Why You Should Be Watching Arrested Development
Michael Bluth: There’s been a lot of lying in this family.
Lucille Bluth(his mother): And a lot of love.
Michael Bluth: More lies.
Arrested Development chronicles the saga of the dysfunctional Bluth family as they navigate a family crisis. The series revolves around Michael Bluth as he attempts to pick up the pieces of his family’s business after his father is imprisoned. What follows is a tale of chaos, deception and absurdity as Michael endeavours to drag his narcissistic and incompetent family from the brink of destruction.
When Arrested Development first aired on Fox in November of 2003, neither the cast nor the show’s creator, Mitchell Hurwitz, expected the show to take off. In the end, they were right. After three seasons of low ratings(despite significant critical claim), Fox pulled the plug on the show and by February of 2006, Arrested Development was no more. However, many of the cast were surprised they had gotten that far. Indeed, in an interview for Esquire in 2009, Michael Cera expressed his reservations about the show’s success:
Arrested Development never felt safe. Even the first season, we did thirteen episodes, and we thought we’d never do a back nine. So I never thought in a million years we’d get to make three seasons. I was happy we got that far.
Despite its lack of commercial success, Arrested Development amassed a cult following, and time was kind to it. Many critics continue to herald it as one of the best TV shows of all time. In 2013, Netflix decided to revive the series, a testament to its loyal fan base and growing popularity.
Looking back, it is both astounding and perfectly reasonable that the show didn’t take off. To say it was a unique comedy would be an understatement. With its matter of fact narrator and handheld camera work, Arrested Development broke the mould of the traditional sitcom. It had a penchant for running gags and catchphrases, and boasted a broad range of unusual characters. From the cold and calculating Lucille to the brash and bombastic Gob, Arrested Development’s characters were by and large people you would cross to the opposite side of the road if you saw, but they made for endlessly entertaining television.
In many senses, Arrested Development was truly ahead of its time. Its single-camera set up inspired several popular shows such as Community and 30 Rock. Its script is incredibly witty and the performances are stellar all around, with each actor fitting their respective characters like a glove. The show featured an ensemble cast, kickstarting the career of Will Arnett, and boosting the careers of Jason Bateman and Michael Cera. The show also had some of best uses of guest stars you’ll ever see, with memorable performances from Liza Minelli as Lucille Austero and Henry Winkler as the Bluth family’s sleazy lawyer, Barry Zuckerkorn. Despite the huge cast, no one feels wasted on the show, which is remarkable considering the show’s rather short run.
What really sets Arrested Development apart from other shows is its incredible attention to detail. 14 years after the original series ended, fans are still coming across subtle call backs and references littered throughout the series. The show is so easy to consume it is easy to miss that is absolutely saturated with layered jokes and foreshadowing. This gives it amazing rewatch value, as you are guaranteed to notice something on a second viewing that you hadn’t noticed before. The scripts are a masterclass in comedy writing, as showcased by the show’s ability to make dozens of jokes on the same theme(e.g. the possibility of Tobias’ being gay) in so many different ways that it always feels fresh and original. And 14 years on, that’s really how Arrested Development still feels. Fresh and original.
The first three seasons of Arrested Development were truly lightning in a bottle, and while the new seasons are certainly enjoyable and well put together, it is always difficult getting lightning back in a bottle.
