Arrested Development

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Aww, George Michael is cute.

― NA (Nick A.), Monday, 15 December 2003 21:46 (twenty-two years ago)

The George Michael kid is hardly ugly, Lee. You are on crack.

― bnw (bnw), Monday, 15 December 2003 21:47 (twenty-two years ago)

"an hour long sitcom?"

It really isn't paced or setup like most sitcoms. With the continuing storylines, the only TV comedy that it can be readily compared towards is perhaps "Soap", but the pacing is much more frantic than that show.

― earlnash, Monday, 15 December 2003 22:56 (twenty-two years ago)

two weeks pass...

finally saw the marathon of these this week, it's good, it definitely improved around the 3rd episode; during the first two I kept wondering when Wes Anderson was going to file a lawsuit against the creators for ripping him off part and parcel. But, the style seemed to get away from that later on. The Liza Minelli character is excellent. Portia de Rossi is yum. I'm glad Jason Bateman's character fucked up because he was getting suffocatingly goody two shoes.

I particularly like the "on the next episode" bits at the end.

― anthony kyle monday (akmonday), Friday, 2 January 2004 16:33 (twenty-two years ago)

Yeah, was very glad to watch the marathon, because I had always felt like I was missing something since I hadn't seen the first few episodes. Turns out no, but was still glad to see them.

― Huckleberry Mann (Horace Mann), Friday, 2 January 2004 16:36 (twenty-two years ago)

I'm pissed I missed it!

ps jeffrey tambor is this generation's funniest actor

― s1ocki (slutsky), Friday, 2 January 2004 17:00 (twenty-two years ago)

you're the same age/generation as Tambor?
I had no idea you were O-L-D.

― Huckleberry Mann (Horace Mann), Friday, 2 January 2004 17:04 (twenty-two years ago)

I meant his generation

― s1ocki (slutsky), Friday, 2 January 2004 17:09 (twenty-two years ago)

whatever, you're OLD.

s locki is old! Whaddaya gonna do oldie old guy? hit me with your cane?

― Huckleberry Mann (Horace Mann), Friday, 2 January 2004 17:10 (twenty-two years ago)

*wheeze*

― s1ocki (slutsky), Friday, 2 January 2004 17:11 (twenty-two years ago)

six months pass...

Yay! It's up for some Emmys! So it might actually be on for a little while hopefully!

― St. Nicholas (Nick A.), Friday, 16 July 2004 18:04 (twenty-one years ago)

I downloaded the first series a while ago and watched it all in more-or-less one sitting, commercial free.

While it's very funny, I also found it incredibly unsatisfying. It never goes anywhere, there are always allusions to the characters developing or maturing in some way, but they never do. Even in the season finale they're all exactly the same.

Still, good viewing. And yeah, Portia is one spicy minx.

― Andrew (enneff), Sunday, 18 July 2004 02:15 (twenty-one years ago)

one month passes...

I love this show. Glad it's on regular TV

― roger adultery (roger adultery), Sunday, 22 August 2004 23:50 (twenty-one years ago)

i was gonna revive this thread tonight! But i was gonna say that even though i really like it i can live without it and if they cancelled it i wouldn't bemoan the fact and cry to the heavens that the world was unfair and that it was too good for t.v. it almost feels like they are conciously making a cult show that will get cancelled and be remembered fondly by critics and have a loving dvd package released in its honor. It already feels cancelled!

― scott seward (scott seward), Monday, 23 August 2004 00:34 (twenty-one years ago)

i agree 100%. I'll definitely buy the DVD though - it's The State for my mid twenties

The time off did Jason B well - he's hysterical

― roger adultery (roger adultery), Monday, 23 August 2004 00:52 (twenty-one years ago)

i like his son. he's got a great delivery.

― scott seward (scott seward), Monday, 23 August 2004 00:58 (twenty-one years ago)

Jessica said the same thing. George Michael is indeed great.

Michael is my favorite though - his expression totally captures that "I'm being calm right now, but all of you fuckers are out of your goddamm minds" look I picture Sedaris having when he narrates about his family.

― roger adultery (roger adultery), Monday, 23 August 2004 01:03 (twenty-one years ago)

you got yourself a stew

― cinniblount (James Blount), Monday, 23 August 2004 01:15 (twenty-one years ago)

Re: George Michael's delivery, apparantly a lot of the show is improvised, so, like double kudos to this kid.

