Jason Bateman Blames Underwhelming Reception On Netflix’s ‘Disingenuous’ Branding - Sitcoms Online Message Boards

TMC · 08-17-2015, 09:15 AM

http://uproxx.com/tv/2015/08/jason-b...d-development/

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Jason Bateman was on Marc Maron’s WTF podcast recently, and during his insightful and engaging interview, Bateman spoke about how Arrested Development basically brought his career back from the dead and allowed him to avoid becoming an actor who essentially peaked when he was 19 years old.

In fact, Bateman’s journey to landing the lead role in Arrested Development was a long shot, in and of itself. His agents tried to discourage Bateman from even auditioning for the part, telling him that the series didn’t have much of a chance of going anywhere. He auditioned, nevertheless, but didn’t expect much from it because he had “some baggage” and “sitcom stink” on him from earlier roles in movies like Teen Wolf Too and Harper’s Family. He didn’t think he’d even get an audition for it because he thought they’d see him as a former child-star hack.

But Bateman wanted to give it a go, anyway, because of the great pedigree involved, and Mitch Hurwitz had remembered him from an audition for a multi-cam show years before. Hurwitz gave him a shot, Bateman “guessed right when [he] went in there as far as how they wanted the character played,” and Hurwitz practically offered him the role on the spot. “He followed me out of the audition room,” Bateman told Maron, “and he said, ‘Hey. That was great. So, tomorrow you have another audition for a show I’m executive producing, right?”

Hurwitz — concerned that the network brass might like him for the other part — actually asked him not to audition for it because he wanted him for Arrested Development. “I don’t want the network to see you,” he said, “because I like you for this one.”

The rest, of course, is history. Arrested Development would be critically adored and low-rated. It would last only two-and-a-half seasons, and afterwards, Mitch Hurwitz and Jason Bateman would have to answer questions from the press about whether it’d come back for years!

And then it did. On Netflix.

There’s only one problem. It wasn’t as beloved in its “fourth season” as it was on Fox, but Bateman thinks part of the reason why is because Netflix branded it wrong.

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“[The episodes] were meant to be the first act of a three-act story that Mitch had in his head. And the second two acts … are still yet to be told. He thought it would be fun to do the first act in some episodes. And that’s what that was, but Netflix called it ‘season four,’ which was a little disingenuous because it implied that the show was coming back. And that’s not what the show was, because each episode was about an individual character, and I think it was a little confusing and frankly underwhelming for the audience. That was unfortunate. It wasn’t branded honestly. Or correctly, I should say.”

As far as whether there will be a season five — or a “second or third act” — Bateman told Marc Maron, “There is no plan. There are those remaining two acts, but I don’t know what format they will take, or if they will ever happen.”

That’s not exactly in line with what producer Brian Grazer has said about the return. He told Bill Simmons that there would be 17 more episodes. That’s news, apparently, to Bateman.

Yong Fang · 08-17-2015, 10:47 AM

I like Jason Bateman in films he has been in. Sort of plays the same character, a young middle aged guy that something happens to and hilarity prevails.

Arrested Development was hilarious in its first season, then the second season was mostly mediocre and the third season stunk. The people who played the roles were fantastic, including Jeffrey Tambor, one of my all time favorite TV actors. The writing went to garbage and was idiotic. Too much Ron Howard. I quit watching the FOX series when Jason Bateman's character was dating a girl in Britiantown, like Chinatown but where everyone speaks with a British accent with tea houses and pubs, in Los Angeles, nope, turned off.

I watched the Netflix season, nothing memorable to me, except that I think the show went back to basics of the first season, and the show was decent, not fantastically funny, but OK. I thought the fan nerds would have kept this show on, but it hasn't come back and everyone has moved on.

WalterTheDrinker · 07-27-2016, 02:19 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Yong Fang

I like Jason Bateman in films he has been in. Sort of plays the same character, a young middle aged guy that something happens to and hilarity prevails.

