TV: Arrested Development

[Rodgerwilco]

I was a bit young for it when the show premiered, but I slept on it for its entire run. I have some cursory knowledge of the series from memes and some of the running gags, but never actually watched it. My wife got me into it a couple weeks ago and it might be one of the funniest comedy series I've ever watched. Definitely right up my alley in terms of the comedic style and content.

I'm only about halfway through season 2 right now. The casting and the running gags are hilarious. Supporting and cameo acting is spot-on as well. Trying to get into more comedies lately to lighten my mood a bit, and AD hits the spot. I can't even pick a character because they're all just so goddamn funny in their own ways.

Sorry if this is a super random thread, but I just had to share my appreciation for this show lol.

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[John Price]

If you're insisting I play favorites, I love all my kids equally

"I don't care for Gob."

Non-quote wise I did try to rewatch it on Hulu for a few episodes, I got to about episode 1 of season 5 and stopped but I have a short attention span

It did help to further understand and refresh my memory that Tobias was trying to direct a play at Maeby's school.

 

[izlez]

View attachment 906243
I was a bit young for it when the show premiered, but I slept on it for its entire run. I have some cursory knowledge of the series from memes and some of the running gags, but never actually watched it. My wife got me into it a couple weeks ago and it might be one of the funniest comedy series I've ever watched. Definitely right up my alley in terms of the comedic style and content.

I'm only about halfway through season 2 right now. The casting and the running gags are hilarious. Supporting and cameo acting is spot-on as well. Trying to get into more comedies lately to lighten my mood a bit, and AD hits the spot. I can't even pick a character because they're all just so goddamn funny in their own ways.

Sorry if this is a super random thread, but I just had to share my appreciation for this show lol.

I didn't watch it on its original airing either. It's always been a show that wasn't necessarily that great on the first watch but got better and better wit rewatches as you pick up on how funny the running gags are. I wonder if memes/gifs have helped this show out in that regard as you pick up on those things the first time through actually watching

 

[John Price]

I didn't watch it on its original airing either. It's always been a show that wasn't necessarily that great on the first watch but got better and better wit rewatches as you pick up on how funny the running gags are. I wonder if memes/gifs have helped this show out in that regard as you pick up on those things the first time through actually watching

There's a whole bunch of stuff you don't see immediately but are clearer upon a second watch, like the repeated references to Charlize Theron being "wee Brain" on the bus bench and other stuff I can't recall directly at the moment

 

[x Tame Impala]

It's a shame the show ended in season 3. One of the funniest shows I've ever seen. Couldn't watch more than on episode of the new seasons, personally

 

[John Price]

It's a shame the show ended in season 3. One of the funniest shows I've ever seen. Couldn't watch more than on episode of the new seasons, personally

Everything after 3 including the netflix seasons was really bad.

 

[JetsFan815]

It's a shame the show ended in season 3. One of the funniest shows I've ever seen. Couldn't watch more than on episode of the new seasons, personally

The first Netflix season (S4) was really good (the original release, not the "remixed" version).

 

[izlez]

The first Netflix season (S4) was really good (the original release, not the "remixed" version).

I think the netflix seasons get too much hate. The whole idea of "Cinco de Cuatro" is one of my favorite jokes of the whole series.

 

[SirPaste]

An absolute classic, one of my favorites for sure. Such a perfect cast.

 

[Shareefruck]

Show's incredible. Definitely one of the best comedies I've seen.

And I agree, even if the Netflix seasons failed and doesn't live up to the original run's standards, I would still say that they failed fairly admirably and respectably. They tried something conceptually pretty interesting and it didn't totally connect (partially due to scheduling reasons outside of their control). There's still a fair amount of cleverness, structural inspiration, and solid moments in them, IMO. You can see how at least on paper, a lot of it seemed like a good idea. I would not want to discourage others from trying something similar.

We should really be saving our outright disdain for things that are actually abysmal and insulting or that betrayed the spirit of what they came from.

 

[NyQuil]

I'm another person who was told to watch this when it was on-air and missed it until it had been cancelled.

It's one of the finest comedies written, with a level of wit that is rarely seen in North-American comedies.

My favorite interaction is still:



Creative in getting past those pesky censors.

 

[John Price]

I'm another person who was told to watch this when it was on-air and missed it until it had been cancelled.

It's one of the finest comedies written, with a level of wit that is rarely seen in North-American comedies.

My favorite interaction is still:



Creative in getting past those pesky censors.

Simpsons had a few with "Chuck's Feed and Sneed" but Seinfeld and AD were the best at it

"Mr.....F"

When I realized the Mr F gag I got sad lol. Kind of mean. But oh well

 

[Rodgerwilco]

I'm another person who was told to watch this when it was on-air and missed it until it had been cancelled.

It's one of the finest comedies written, with a level of wit that is rarely seen in North-American comedies.

My favorite interaction is still:



Creative in getting past those pesky censors.

Yeah I can't believe I slept on it this long. The zingers just keep coming all episode long. Very rare for a show to be that consistently funny not only episode to episode, but throughout the episodes as well.

Love the Seaward line as well, definitely one of my favorites so far.

I really like the Blue Man Group gag with Tobias as well. George Sr. getting caught up in his dealings with Saddam Hussein is hilarious as well. It's funny now, and I imagine would have been even more funny back in the mid 2000s when it was still a big current event.