I can't wait for the DVD, because I think I miss a lot of jokes, because I laugh so much during the broadcast.

― Huck, Monday, 23 August 2004 13:51 (twenty-one years ago)

Cast and characters of Arrested Development share a certain outspokenness
By Bridget Byrne
LOS ANGELES (AP) — There aren’t many words the Bluths won’t let fly out of their mouths — especially when it comes to putting down other family members.
The actors who play the out-of-whack Bluths in the Fox sitcom Arrested Development were equally outspoken in a recent question-and-answer session following a public reading of the pilot episode at a California theatre.
“It’s nice to see Jason in something you can watch,” quipped Will Arnett, topping Jason Bateman’s admission that the series was “so not” what he’d done before.
Once the star of such traditional sitcoms as Silver Spoons and The Hogan Family, Bateman plays Michael, the most normal Bluth, who’s faced with the emotional and financial messes created by his once wealthy but now cash-strapped family.
Arnett plays Michael’s older brother, Gob, a philandering magician who prefers to be called an illusionist.
Though no ratings smash, Arrested Development has been critically praised for its innovative style and humour and last month picked up seven Emmy nominations, including for best comedy series, writing and casting.
“We are here tonight for some shameless Emmy pandering,” creator Mitchell Hurwitz cracked as he came on stage to join the cast after the reading.
Besides Bateman and Arnett, there was Portia de Rossi, who plays self-absorbed sister Lindsay, and Tony Hale, who plays little brother Buster.
Alongside were the show’s older and younger generations: Jessica Walter as manipulative mother Lucille; Jeffrey Tambor as jailbird father George; Michael Cera as Michael’s earnest son, George Michael, and Alia Shawkat as Maeby, Lindsay’s self-sufficient daughter.
Absent was David Cross, who plays Tobias Funke, Lindsay’s husband, a doctor turned actor.
The series is shot in the single-camera method on sets and locations, not in the standard sitcom style with multiple cameras before a studio audience. There’s no laugh track.
The family crises are captured as if for a documentary, with voiceover spoken by director Ron Howard, an executive producer of the show along with Imagine Television partner Brian Grazer.
The reality television device is not used as overtly as it is in the British comedy The Office, but, Hurwitz said, “I still think of it as documentary, so I don’t do dream sequences, don’t have strict point-of-view shots ... and I won’t do a flashback that doesn’t make sense.”
Everyone in the cast expressed happiness with their gig.
“I didn’t think at this point in my career I would be so fortunate” said Walter, whose extensive resume includes the role of homicidal stalker in the 1971 thriller Play Misty for Me.
Bateman referred to a Hurwitz comment that it is the writers’ job is to make the characters “as despicable as possible. Our job is to make them as likable as possible.”
On stage, Hurwitz didn’t demur, but later at a party at Grazer’s home said he didn’t want to settle for sounding “so glib” in typecasting the characters as an unethical, uncaring bunch.
“In a way, I think the show is kind of manipulative because I think these are really good people. We start out with this lie that all these people hate each other, and then every time they hug it’s a little more effective and affective,” Hurwitz said, grinning. “I never really saw this (show) as being dark and cynical.”
The title works as a reference to the upheaval caused by Orange County, Calif., property developer George Sr. being sent to prison for financial impropriety, and also as an overall theme.
“I wanted there to be some point to this experience and that sort of started presenting itself to me as how their money, success and stature had kept them from developing as human beings ... but now they are becoming better people,” said Hurwitz.

― Huck, Tuesday, 24 August 2004 13:49 (twenty-one years ago)

Why is it still worth mentioning when sitcoms don't have laughtracks?

― Huck, Tuesday, 24 August 2004 13:54 (twenty-one years ago)

Because there are still a lot of corny sitcom fuxxx.

― Leon Czolgosz (Nicole), Tuesday, 24 August 2004 13:59 (twenty-one years ago)

Does Life According to Jim have a laughtrack?

― Huck, Tuesday, 24 August 2004 14:00 (twenty-one years ago)

Probably...