Arrested Development was hilarious in its first season, then the second season was mostly mediocre and the third season stunk. The people who played the roles were fantastic, including Jeffrey Tambor, one of my all time favorite TV actors. The writing went to garbage and was idiotic. Too much Ron Howard. I quit watching the FOX series when Jason Bateman's character was dating a girl in Britiantown, like Chinatown but where everyone speaks with a British accent with tea houses and pubs, in Los Angeles, nope, turned off.

I watched the Netflix season, nothing memorable to me, except that I think the show went back to basics of the first season, and the show was decent, not fantastically funny, but OK. I thought the fan nerds would have kept this show on, but it hasn't come back and everyone has moved on.

Seasons 2 and 3 were as superb as season 1. The Wee Britain episode you criticize was great. Michael's introduction to Rita is hilarious, in particular. I guess the humor by that time was just going over your head.

Yong Fang · 07-29-2016, 08:49 AM

I stand behind every word of what I wrote last year.

The First Season was fantastic, absolutely hilarious, and wonderfully absurdist. I actually owned the first season, from living in China and buying the DVDs. The second season wasn't horrible, but it went downhill and by Season Three, the show Jumped the Shark and went over the cliff. I quit watching it before the show was cancelled. So did literally everyone else.

I watch a lot of stuff so it did not "go over my head" like you so pompously noted. Well feel proud sir that you were one of the few who got the show in the end because the rest of us turned it off. Even Jason Bateman would tell you in a private moment that the third season sucked.

No shame about making a great season of a series. Everything flames out, and nothing lasts forever except reruns.

WalterTheDrinker · 07-29-2016, 11:00 AM

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Originally Posted by Yong Fang

...by Season Three, the show Jumped the Shark and went over the cliff. I quit watching it before the show was cancelled. So did literally everyone else...feel proud sir that you were one of the few who got the show in the end because the rest of us turned it off.

Season Three averaged 4 million viewers. So you might want to brush up on the meaning of the word 'literally.'

But I guess we still have hypothetical private moments with Jason Bateman to go on...

kclj520 · 08-23-2016, 02:55 PM

Loved the first three seasons, forced myself to watch the 4th, but it was rough...

08-17-2015, 10:47 AM	#2
Yong Fang Member Forum 3000 Club Member Join Date: Aug 04, 2009 Location: Memphis Tennessee Posts: 3,073	I like Jason Bateman in films he has been in. Sort of plays the same character, a young middle aged guy that something happens to and hilarity prevails. Arrested Development was hilarious in its first season, then the second season was mostly mediocre and the third season stunk. The people who played the roles were fantastic, including Jeffrey Tambor, one of my all time favorite TV actors. The writing went to garbage and was idiotic. Too much Ron Howard. I quit watching the FOX series when Jason Bateman's character was dating a girl in Britiantown, like Chinatown but where everyone speaks with a British accent with tea houses and pubs, in Los Angeles, nope, turned off. I watched the Netflix season, nothing memorable to me, except that I think the show went back to basics of the first season, and the show was decent, not fantastically funny, but OK. I thought the fan nerds would have kept this show on, but it hasn't come back and everyone has moved on.

07-29-2016, 08:49 AM	#4
Yong Fang Member Forum 3000 Club Member Join Date: Aug 04, 2009 Location: Memphis Tennessee Posts: 3,073	I stand behind every word of what I wrote last year. The First Season was fantastic, absolutely hilarious, and wonderfully absurdist. I actually owned the first season, from living in China and buying the DVDs. The second season wasn't horrible, but it went downhill and by Season Three, the show Jumped the Shark and went over the cliff. I quit watching it before the show was cancelled. So did literally everyone else. I watch a lot of stuff so it did not "go over my head" like you so pompously noted. Well feel proud sir that you were one of the few who got the show in the end because the rest of us turned it off. Even Jason Bateman would tell you in a private moment that the third season sucked. No shame about making a great season of a series. Everything flames out, and nothing lasts forever except reruns.

08-23-2016, 02:55 PM	#6
kclj520 Member Occasional Poster Join Date: Dec 15, 2015 Location: Southern Illinois Posts: 80	Loved the first three seasons, forced myself to watch the 4th, but it was rough...