Is this the final countdown? - Sitcoms Online Message Boards

theshark8777 · 02-08-2006, 06:09 PM

It's the show everyone wants to save but nobody will put on television. Is this the final countdown?

It's inevitable that most Arrested Development devotees are in denial over the show's imminent departure. The beloved comedy closes its third season this week and in all likelihood it will be the last time we spend any time with the dysfunctional Bluth family. It will be a sad day for fans of quality television.

After months of speculation and much dithering by network execs, the Emmy-winning comedy appears to be coming to the end of the road. As of this writing, the show's prognosis wasn't good: Fox entertainment president Peter Liquori said it was "highly unlikely" that Arrested Development would ever reappear on Fox; in network jargon, that means never. His ABC counterpart, Steve McPherson, expressed passing interest, but later backed off, saying, "I think it's a long shot." No one really believed ABC would schedule it alongside According to Jim or Hope and Faith.

For a few days there was hope Arrested Development might resurface on the U.S. cable channel Showtime which really excited some fans, since the U.S. cable channel is not bound by network censors and competitive scheduling. And then that deal fell apart. There was even one bizarre rumour that posited a secret deal had been struck in which a cloister of Hollywood big shots had bought the show and would produce it with the original cast, in an undisclosed location. And then this supposed dark consortium would sell the show exclusively to video iPod users. You read all kinds of things on the Internet these days.

It's not that unreasonable for Arrested fans to hold out hope. Fox brought back the previously cancelled Family Guy after the show garnered phenomenal DVD sales. Likewise, the short-lived series Firefly returned last year as the feature film Serenity. But Arrested Development is a different sort of TV creature.

The lingering threat of cancellation has always hung over Arrested Development, right from the show's debut in November 2003. The show was just too weird the furthest extension imaginable from the regular network sitcom format. There was no canned laughter and none of the principal characters were very likeable, at least at first, with the exception of the beleaguered protagonist, Michael Bluth, played by Jason Bateman. The rest of the Bluths were a wonderfully wretched lot.

Patriarch George Sr. (Jeffrey Tambor) had been indicted on damning criminal charges (something about a deal with the Iraq government to construct low-cost housing), leaving Michael to run the family business and provide caregiver duties to his odd immediate family, specifically, his besotted mother Lucille (Jessica Walter), idiot brothers Gob (Will Arnett) and Buster (Tony Hale) and sister Lindsay (Portia de Rossi). A widower, Michael's only hope of sustaining the Bluth family line was through his son, George Michael (Michael Cera), a nice kid, though he seemed to have an unusual attraction to his own cousin, Maeby (Alia Shawkat).

Arrested Development was quirky, if low-rated, and won five Emmys in its first season. Fox bounced it around for three years, before finally settling in on Friday night last year. As in previous attempts, the ratings were good, not great, and the inevitable cancellation rumours returned.

To the credit of creator and executive producer Mitchell Hurwitz, the show will go out with a bang, not a whimper. The regular lunacy seems to have been ramped up for Arrested Development's final chapters. For the fans: Scheming George Sr. hires a new attorney who arranges a mock trial in preparation for the real thing. All the Bluths are required to testify at the mock trial (except Buster, who is faking a coma), which is presided by the right honourable Judge Reinhold, as himself.

In other activities: Michael is stunned to learn he has a sister he never knew about, named Nellie (played by Bateman's real sister, Justine). And Gob obeys a directive from George Sr. to embark on a clandestine evidence-removal mission, which naturally ends up in a dank Iraqi jail.

A shroud of secrecy was veiled over the shooting of the very last episode in the Arrested Development timeline. The only program details from Fox reveal that the trial is finally over, after which the entire Bluth family gather together for party, held aboard the Queen Mary, no less.

There are no encouraging clues to be gleaned from that scant storyline, but Arrested Development devotees are hopeful. No doubt the true fan base will hold out for a series reprieve, right up until this week's last few episodes and likely long thereafter.

THE ARRESTED TIP SHEET

-Arrested Development was created by Mitch Hurwitz and is executive produced by movie majordomos Brian Grazer and Ron Howard and David Nevins. Howard also provides the narration.

- In its first season, Arrested Development collected five Emmys, including Outstanding Comedy Series and Outstanding Writing. The show has also earned honours from the Television Critics Association, six Golden Globes and the TV Land award of "Future TV Classic."

