Arrested Development (TV series)
Arrested Development | |
---|---|
Format | Sitcom |
Created by | Mitchell Hurwitz |
Starring | see below |
Narrated by | Ron Howard (uncredited) |
Country of origin | United States |
No. of episodes | 53 (List of episodes) |
Production | |
Executive producer(s) | Brian Grazer Ron Howard Mitchell Hurwitz David Nevins |
Camera setup | Single camera |
Running time | approx. 22 min. |
Broadcast | |
Original channel | FOX |
Picture format | 480i (SDTV), 720p (HDTV) |
Original run | November 2, 2003 – February 10, 2006 |
External links | |
IMDb profile | |
TV.com summary |
Arrested Development is a character-driven American television comedy series about a formerly wealthy, habitually dysfunctional family. The show is presented in a mockumentary, complete with narration, archival photos, and historical footage. Although set in Newport Beach and Balboa Island, California, it was primarily filmed on location 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). Television veteran Ron Howard is an executive producer and the uncredited narrator. It has aired on broadcast networks around the world, including Fox in the United States and BBC Two in the United Kingdom.
Since debuting on November 2, 2003, the series received six Emmy awards, one Golden Globe, copious critical acclaim, and a cult fan base.[1] Despite the thorough approval from critics, Arrested Development never climbed in the ratings. Fox aired the final four episodes of the third season in a block as a two-hour series finale on February 10, 2006, opposite the opening ceremonies of the 2006 Winter Olympics.
Contents |
Development
Discussion which 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.[2] 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 2003. It was submitted in late April, and added to the Fall Fox schedule in May.[2]
Characters
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, which do not always agree with his.
Michael's father George Bluth 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 G.O.B. (an acronym for George Oscar Bluth II but pronounced Job, as in the Biblical figure), played by Will Arnett, is an unsuccessful professional magician whose business and personal schemes usually fail. He 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 Fünke (Portia de Rossi) is flamboyant and materialistic, continually desiring to be the center of attention and attracted to various social causes, usually for a week or so. 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 have homosexual connotations. Their attention-starved but sweet 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's chief motivation is going against her parents' wishes.
Several other characters regularly appear in minor roles. George Sr.'s identical twin brother Oscar (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 "best friend and chief social rival" as well as Buster's love interest. Minnelli's character is basically a parody of herself. The same is true of Carl Weathers, who plays himself, but as an unemployed, ultra-cheapskate actor.
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] Michael Cera also improvised a large amount of his dialogue, according to the DVD commentary. Ron Howard, the Executive Producer, provided the narration for the initial pilot, but meshed so well with the tone of the program that the decision was made to stick with his voice.
Plot synopsis
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 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, and twin to the Bluths' only girl, Lindsay, giving him control of the company. To keep the family together, Michael convinces his son and sister'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. Lucille adopts a Korean son, who she calls 'Annyong,' to spite Buster. Through an escalating series of dares, GOB gets married to a woman he just met, 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
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 by Lindsay, Tobias dresses as "Mrs. Featherbottom" to be around Maeby, an explicitly narrated reference to Mrs. Doubtfire. 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
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, joins 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; despite this, the family pushes him to go forward with the marriage because Rita is, in fact, quite wealthy and they desperately want the money. Aghast at his family's materialism, Michael and Rita 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 (Scott Baio) concerning their troubled marriage.
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 called presided over by Judge Reinhold (who is furious to discover that he was chosen to host only because of his name). Michael uses an illegal threat from prosecutors to have the mock case "dismissed," while GOB and Franklin briefly appear in another eponymous courtroom show presided over by Bud Cort. 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 later 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 preparation for the party, it is revealed that Lindsay was adopted, 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 many years earlier 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.
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 main characters who were not sympathetic or relatable.
Episodes
Season | Ep # | First Airdate | Last Airdate |
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Season 1 | 22 | November 2, 2003 | June 6, 2004 |
Season 2 | 18 | November 7, 2004 | April 17, 2005 |
Season 3 | 13 | September 19, 2005 | February 10, 2006 |
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, alcoholism, and countless other themes.