― Leon Czolgosz (Nicole), Tuesday, 24 August 2004 14:02 (twenty-one years ago)

Did Seinfeld have a....yeah, it did, because they used to clap every time Kramer came in.

― Huck, Tuesday, 24 August 2004 14:03 (twenty-one years ago)

seinfeld was at least actually taped in front of an audience, although there was obviously a lot of sweetening going on.

― kyle (akmonday), Tuesday, 24 August 2004 14:06 (twenty-one years ago)

Laugh tracks are so out of place in shows that obviously are filmied on location instead of in a studio. Have you watched an episode of "Love Boat" lately? Are those people really following everyone around a boat, laughing at everything?

― Pleasant Plains (Pleasant Plains), Tuesday, 24 August 2004 15:08 (twenty-one years ago)

The show is so funny that you can hear the laughter of other people watching the same show on their TV sets across the country echoing over this great land.

― n.a. (Nick A.), Tuesday, 24 August 2004 15:35 (twenty-one years ago)

"I think I've made a big mistake."

― Huck, Tuesday, 24 August 2004 15:37 (twenty-one years ago)

And why were all the hispanic people named "Ermano"? Is that like "Jose" or something?

― Not Aja (Pleasant Plains), Tuesday, 24 August 2004 23:04 (twenty-one years ago)

Me, n3rdily visiting the spot where the "banana stand" scenes are filmed:

http://www.geocities.com/bluthbananas/pix/twopcon01/twop15.jpg

― morris pavilion (samjeff), Tuesday, 24 August 2004 23:29 (twenty-one years ago)

three weeks pass...

Emmy for Best Comedy Series!

― n/a (Nick A.), Monday, 20 September 2004 13:57 (twenty-one years ago)

I must have missed that part of the show, as I was WATCHING A/D last night! Ha ha ha ha. Canada is awesome.

― Huk-L, Monday, 20 September 2004 13:59 (twenty-one years ago)

Whoooooooooooooooo

― Vinnie (vprabhu), Monday, 20 September 2004 14:06 (twenty-one years ago)

They won best writing and best direction too!
But George Michael didn't win best actor.

― Huk-L, Monday, 20 September 2004 14:07 (twenty-one years ago)

xpost
It won THREE Emmys.

Outstanding Comedy Series
Arrested Development - FOX

Outstanding Directing For A Comedy Series
Arrested Development - Pilot - FOX

Outstanding Writing For A Comedy Series
Arrested Development - Pilot

Also:
Outstanding Variety, Music Or Comedy Series
The Daily Show With Jon Stewart - Show #8037 - Comedy Central

Outstanding Writing For A Variety, Music Or Comedy Program
The Daily Show With Jon Stewart - Comedy Central

Outstanding Reality-Competition Program
The Amazing Race - CBS

― dave225 (Dave225), Monday, 20 September 2004 14:08 (twenty-one years ago)

THe bit with Gary Shandling and Jeffrey Tambour was awesome. Hey now!

― Huk-L, Monday, 20 September 2004 14:09 (twenty-one years ago)

Bump.

This has now hit the UK, 10pm Weds BBC2. I watched episode 1 (well, in fact it was the pilot) last night after a gig, and absolutely loved it. It has a Tenenbaum-esque dysfunctionality about it which I can only encourage, and some great great performances too.

So three cheers for great US comedy...any other Poms/Limeys/Brits/etc care to comment?

― CharlieNo4 (Charlie), Thursday, 30 September 2004 10:49 (twenty-one years ago)

I 'watched' it without really paying much attention (was trying to update my blog at the time). Seemed pretty good, though.

― caitlin (caitlin), Thursday, 30 September 2004 10:52 (twenty-one years ago)

i really liked the first episode, but then switched over to BBC4 to watch the 2nd, and found some of the dialogue and characters so much more irritating i felt like switching it off at times

when the emphasis on self-justifying/self-deluding aspects of selfish characters increases so far that they are effectively indulging in shouty monologue instead of playing clever with dialogue/perceptions/others it isn't that funny anymore, and i find them so annoying i just want to see them getting injured

there were moments when the orthogonality of fractious dialogue sank to hollyoaks levels of crapulence

i'll probably watch next week just in case ep2 was a dud

― Snowy Mann (rdmanston), Thursday, 30 September 2004 14:05 (twenty-one years ago)

The irony is, I didn't understand a word of that post.

