with Michael Bluth (Jason Bateman) shoved into the responsibility of taking care of his family and the family business when his father is jailed for embezzling. This is no ordinary family. In addition to son George Michael (Michael Cera) – who has a crush on his cousin Maeby (Alia Shawkat), Michael must keep his mother’s (Jessica Walter) drinking and spending under control, aid his twin sister Lindsay (Portia de Rossi) and her husband Tobias (David Cross)with their floundering marriage, unsuccessful magician brother Gob succeed, younger brother Buster (Tony Hale) with his social ineptitude and dependence on his mother, and of course, his father’s (Jeffrey Tambor) life and schemes in prison. The pièce de résistance is, of course, narration by Ron Howard himself.
Guest appearances by stars such as Henry Winkler, Scott Baio, Liza Minelli, Carl Weathers, Charlize Theron, Judy Greer, Ed Begley, Jr , and Julia Louis-Dreyfus complemented the amazing cast. New guest actors include John Slattery, Conan O’Brien, Seth Rogen, and Kristen Wiig.
Fans of Arrested Development can now begin the celebration. Netflix, an on-demand streaming media company, is licensing new episodes to be viewed exclusively to their customers. Fifteen new episodes have been filmed with the original cast and will be released all at once on May 26, 2013. Rumors of some returning guest stars are abuzz as are stories of an Arrested Development feature film, though there is no deal for this at present.
The Bluths are the ultimate functionally dysfunctional family. If you missed the series the first time around, all three seasons are available to watch on Netflix. There’s still time for a Bluth Marathon! Join the Never-Nakeds in your denim cutoffs and… Okay, that’s an inside joke. You really just need to watch.
I am incredibly excited to watch this new season. I loved the original series and have just rewatched it in preparation for season four. Join me, won’t you?