-Two of the most popular players weren't intended as part of the show's regular mix: The characters of George Sr. (Tambor) and Lindsay's husband, the addled Tobias (David Cross), were originally minor characters who became more pivotal to the story after producers saw their audition tapes.

- The show has always included an eclectic mix of music particularly the 1986 single The Final Countdown, by the one-hit group Europe, which is the musical backdrop for Gob's magic act. n A myriad of Hollywood stars have guest-starred on the show, including Charlize Theron, Julia Louis-Dreyfus, Liza Minnelli, Henry Winkler, Martin Short, Scott Baio and Carl Weathers.

TJL · 02-10-2006, 08:56 PM

Set your DVRs folks, tonight is the last four epsiodes of "Arrested Development."

It will be missed.

theshark8777 · 02-10-2006, 08:57 PM

Two more minutes...

Taste the sad Michael, taste the sad.

An 80s Guy · 02-10-2006, 09:07 PM

on now

theshark8777 · 02-10-2006, 09:11 PM

I definitely don't like the way Fox is calling this the "season finale", when it is obvious its the Series Finale.

theshark8777 · 02-10-2006, 10:47 PM

I am going to have to say, even though there is still 15 mins left, that it seems this is the end. What a great 3 years it was!!

Adamantium · 02-10-2006, 10:59 PM

That was so wrong and yet so awesome! I loved it!

Sadly, I really can't see them starting up again. At least we got a great finale.

theshark8777 · 02-10-2006, 11:02 PM

I agree and someone on the OP talk room called that Lindsay was not related. I totally didnt see that coming.

Adamantium · 02-10-2006, 11:10 PM

I hadn't watched all season (I was waiting for the DVDs) but I just couldn't miss this four episode block. Right away, I got back into the show.

Also, when Michael asks George Michael "What do I always say is the most important thing?" and George Michael responds "Family." Then Michael says "I was gonna say breakfast." That was a twist from the pilot. In the pilot (and I'm sure most of you know this) George Michael responds "Breakfast." And Michael says "Family." So I got that joke (which is always great to get a joke).

theshark8777 · 02-12-2006, 06:17 PM

Wow I just read that around 2 million people watched the finale. How sad. Of course it wasn't promoted at all, and if it wasn't for websites and myspace, I probably wouldn't have known either.

theshark8777 · 02-12-2006, 08:40 PM

...it was Arrested Development

TJL · 02-13-2006, 10:03 PM

Finally, tonight ! got a chance to see the four part "season finale" from Friday night, and it was great.

They went out with a bang - four solid and laugh out loud funny episodes.

It's kind of sad that we'll never see another season, because the final episode was a great cliffhanger.

Bravo to Arrested Development.
I will gladly add this show to my DVD collection.

troopoleon8897 · 02-13-2006, 10:50 PM

I Loved The Mock Court with J. Reinhold featuring William Hung & The Hung Jurys ...I thought that was just he-lar-ious...

also when they bleeped out veronica mars and said fox censored this high school spy drama....

theshark8777 · 02-14-2006, 07:35 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by troopoleon8897

I Loved The Mock Court with J. Reinhold featuring William Hung & The Hung Jurys ...I thought that was just he-lar-ious...

also when they bleeped out veronica mars and said fox censored this high school spy drama....

I still have that song in my head:

"mock trial with J. Reinhold"

robyrob · 02-14-2006, 09:46 AM

an excellent finale to an excellent show, that really should not be allowed to end

...and I'm still kicking myself for not getting the first 2 season the last time I saw them on sale.

