Tuesday, April 26, 2005
I'm Begging You. Please.
Last Sunday was the season finale of "Arrested Development" on FOX. Despite universal critical acclaim and numerous awards (including a Best Comedy Emmy and a Golden Globe for star Jason Bateman), the show is in real danger of not coming back for a third season. Earlier this year, FOX cut back its order on the show from 22 episodes to 18, ending the season before the May sweeps.
The show tells the saga of the dysfunctional Bluth family, whose patriarch (the always brilliant Jeffrey Tambor) is imprisoned for some shady real estate business. The only normal member of the family, Michael (Bateman) now has to run the family business and try and hold the family together at the same time. This may be the most gifted ensemble cast in the history of television, which also features Portia DeRossi, David Cross, Will Arnett, Tony Hale, Michael Cera, Alia Shawkat, and Jessica Walter (possibly the highlight of the show, as Lucille, the lunatic mother). The entire cast has amazing chemistry, and the show does not dumb down any jokes; in fact, there is no laugh track, which is truly refreshing. Tying the whole affair together very neatly is the wonderful narration by (the uncredited) Ron Howard.
The only thing possibly saving the show is the aforementioned critical acclaim. So if the show does get picked up for next year, I'm begging you (all 3 of you) to spread the word and tell your friends and family to watch the greatest show on television today. Then maybe we won't have to have this conversation again next year.
The show tells the saga of the dysfunctional Bluth family, whose patriarch (the always brilliant Jeffrey Tambor) is imprisoned for some shady real estate business. The only normal member of the family, Michael (Bateman) now has to run the family business and try and hold the family together at the same time. This may be the most gifted ensemble cast in the history of television, which also features Portia DeRossi, David Cross, Will Arnett, Tony Hale, Michael Cera, Alia Shawkat, and Jessica Walter (possibly the highlight of the show, as Lucille, the lunatic mother). The entire cast has amazing chemistry, and the show does not dumb down any jokes; in fact, there is no laugh track, which is truly refreshing. Tying the whole affair together very neatly is the wonderful narration by (the uncredited) Ron Howard.
The only thing possibly saving the show is the aforementioned critical acclaim. So if the show does get picked up for next year, I'm begging you (all 3 of you) to spread the word and tell your friends and family to watch the greatest show on television today. Then maybe we won't have to have this conversation again next year.