― n/a (Nick A.), Thursday, 30 September 2004 14:08 (twenty-one years ago)

And why were all the hispanic people named "Ermano"?

ha ha ha ha ha ha I wonder if Aja's bedtime comes before the end of the episode.

― nickalicious (nickalicious), Thursday, 30 September 2004 14:08 (twenty-one years ago)

One of my favorite things about this show is how dispicicable almost all of the charatctos all.

― nickalicious (nickalicious), Thursday, 30 September 2004 14:10 (twenty-one years ago)

"charatctos"

― nickalicious (nickalicious), Thursday, 30 September 2004 14:10 (twenty-one years ago)

"dispicicable"

― n/a (Nick A.), Thursday, 30 September 2004 14:13 (twenty-one years ago)

i saw it with the sound off in the pub where i was quizzing last night. so i don't know if it's any good.

but MY GOD i used to have a crush on jason bateman. i loved him so much. i thought he was cute in dodgeball, as well. and he even looked cute (if a little chubby) in this show. i'll probably start watching it, if for no other reason.

― colette (a2lette), Thursday, 30 September 2004 14:17 (twenty-one years ago)

lucky you

― Snowy Mann (rdmanston), Thursday, 30 September 2004 14:39 (twenty-one years ago)

(to n/a)

― Snowy Mann (rdmanston), Thursday, 30 September 2004 14:40 (twenty-one years ago)

I should never type when I'm drowsy.

― nickalicious (nickalicious), Thursday, 30 September 2004 14:40 (twenty-one years ago)

the series only got better as the season went along (from what I saw of it) so stick with it. out on dvd in a few weeks I think in the US.

― kyle (akmonday), Thursday, 30 September 2004 15:25 (twenty-one years ago)

Skipping 2250 messages at this point... Click here if you want to load them all.

Yeah, I couldn't get through the second half of s5. Gave up after a few episodes.

― Vaguely Threatening CAPTCHAs, Monday, 8 June 2020 20:18 (five years ago)

I thought season 5 was quite a bit better than season 4. still quite shit and not a patch on the first couple of seasons, or even season 3, which was already a step-down imo.

― Rik Waller-Bridge (jim in vancouver), Tuesday, 9 June 2020 17:12 (five years ago)

interesting that this and twin peaks are definitely in my top 5 tv shows but I think that the majority of both shows was bad lol

― Rik Waller-Bridge (jim in vancouver), Tuesday, 9 June 2020 17:13 (five years ago)

yeah i watched a couple of episodes of season 5 and it did seem better than 4. the worst thing about 4 was what a fucking loser they turned Michael into.

― Evans on Hammond (evol j), Tuesday, 9 June 2020 17:40 (five years ago)

two years pass...

Huh.

https://variety.com/2023/tv/news/netflix-removing-arrested-development-original-seasons-1235521721/

― Ned Raggett, Monday, 13 February 2023 22:31 (three years ago)

And that's why you always buy a hard copy.
Actually, I was thinking that I'm not sure if I can bring myself to buy a DVD of s4 and s5 - checked Amazon and it doesn't even look like s5 was released on DVD?

― kinder, Monday, 13 February 2023 22:37 (three years ago)

I heard a radio show the other day about these kind of cancellations - it means they don't have to pay any residuals to the cast

― Andy the Grasshopper, Monday, 13 February 2023 22:37 (three years ago)

Netflix doesn’t pay residuals at all afaik, not least because to do so would be releasing viewership data

― more crankable (sic), Tuesday, 14 February 2023 01:42 (three years ago)

I read they pay residuals based on subscriber numbers rather than view count. May give them incentive to cut underperforming shows

― Vinnie, Tuesday, 14 February 2023 05:28 (three years ago)

This sucks / I have the DVDs SOMEWHERE, but...

― his cartoon heart expands, then he relaxes by smoking crack (stevie), Tuesday, 14 February 2023 08:32 (three years ago)

I mean I haven't watched it in a few years but could imagine myself going back and rewatching (again) at some point in the future.

― his cartoon heart expands, then he relaxes by smoking crack (stevie), Tuesday, 14 February 2023 08:32 (three years ago)

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