Arrested Development aired between 2003 and 2006 and ran for three seasons (though for some reason the last season was cut down to 13 episodes). I know it's old, but I was recently introduced to this show by my good friend Joe who has so much American comedy on his computer that it needs its own hard drive! Jason Bateman stars in the series (there's a picture below, for some reason whenever I say Jason Bateman to people, no-one knows who he is despite me thinking he is really famous... Maybe I just happen to watch a lot of movies that he is in!), along with Michael Cera (guy from Juno, Scott Pilgrim, some others I can't remember..) and a lot of other really good people who aren't really that well known as far as I can tell.
I know it is far from current but Arrested Development is a pretty recent discovery for me and it is one of the best comedies that I have ever seen. It takes a while to get going, with the first season starting slowly while the relationships between the characters are put into place. It is definitely worth perservering through the warm up episodes because as the second season kicks off, it all comes together. I don't know if it because the actors have got to know their characters and one another, or whether the audience need some time to get to know the family, but the second season feels much more together and is much funnier than the previous one.
The comedy in Arrested Development takes many forms. There is obvious stuff and obvious jokes as well as subtle jokes that run underneath the main dialogue and sometimes take a while to pick out (is it just me or are those the most satisfying though? Whenever I 'get' a hidden joke, I always feel really proud of myself). Some jokes refer back to earlier moments in the show and some run pretty consistently throughout, so it really is a series to watch from the beginning if you want to get the most out of it. There are some brilliant characters including a lawyer played by Henry Winkler (the Fonz from Happy Days) and a guy called Bob Loblaw (whose name sounds like Bla Bla Bla... lots of jokes about that..). The other great thing is that there is never any seriousness to this show. I hate it when you turn on a comedy wanting to be cheered up and then it hits you with a serious theme or message or something. Not with Arrested Development. It is all about the laughs and sometimes self depricating characters. I can't describe how good I think this show is, watch it and you will see!
Chicken dance montage: this is a running joke through the whole show and makes some of funniest moments.
The great thing about this show, in my opinion, is the mix of story line and comedy. There are moments when you just have to watch the next episode to find out what is going on, while at the same time there is loads of funny stuff slipped in. The story gets really interesting in the third seasons, and the season finale answers all the questions and ties up all the loose ends that have come up throughout the show., with lots of *gasp* moments. Unfortunately the ending does feel a little rushed, which is probably due to the show being cancelled and having to fit everything in to the last couple of episodes. It is still a brilliant show finale though.
The best thing about Arrested Development? It's coming back! It has been confirmed that there will be a mini-series of about 10 episodes to proceed an Arrested Development film, both are said to coming out in the next couple of years. So I guess it is kind of current.....
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