Much like other dysfunctional-family comedies such as Malcolm in the Middle and The Simpsons, 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 material such as 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, uncredited) 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 fast pace, which throws complex, often subtle humor and plot details at the viewer with little breathing room.
"On the next... Arrested Development"
Almost 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 usually appear in the subsequent episodes, but remain part of the show's 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,[3] Steve Holt's discovery[4]). The second episode of season three reversed this by having "Previously on..." featuring the resolution of the cliffhanger and nearly an entire episode of plot changes within thirty seconds. The epilogue sometimes shows a several-second continuation of the previous scene, in comically direct opposition to the name of the sequence.
The first and second 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,[5] and by casting former collaborators in small bit parts, including many cast members from Mr. Show as well as improv comics from Christopher Guest films. Guest stars frequently appear from other lauded television comedies such as The Daily Show, Seinfeld, Scrubs, The Office, Curb Your Enthusiasm, Upright Citizens Brigade and The Simpsons.
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 Emmy Awards that directly preceded the episode's original airing, where Garrett beat out Jeffrey Tambor (George Sr.) for "Best Supporting Actor." The series has acknowledged its competition (Desperate Housewives), commercial sponsor (Burger King),[5] its struggle to go after an "idiot demographic,"[6] 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 and Happy Days.
Topicality
Arrested Development plays with divisive, controversial social and political issues. Writers have turned references to the Abu Ghraib prison scandal,[5] 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.[7][8] In that same vein, George Sr. has appeared as Osama Bin Laden[7] and Saddam Hussein. It has also poked fun at the decadence of American white collar criminals, religious protest campaigns, the Terri Schiavo debate, 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), Michael Moore documentaries,[9][6] low-carb diets, and "Star Wars Kid".[4][7]
Continuity
The plot regularly features callbacks to previous episodes (e.g., GOB's recurring use of the phrase "Come on!" and "...I've made a huge mistake...", repeated use of family members' "chicken dances", George Sr.'s The Cornballer invention) 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. Before losing his hand, Buster retrieves his hand-shaped chair, which his mother had given to her maid behind Buster's back.
Music
Besides the short ukulele-based theme song composed by David Schwartz, which is also used as Lindsay's cell phone ringtone, a number 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, synthesised 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, titled "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 during awkward, sexually suggestive situations involving George Michael and his cousin, Maeby, or his girlfriend, Anne. Nikka Costa's "Everybody Got Their Something" is also used in the score for energetic segues.[10] In episode "The Sword of Destiny", Tony Wonder (Ben Stiller), a magician, mentions "some band has got the rights to Use Your Illusion" referring to him not being able to use the name "Use Your Illusion" for a future video release of illusions performed by him, instead calling them "Use Your Allusion II". Guns N’ Roses released two albums named Use Your Illusion I and Use Your Illusion II. Ashford and Simpson's "Solid" is used by GOB as theme music for his 'Bluth Homes: Solid as a Rock' campaign.
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 whenever anyone 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
Television ratings
The show, while critically acclaimed, did not gain a sizable audience.[1] 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 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. The shows writers did however write a parody joke in the show about this on "The Sword of Destiny" (season 2 episode 37 aired in March 2005). In the beginning of the episode, Michael Bluth is talking on the phone with a contractor saying that the original contract was to design and build 22 homes but they were cut back to 18 homes. Later in the episode they also parodied Fox and Family guy stating that a website was getting swamped with Family Guy popup ads.
For the third season, FOX positioned the show at 8:00 p.m. ET/PT and 7:00 p.m. CT/MT, directly opposite Monday Night Football in the Mountain and Pacific time zones, whereas MNF would not have started yet in the other two. Ratings were even worse than previous seasons. 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 the third season 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.
