Discovering Arrested Development

Was I the only one rooting for George Michael to nail his cousin?

 

Season 1, Episode 4: Charity Drive
Grade: A-
Highlight: "I need my rape whistle bacl" - and whenever G.O.B. whistles...
Interest level: 8/10

 

Maeby...

 

I think my favorite scene was when Tobias pretended to be Mrs. Featherbottom and fell through the coffetable from the second floor. I watched that scene about 20 times and was crying I was laughing so hard.

 

I can't remember my username and password for Farbecker. But here's this:

 

Freaks and Geeks challenges you to a fight after school.

Cue up "Renegade."

Edit: And Bill Lawrence would like to have a word with you, though he's not a fighter.

 

I'll concede some of that point, BYH, but NBC's track record is better than most when it comes to supporting fledgling comedies. Seinfeld had so-so ratings, Cheers was dead last in the ratings, The Office was nearly canceled, 30 Rock was considered a disappointment its first season, Friday Night Lights just got a third season after nearly getting the ax twice.

I love what I've seen of Freaks and Geeks, but it was the kind of show that was almost too real, too honest to ever get any kind of audience. Scrubs has had a very good run, but it's also lapsed into a bit of self-parody the last season and a half. I think people kind of stopped caring about J.D. as a person awhile ago. NBC may have never fully supported the show, probably because it was too smart for their execs, but it did give the show seven full seasons.

Arrested Development was critically adored, always hilarious, it was completely different than pretty much anything on television, and had it not won all those Emmys after season 1, Fox would have killed it right away. As it was, they could barely stomach it for another season and a half.

If I were a young Hollywood comedy writer, I'd pray like hell my pitches got picked up by NBC, even if it isn't the network it used to be.

 

Part of what made AD great was also what made it impossible to keep with the low ratings -- the outstanding ensemble cast. That made it very expensive. But it wouldn't be the same show without all those characters.

 

Cheers and Seinfeld are a different era. they'd never make it, on any network, today.

you're right that NBC has been patient with 30 Rock, but then again, they have a lot invested in that show with so many SNL ties. I thought The Office was fairly safe after its initial six-episode run, but I freely admit I could be wrong. And I don't think FNL has so much been saved as kept on life support. Doesn't it have to air on Direct TV before its reruns air on NBC?

I'm sure NBC is no different than anyone else re: playing favorites, but it never gave F&G a shot to succeed, first burying it on Saturday and then giving it like 30 seconds of on-air promotion the week before its finale. And Scrubs gets about one second of promotion during the NBC clips promoting the return of new shows on Thursday. If I were Bill Lawrence, I'd lapse into self-parody too.

I'm pretty sure we can have this argument about any network. Except ABC, which keeps bringing back According To Jim even though no one in America has ever admitted watching it.

 

Her?

 

OK, I watched the first four eps today. I think it's a lot like Seinfeld in that there's nothing remotely likeable about any of the characters (except Michael).

And the cousins storyline is grossing me out.

 

http://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/Arrested_Development#Justice_is_Blind_.282.29_.5B1.18.5D

Enjoy.