OT: A sad day for Arrested Development fans.....

[Mr_Vindictive]

No, not the rap group from the early 90s.

I'm takling about what is quite possibly the funniest show on TV- Arrested Development.  I'm sure there has to be fans of the show on this board other than I, especially considering the humor on the show.

Variety has reported today that the show has been cut from 22 episodes to 13, and has been dropped for the rest of the month on Fox.  We've already had to wait a month just to see last Monday's episode, and now Fox is screwing us over.

Does anyone else watch this reguarly?  Aside from Nip/Tuck and Rescue Me, it's the only show that I've seen EVERY episode of.  What is wrong with Fox?  This show continues to win awards left and right, yet Fox treats it like crap.  

What will the world do without the antics of GOB?!?

[ulthar]

Skaboi wrote:

>
> I'm takling about what is quite possibly the funniest show on
> TV- Arrested Development.  

That's not really a huge, ringing endorsement.  There's not a lot of funny stuff on TV these days.

>
> Does anyone else watch this reguarly?  

Nope.  I watched a few episodes when it first came on, when all the hubbub was out about it, and did not like it - at all.  Sorry, Skaboi, but I won't miss this one.

> What is wrong with Fox?

Good question.  FOX has always been somewhat of a ground-breaker, especially in sit-coms. I remember FOX's early days as a big net, really trying to find a niche to compete with the big three.  Now, it is the big four, and much of FOX's programming has become formulaic (I think the slide started around the 90210/Melrose Place days). Arrested Development, though I personally did not like it, was/is an innovative show and harked back to FOX's humble, gutsy beginnings.

These days I think FOX is trying to be ground breaking more in the 1 hour drama segment - Prison Break, House, 24 are examples.  These shows are edgy, well thought out and engaging.  They make you want to watch them (as opposed to most of what else is on TV, which makes me, at least, say "who cares?").

In the end, though, ground-breaking does not equal ratings.  The 'masses' seem to like formula, and low denomenator formula at that (how else can you explain YEARS of Will and Grace fcol).  True, there are exceptions (24).  If FOX stays innovative, and gutsy, with their programming, they will have core, loyal audiences but probably not consistently the big audiences.

My $0.02.

[ulthar]

Sorry for the self-reply, but I thought of this after I posted.  Not one single FOX show in the Top 20 Nielson Ratings for 10/31-11/6:

http://tv.yahoo.com/nielsen/

Talk about forumula - crime drama preveals.

[Mr_Vindictive]

It doesn't matter.

The news is now offical.  Arrested Development is dead.

This has seriously ruined my day.

[Scottie]

'Tis a sad day indeed.  Arrested Development is one of the few live-action shows I can laugh at. I'm surprised Fox thinks that losing this viewing audience is expendable. Not only is the audience large, but for people like me, I might watch some other of Fox's shows after Arrested Development. Now, with nothing to pull me in, I'll never sit down to watch anything on Fox before and after Sunday night. I'm a slave to The Simpsons and Seth McFarlane cartoons.



Post Edited (11-11-05 11:23)

[Ed, Ego and Superego]

You know, I tried that show.  I lopve "Malcolm in the Middle" and thought tthis would be similar.  But I just sat there watching with no response, good or bad.   I founding profoundly unfunny, not bad, but very unfunny.  I won't miss this one either.
-Ed

[Mr_Vindictive]

I guess it's a love/hate type of show.  Personally, I'm almost in tears each episode, from laughing so hard.

[ulthar]

Skaboi wrote:

> I guess it's a love/hate type of show.  Personally, I'm almost
> in tears each episode, from laughing so hard.
>

That's the thing with cutting edge stuff that is actually creative: hit or miss.  If you take chances, you gotta be willing to not please everybody.  This beats the snot out of 'safe' tv programming any day of the week.

For that reason, I'm sorry to see it go.

[AndyC]

I liked this show at first, but found it starting to wear thin after a while. And I think as it got more ridiculous, I found it less enjoyable. Some funny stuff, but not a good show for me, overall.

Even so, I agree that it was at least different from all the cookie-cutter shows out there. It's making me nostalgic for the early days of Fox, when you could say that about many of their shows. I was certain that Fox was losing its edge when the sports came along. Suddenly, their fantastic Sunday night lineup was getting pre-empted for the tail end of football games. I can remember ads for the season premiere of Futurama during a game that had already used up two thirds of that particular time slot. I knew then that Fox no longer cared about the things that made them special. They'd managed to get football. Sad.

[peter johnson]

Phil Proctor (Firesign Theatre) appeared in last week's episode --
Liza Minnelli has a recurring role --
Charlize Theron (Last Best Actress Oscar winner) has a recurring part --
Ron Howard helms the whole thing --
* * * *
Well, poo, with a lack of visible talent like that, it's no wonder the thing tanked!!
Well gone, say I -- Let's get back to those "70's Show" reruns!!!
TV is Hee Haw -- If I like a show in any way, shape, or form, it's a sure indicator that it will be strangled in its crib --
And, oh, if the Sprits are listening:  I really really HATE Boston Legal!!  Never watch it . . .
peter johnson/denny crane(who?)

[dean]

Sad sad sad news.

My brother bought the box set a while ago of season one [cheap too!] and until then I had never heard of Arrested Development.  It has now become one of my favourite shows, though its only on late night TV here [and just repeats of season 1 anyway]  

Now I'm really sad to hear it going.

I thought that after season one it got cancelled.  Then I heard recently it was back on, got all excited again, and now this.  Talk about getting your hopes up...

[Just Plain Horse]

I'll be honest, although I liked Arrested Development- and was even amazed a show like that even got on television- instead of going straight to DVD- I cannot fathom why anybody still watches FOX. I've had to wade through friends of mine watching Married with Children, King of the Hill, Herman' s Head, In Living Color, 90210, House, Parker Lewis Can't Lose, The Simpsons, Greg The Bunny, Family Guy, Futurama, Malcom In The Middle, That 70's Show and The X Files... and you know what, at some point, they all suck/ sucked/ are still sucking. Television exists so companys can force their products into your home, not give you intelligent discussions on relevant matters. My point is this, all is fleeting. Be happy such a show even got greenlit at all, not downcast that it is fleeting. I used to be a Mystery Science Theater fan, but when the show ended (twice), I didn't take a vow to burn a candlelight vigil every night until it returned... I watched the final episode, weighed the pros and cons of the program and its impact upon me, and moved on. I've learned that if you want to hate television, hate the money-grubbers that run it and the commercials that continue to take up a larger time frame every year... not because you got suckered into an obsession over a particular program, that's just unhealthy... Yeah, I know one hour/half hour episode doesn't offer the kind of closure a fan who's sat through 15 years of the Simpsons will deserve when it finally pulls up its tent stakes and moves on, but like all relationships (and pretty much everything else) it comes to an end.  Do what you must and move on.

[nobody]

I absolutely love "Arrested Development." I go out of my way to watch every single episode. Last Monday's hour long block with the destruction of "tiny town" had me laughing so hard my eyes teared up. It's a shame that Fox has treated the show so poorly.

Maybe in a few years people will appreciate what a good show it truly is... of course, by then it'll be too late.

[peter johnson]

The Kaiju destruction of tiny town!!
wonderful . . .
peter johnson/denny crane