 

[McGarnagle]

I haven't done a rewatch in probably a decade. I started watching partway into Season 1. It was by far my favorite show for a long time - and being part of the fanbase while it was fighting against low ratings, timeslots shuffling, and threats of cancellation from Fox every year only made my fandom more intense. The only other show I felt that way about was Community.

Seasons 1-3 were top class. The first Netflix season was good and inventive in the way it was released. The second one was really bad and tarnished the show's reputation. I kind of pretend it didn't exist.

As the years have gone by, other sitcoms have caught up to Arrested Development in its humor and style, but in 2003-2005 it was revolutionary to be quasi-documentary style and no laugh track on a TV comedy. I should probably do a rewatch of the first four seasons at some point.

 

[Neutrinos]

 

[Shareefruck]

Yeah I can't believe I slept on it this long. The zingers just keep coming all episode long. Very rare for a show to be that consistently funny not only episode to episode, but throughout the episodes as well.

Love the Seaward line as well, definitely one of my favorites so far.

I really like the Blue Man Group gag with Tobias as well. George Sr. getting caught up in his dealings with Saddam Hussein is hilarious as well. It's funny now, and I imagine would have been even more funny back in the mid 2000s when it was still a big current event.

it's even more nuts on rewatches. Not only do they hide details that foreshadow future punchlines. But they have setups in future episodes that pay off as punch-lines when you watch back an earlier episode.

 

[Fripp]

The Seaward/c-word joke and the "Maybe I'll put it in her brownie" (Afternoon Delight double meaning) are my favorites. After so much set up, they stick the punchlines perfectly.

 

[the valiant effort]

One thing that stands out from the Netflix seasons was how far Alia Shawkat blew past them all as an all around actor

 

[ucanthanzalthetruth]

Show's incredible. Definitely one of the best comedies I've seen.

And I agree, even if the Netflix seasons failed and doesn't live up to the original run's standards, I would still say that they failed fairly admirably and respectably. They tried something conceptually pretty interesting and it didn't totally connect (partially due to scheduling reasons outside of their control). There's still a fair amount of cleverness, structural inspiration, and solid moments in them, IMO. You can see how at least on paper, a lot of it seemed like a good idea. I would not want to discourage others from trying something similar.

We should really be saving our outright disdain for things that are actually abysmal and insulting or that betrayed the spirit of what they came from.

I agree re: season 4 but I truly thought season 5 was abysmal and borderline unwatchable

 

[belair]

 

[NyQuil]

 

[I am not exposed]

First 3 seasons are great. Brilliant TV. I tried watching season 4 on Netflix but I was bitterly disappointed. I think I only got a couple of episodes in and then gave up.

 

[Hockey Outsider]

And I agree, even if the Netflix seasons failed and doesn't live up to the original run's standards, I would still say that they failed fairly admirably and respectably. They tried something conceptually pretty interesting and it didn't totally connect (partially due to scheduling reasons outside of their control). There's still a fair amount of cleverness, structural inspiration, and solid moments in them, IMO. You can see how at least on paper, a lot of it seemed like a good idea. I would not want to discourage others from trying something similar.

We should really be saving our outright disdain for things that are actually abysmal and insulting or that betrayed the spirit of what they came from.

First 3 seasons are great. Brilliant TV. I tried watching season 4 on Netflix but I was bitterly disappointed. I think I only got a couple of episodes in and then gave up.

I think both of these comments are true. The 4th season was a huge disappointment. I forced myself to watch it once, hoping it would improve, but it never did. At the same time, it was an "admirable" failure. How much of the concept was due to real world scheduling challenges, and how much of it was due to a genuine desire to try something creative? It's hard to say. But at least they tried something new and interesting in terms of the format (while staying true to the spirit of the first three seasons).

 

[Holden Caulfield]

This show is an all-time great. First 3 seasons are just perfect.

Season 4, first time I watched it I was disappointed. But then I rewatched it and liked it a little more. Now I think it's great, in it's original formatting. There's things in like episode 1 that make no sense, but then in like episode 10 you find out what was really going on and it's hilarious. But it can be hard to watch at first. Then the recut season 4 came out, and it's just bad, IMO. And less said about season 5 the better.

This was a lightning in the bottle situation I just dont think you can recapture. Just look at the cast list and what they've gone onto do, pretty much the entire cast became much bigger after this ended. It was amazing in the original run, but I'm done hoping they will get back together for more. And in certain cases they just cannot such as RIP Jessica Walter or Tambor who has been blackballed after workplace and sexual harassment claims, including on Arrested Development.

 

[I am not exposed]

This show is an all-time great. First 3 seasons are just perfect.

Season 4, first time I watched it I was disappointed. But then I rewashed it and liked it a little more. Now I think it's great, in it's original formatting. There's things in like episode 1 that make no sense, but then in like episode 10 you find out what was really going on and it's hilarious. But it can be hard to watch at first. Then the recut season 4 came out, and it's just bad, IMO. And less said about season 5 the better.

This was a lightning in the bottle situation I just dont think you can recapture. Just look at the cast list and what they've gone onto do, pretty much the entire cast became much bigger after this ended. It was amazing in the original run, but I'm done hoping they will get back together for more. And in certain cases they just cannot such as RIP Jessica Walter or Tambor who has been blackballed after workplace and sexual harassment claims, including on Arrested Development.

I've never tried that method before...