Critical reception
Since its debut and throughout its run, the series has been critically acclaimed.[1]
- "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[12]
- "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.[13]
- "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, The Guardian (UK), 12 March 2005.[14]
- "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.[15]
- "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
Future
Despite months-long rumors of Arrested Development having been picked up by the cable television network Showtime[16], the San Francisco Chronicle reported on March 28, 2006 that creator Mitch Hurwitz would not be returning.[17] 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. Rumors of a possible full-length film had circulated since the show's final episode, and in an August 2006 TV Guide interview, Michael Cera (George-Michael) indicated that he "[thinks] Hurwitz wants to [do a film]," and that he had been tentatively contacted about participating.[18]. Further separate interviews made with both Will Arnett and Jason Bateman, about their current movie projects, included a question about if there would be a future for Arrested, in which both actors gave essentially the same answer: "It's up to Mitch".
On July 27, 2006, it was announced that Microsoft's MSN.com and the cable channels G4 and HDNet purchased the syndication rights to the show, allowing it to be re-aired through 2009, despite only having 53 total episodes[19] (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 on Monday, September 4, 2006, began a nightly airing of the show at 11:30 pm EDT. HDNet, which bought the exclusive HD rights to the show, started to air back-to-back episodes of it on Wednesday nights back in September of 2006.
A petition[20] by fans has been set up calling for a Christmas Special in 2009.
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," "Outstanding Casting for a Comedy Series" and "Outstanding Writing for a Comedy Series," both for the pilot episode written by Mitchell Hurwitz and for direction 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 "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 2004 TV Land Award for "Future Classic," the first recognition the series received. The award presentation is included on the Season One DVD release.
- 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 Valley.
- 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.
- For her role as Maeby Fünke, Alia Shawkat won a Young Artist Award in 2005.
Preceded by Everybody Loves Raymond |
Emmy Award Winner - Outstanding Comedy Series 2004 |
Succeeded by Everybody Loves Raymond |
Broadcast history
The first season of Arrested Development premiered in the U.S. on November 2, 2003, on FOX. The time slot was repeatedly changed in attempts to increase its ratings. Three seasons, totalling 53 episodes, were 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, opposite of the 2006 Winter Olympics opening ceremony on NBC.
The series also aired in Canada, the United Kingdom, and Australia, among others. The series began airing in the UK on 29 September 2004, initially on both BBC Two and BBC Four. Mid-way through the second season, however, the show was dropped from BBC Four, while the time slot for BBC Two was repeatedly changed. The second season typically aired on BBC Two on Sunday nights at around 11:30 p.m., and the third season was broadcast in a similar timeslot. Bravo also picked up the UK repeat rights to the show, and aired them Fridays at 10 p.m. from 25 August 2006. In August 2007 BBC2 started repeating season one again, and from 25th August 2007, Bravo is also repeating season one and season two, showing 2 episodes a night every night at 3am, with season two starting on the 5th September 2007.
In Australia, the series premiered on November 30, 2004, on the free-to-air Seven Network 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, 2006 on Channel 7 at 12:00 a.m. with The Cabin Show. It premiered on Foxtel's Comedy Channel in August 2005.
In Canada, the show originally ran on Global in simulcast with Fox. A strip rerun currently airs at 5:30 and midnight local time on CBC Television.[21]
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 Africa on e.tv Season 1 2004 and Season 2 14 May 2006; Netherlands, September 3, 2005 and Serbia, July 30, 2007.
DVD releases
Season | Release Dates | Ep # | Additional Information | ||
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Region 1 | Region 2 | Region 4 | |||
1 | October 19, 2004 | March 21, 2005 | February 23, 2005 | 22 | This three disc box set includes all 22 episodes from Season 1. Bonus features include the unaired, full length pilot episode, commentary by creator Mitchell Hurwitz and other members of the cast on three episodes, deleted and extended scenes, a soundtrack by David Schwarz, and various behind-the-scenes featurettes.[22] |
2 | October 11, 2005 | Jan 23, 2006 | March 15, 2006 | 18 | This three disc box set includes all 18 episodes from Season 2. Bonus features include commentary on three episodes, deleted scenes, bloopers, and the campaign videos from the episode "The Immaculate Election".[23] |
3 | August 29, 2006 | April 23, 2007 | December 6, 2006 | 13 | This two disc box set includes 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.[24] |
Celebrity guests
Well-known actors appearing in guest roles and cameos include:
Recurring roles
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Guest appearances and cameos
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Broadcasters
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Footnotes
- ^ a b c Colin Mahan (2007-03-26). Three times the Arrested Development. TV.com. Retrieved on 2007-07-29.