02-08-2006, 06:09 PM	#1
theshark8777 Hats for Bats Forum Veteran Join Date: Jan 23, 2001 Location: northeast Ohio. Posts: 5,315	Is this the final countdown? It's the show everyone wants to save but nobody will put on television. Is this the final countdown? It's inevitable that most Arrested Development devotees are in denial over the show's imminent departure. The beloved comedy closes its third season this week and in all likelihood it will be the last time we spend any time with the dysfunctional Bluth family. It will be a sad day for fans of quality television. After months of speculation and much dithering by network execs, the Emmy-winning comedy appears to be coming to the end of the road. As of this writing, the show's prognosis wasn't good: Fox entertainment president Peter Liquori said it was "highly unlikely" that Arrested Development would ever reappear on Fox; in network jargon, that means never. His ABC counterpart, Steve McPherson, expressed passing interest, but later backed off, saying, "I think it's a long shot." No one really believed ABC would schedule it alongside According to Jim or Hope and Faith. For a few days there was hope Arrested Development might resurface on the U.S. cable channel Showtime which really excited some fans, since the U.S. cable channel is not bound by network censors and competitive scheduling. And then that deal fell apart. There was even one bizarre rumour that posited a secret deal had been struck in which a cloister of Hollywood big shots had bought the show and would produce it with the original cast, in an undisclosed location. And then this supposed dark consortium would sell the show exclusively to video iPod users. You read all kinds of things on the Internet these days. It's not that unreasonable for Arrested fans to hold out hope. Fox brought back the previously cancelled Family Guy after the show garnered phenomenal DVD sales. Likewise, the short-lived series Firefly returned last year as the feature film Serenity. But Arrested Development is a different sort of TV creature. The lingering threat of cancellation has always hung over Arrested Development, right from the show's debut in November 2003. The show was just too weird the furthest extension imaginable from the regular network sitcom format. There was no canned laughter and none of the principal characters were very likeable, at least at first, with the exception of the beleaguered protagonist, Michael Bluth, played by Jason Bateman. The rest of the Bluths were a wonderfully wretched lot. Patriarch George Sr. (Jeffrey Tambor) had been indicted on damning criminal charges (something about a deal with the Iraq government to construct low-cost housing), leaving Michael to run the family business and provide caregiver duties to his odd immediate family, specifically, his besotted mother Lucille (Jessica Walter), idiot brothers Gob (Will Arnett) and Buster (Tony Hale) and sister Lindsay (Portia de Rossi). A widower, Michael's only hope of sustaining the Bluth family line was through his son, George Michael (Michael Cera), a nice kid, though he seemed to have an unusual attraction to his own cousin, Maeby (Alia Shawkat). Arrested Development was quirky, if low-rated, and won five Emmys in its first season. Fox bounced it around for three years, before finally settling in on Friday night last year. As in previous attempts, the ratings were good, not great, and the inevitable cancellation rumours returned. To the credit of creator and executive producer Mitchell Hurwitz, the show will go out with a bang, not a whimper. The regular lunacy seems to have been ramped up for Arrested Development's final chapters. For the fans: Scheming George Sr. hires a new attorney who arranges a mock trial in preparation for the real thing. All the Bluths are required to testify at the mock trial (except Buster, who is faking a coma), which is presided by the right honourable Judge Reinhold, as himself. In other activities: Michael is stunned to learn he has a sister he never knew about, named Nellie (played by Bateman's real sister, Justine). And Gob obeys a directive from George Sr. to embark on a clandestine evidence-removal mission, which naturally ends up in a dank Iraqi jail. A shroud of secrecy was veiled over the shooting of the very last episode in the Arrested Development timeline. The only program details from Fox reveal that the trial is finally over, after which the entire Bluth family gather together for party, held aboard the Queen Mary, no less. There are no encouraging clues to be gleaned from that scant storyline, but Arrested Development devotees are hopeful. No doubt the true fan base will hold out for a series reprieve, right up until this week's last few episodes and likely long thereafter. THE ARRESTED TIP SHEET -Arrested Development was created by Mitch Hurwitz and is executive produced by movie majordomos Brian Grazer and Ron Howard and David Nevins. Howard also provides the narration. - In its first season, Arrested Development collected five Emmys, including Outstanding Comedy Series and Outstanding Writing. The show has also earned honours from the Television Critics Association, six Golden Globes and the TV Land award of "Future TV Classic." -Two of the most popular players weren't intended as part of the show's regular mix: The characters of George Sr. (Tambor) and Lindsay's husband, the addled Tobias (David Cross), were originally minor characters who became more pivotal to the story after producers saw their audition tapes. - The show has always included an eclectic mix of music particularly the 1986 single The Final Countdown, by the one-hit group Europe, which is the musical backdrop for Gob's magic act. n A myriad of Hollywood stars have guest-starred on the show, including Charlize Theron, Julia Louis-Dreyfus, Liza Minnelli, Henry Winkler, Martin Short, Scott Baio and Carl Weathers.
	__________________ Who ate all the pecan Sandies??

