VisualSensation
03-13-2004, 02:41 PM
LOS ANGELES (Zap2it.com) - The first joke about the poor-to-middling ratings for "Arrested Development" comes just seconds into Thursday night's (March 11) session at the William S. Paley Festival. Introducing episodes for the overflowing crowd, the show's creator Mitchell Hurwitz notes that the second episode is going to air this coming Wednesday (March 17) following an "American Idol" result show.
"We expect to get mediocre to insignificant ratings," Hurwitz jokes, as if that constitutes an improvement (which it would).
While the Nielsen numbers suggest that "Arrested Development" is one of the lowest rated comedies on the Big Four networks, you'd never know it from the passionate and devoted crowd at the Paley panel.
The dedication and insularity of the show's fan base is such that several members of the crowd greet Hurwitz's jokes about miniscule ratings with bafflement, as if the sold-out Hollywood venue were representative of a breakout mainstream following. Others plead with Hurwitz for news about the show's cloudy long-term prognosis.
"I think FOX considers us a first-year show that needs to find its audience," Hurwitz says hopefully.
Hurwitz claims that he has basically stopped calling in for the show's Nielsen numbers and has instead started to troll the Internet looking for evidence that the week's jokes were appreciated by individual viewers. Still, members of the cast admit that they'd love to reach an even larger following.
"My dream has always been to be on a show that holds 'Malcolm's' numbers," deadpans David Cross, who plays doctor-turned-actor Tobias, regarding the show's "Malcolm in the Middle" lead-in.
Even as their little comedy is gasping for life, the cast of "Arrested Development" remains optimistic and, most importantly, pleased with the work they're doing. This is the rare Paley session in which the stars on the stage instigated two rounds of applause for the writers sitting in the audience.
"When I was working with David Kelley on 'Ally,' I think I saw him maybe two times," says Portia de Rossi. "We would get the scripts and we'd say the words."
Instead of that scenario, the "Development" cast speaks of constant interaction between actors and writers in a creative process that leads to dialogue that sounds improvised but is, in reality, "rock solid" by the time the show is put to digital video.
The result is one of television's quirkiest shows, a critical favorite and a recent Golden Globe nominee for outstanding comedy series.
The show's freewheeling production style has also provided fertile material for potential guest stars. Julia Louis-Dreyfus and James Lipton make their first appearances in upcoming episodes, playing a blind lawyer and a prison warden. The show has also forever changed the way viewers look at Carl Weathers and Liza Minnelli.
"She was very gung-ho," Hurwitz says of the "Cabaret" Oscar winner. "She's such a pro. We'd seen her work before, but nonetheless everyone was so surprised by how good she was."
"She was a really kind, gracious person and a great kisser," adds Tony Hale, whose Buster served as a love interest for Minnelli's character.
Rabid fans may already be drafting their letters to FOX in dread and anticipation of a possible cancellation after this season (www.savearresteddevelopment.com is still available, guys), but the producers swear the show has advocates at FOX.
"They're shockingly supportive," Hurwitz promises.
"We expect to get mediocre to insignificant ratings," Hurwitz jokes, as if that constitutes an improvement (which it would).
While the Nielsen numbers suggest that "Arrested Development" is one of the lowest rated comedies on the Big Four networks, you'd never know it from the passionate and devoted crowd at the Paley panel.
The dedication and insularity of the show's fan base is such that several members of the crowd greet Hurwitz's jokes about miniscule ratings with bafflement, as if the sold-out Hollywood venue were representative of a breakout mainstream following. Others plead with Hurwitz for news about the show's cloudy long-term prognosis.
"I think FOX considers us a first-year show that needs to find its audience," Hurwitz says hopefully.
Hurwitz claims that he has basically stopped calling in for the show's Nielsen numbers and has instead started to troll the Internet looking for evidence that the week's jokes were appreciated by individual viewers. Still, members of the cast admit that they'd love to reach an even larger following.
"My dream has always been to be on a show that holds 'Malcolm's' numbers," deadpans David Cross, who plays doctor-turned-actor Tobias, regarding the show's "Malcolm in the Middle" lead-in.
Even as their little comedy is gasping for life, the cast of "Arrested Development" remains optimistic and, most importantly, pleased with the work they're doing. This is the rare Paley session in which the stars on the stage instigated two rounds of applause for the writers sitting in the audience.
"When I was working with David Kelley on 'Ally,' I think I saw him maybe two times," says Portia de Rossi. "We would get the scripts and we'd say the words."
Instead of that scenario, the "Development" cast speaks of constant interaction between actors and writers in a creative process that leads to dialogue that sounds improvised but is, in reality, "rock solid" by the time the show is put to digital video.
The result is one of television's quirkiest shows, a critical favorite and a recent Golden Globe nominee for outstanding comedy series.
The show's freewheeling production style has also provided fertile material for potential guest stars. Julia Louis-Dreyfus and James Lipton make their first appearances in upcoming episodes, playing a blind lawyer and a prison warden. The show has also forever changed the way viewers look at Carl Weathers and Liza Minnelli.
"She was very gung-ho," Hurwitz says of the "Cabaret" Oscar winner. "She's such a pro. We'd seen her work before, but nonetheless everyone was so surprised by how good she was."
"She was a really kind, gracious person and a great kisser," adds Tony Hale, whose Buster served as a love interest for Minnelli's character.
Rabid fans may already be drafting their letters to FOX in dread and anticipation of a possible cancellation after this season (www.savearresteddevelopment.com is still available, guys), but the producers swear the show has advocates at FOX.
"They're shockingly supportive," Hurwitz promises.