- ^ a b c Interview: Katie O’Connell (November 24).
- ^ "Out on a Limb," aired March 6, 2005.
- ^ a b "The Immaculate Election", aired March 20, 2005.
- ^ a b c d "Motherboy XXX," aired March 13, 2005.
- ^ a b "Spring Breakout", aired April 10, 2005.
- ^ a b c "Sword of Destiny," aired March 27, 2005.
- ^ "The Cabin Show," aired September 19, 2005.
- ^ "Not Without My Daughter (Arrested Development episode)," aired April 25, 2004.
- ^ Episode transcript of pilot, retrieved July 5, 2006
- ^ Die-hard Arrested Development fans already feeling sting of loss. Retrieved on November 23, 2005.
- ^ EW DVD Review. Retrieved on November 21, 2005.
- ^ New York Daily News: Box sets that make great gifts. Retrieved on November 21, 2005.
- ^ A family affair. The Guardian. Retrieved on November 24, 2005.
- ^ The Age: Arrested Development. Retrieved on November 24, 2005.
- ^ Josef Adalian (2007-03-26). Variety.com - Hurwitz takes a hike. Variety.com. Retrieved on 2007-07-29.
- ^ San Francisco Chronicle: "R.I.P., Arrested Development". Retrieved on March 28, 2006.
- ^ TV Guide: "George-Michael gets 'Arrested' once more". Retrieved on September 6, 2006.
- ^ How about an Arrested Development Christmas special?. TV Squad (2007-07-27). Retrieved on 2007-08-15.
- ^ CBC.ca, "Program Guide: Arrested Development," URL accessed February 22, 2007.
- ^ Amazon.com Arrested Development Season 1 DVD: Product details. Retrieved on November 18, 2005.
- ^ Amazon.com Arrested Development Season 2 DVD: Product details. Retrieved on November 18, 2005.
- ^ Amazon.com Arrested Development Season 3 DVD: Product details. Retrieved on May 2, 2007.
References
- Arrested Development. Created by Mitchell Hurwitz. 2003–2006. Broadcast and DVD.
- IMDb.com Arrested Development (2003). Retrieved on November 18, 2005.
- Balboa Observer-Picayune Reference section. Retrieved on November 19, 2005.
- Arrested Development Television Show - TV.com. Retrieved on November 19, 2005.
- Showtime's Interest in 'Arrested Development' is strictly conditional. Retrieved on January 22, 2006.
- New York Post Online Edition: gossip. Retrieved on February 28, 2006.
- Inside Move: Nets keen to get 'Arrested'. Retrieved on December 13, 2005.
External links
- Watch Arrested Development at MSN.com
- Arrested Development at TV.com
- Arrested Development at the Internet Movie Database
- Arrested Development at Yahoo! TV
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Episodes | Season One • Season Two • Season Three |
Crew | Mitchell Hurwitz • Ron Howard • Paul Feig • Brad Copeland • Ron Weiner |
Cast | Will Arnett • Jason Bateman • Michael Cera • David Cross • Portia de Rossi • Tony Hale • Alia Shawkat • Jeffrey Tambor • Jessica Walter |
Characters | Michael • Lindsay • G.O.B. • George Michael • Maeby • Buster • Tobias • George Sr. • Lucille • more |
Writers | Mitchell Hurwitz • Barbara Feldman • Brad Copeland • Richard Day • Ron Weiner |
Elements | Bluth Company • The Cornballer • Les Cousins Dangereux • Mr. Bananagrabber |
Broadcasters | Fox Broadcasting Company • G4 • HDNet • CBC • BBC |