02-10-2006, 08:56 PM	#2
TJL Suburbanite Extrordinaire Forum Star Join Date: Dec 29, 2001 Location: New Jersey - the cradle of civilization Posts: 16,591	Set your DVRs folks, tonight is the last four epsiodes of "Arrested Development." It will be missed.
	__________________ "I think I'll stroll up to the front to see how the shooting's going..." - Capt. Benjamin Franklin "Hawkeye" Pierce Read my blogs! http://centralparkamisguide.com/ http://dvdcriticscorner.com Visit me on Facebook!http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=641138880 Hey, I do the tweet thing too! http://twitter.com/TomLevier My shop of handmade items! http://www.etsy.com/shop/ColdGarageCreations

02-13-2006, 10:50 PM	#13
troopoleon8897 Let's Go!! Senior Member Join Date: Jun 28, 2004 Location: Not Hell, But the same Zip Code Posts: 1,751	I Loved The Mock Court with J. Reinhold featuring William Hung & The Hung Jurys ...I thought that was just he-lar-ious... also when they bleeped out veronica mars and said fox censored this high school spy drama....
	__________________ 2006 TV DVD Wish List The Wonder Years - Seasons 1 & 2 .11.07.06. In each life some rain falls, but you also get some Sun... My DVDs

02-14-2006, 09:46 AM	#15
robyrob certified wackball#3 Moderator Forum Icon Join Date: Aug 03, 2003 Location: hiding under the third booth at Arnold's Posts: 58,192	an excellent finale to an excellent show, that really should not be allowed to end ...and I'm still kicking myself for not getting the first 2 season the last time I saw them on sale.
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02-10-2006, 08:57 PM	#3
theshark8777 Hats for Bats Forum Veteran Join Date: Jan 23, 2001 Location: northeast Ohio. Posts: 5,315	Two more minutes... Taste the sad Michael, taste the sad.

02-10-2006, 09:07 PM	#4
An 80s Guy legen-wait for it-dary! Senior Member Join Date: Sep 03, 2005 Location: Austin,Texas Posts: 1,870	on now

02-10-2006, 09:11 PM	#5
theshark8777 Hats for Bats Forum Veteran Join Date: Jan 23, 2001 Location: northeast Ohio. Posts: 5,315	I definitely don't like the way Fox is calling this the "season finale", when it is obvious its the Series Finale.

02-10-2006, 10:47 PM	#6
theshark8777 Hats for Bats Forum Veteran Join Date: Jan 23, 2001 Location: northeast Ohio. Posts: 5,315	I am going to have to say, even though there is still 15 mins left, that it seems this is the end. What a great 3 years it was!!

02-10-2006, 10:59 PM	#7
Adamantium TVAdam No More Forum Veteran Join Date: Sep 11, 2002 Location: Springfield, Ohio Posts: 7,828	That was so wrong and yet so awesome! I loved it! Sadly, I really can't see them starting up again. At least we got a great finale.

02-10-2006, 11:02 PM	#8
theshark8777 Hats for Bats Forum Veteran Join Date: Jan 23, 2001 Location: northeast Ohio. Posts: 5,315	I agree and someone on the OP talk room called that Lindsay was not related. I totally didnt see that coming.

02-10-2006, 11:10 PM	#9
Adamantium TVAdam No More Forum Veteran Join Date: Sep 11, 2002 Location: Springfield, Ohio Posts: 7,828	I hadn't watched all season (I was waiting for the DVDs) but I just couldn't miss this four episode block. Right away, I got back into the show. Also, when Michael asks George Michael "What do I always say is the most important thing?" and George Michael responds "Family." Then Michael says "I was gonna say breakfast." That was a twist from the pilot. In the pilot (and I'm sure most of you know this) George Michael responds "Breakfast." And Michael says "Family." So I got that joke (which is always great to get a joke).

02-12-2006, 06:17 PM	#10
theshark8777 Hats for Bats Forum Veteran Join Date: Jan 23, 2001 Location: northeast Ohio. Posts: 5,315	Wow I just read that around 2 million people watched the finale. How sad. Of course it wasn't promoted at all, and if it wasn't for websites and myspace, I probably wouldn't have known either.

02-12-2006, 08:40 PM	#11
theshark8777 Hats for Bats Forum Veteran Join Date: Jan 23, 2001 Location: northeast Ohio. Posts: 5,315	...it was Arrested Development

02-13-2006, 10:03 PM	#12
TJL Suburbanite Extrordinaire Forum Star Join Date: Dec 29, 2001 Location: New Jersey - the cradle of civilization Posts: 16,591	Finally, tonight ! got a chance to see the four part "season finale" from Friday night, and it was great. They went out with a bang - four solid and laugh out loud funny episodes. It's kind of sad that we'll never see another season, because the final episode was a great cliffhanger. Bravo to Arrested Development. I will gladly add this show to my DVD collection.