When FOX announced it had finally given up on its critically acclaimed comedy "Arrested Development," the reaction from fans was similar to that of a Democrat after the last election: "How can the rest of America be so stupid?" How can one of the most critically acclaimed shows of all time flounder in the ratings, when the post-"Everybody Loves Raymond" sitcoms about fat working-class men and the pretty women who love them continue to dominate prime time?
With unparalleled acting and writing, legions of adoring critics and armfuls of Emmys, "Arrested Development" should have been the next "Seinfeld." Ever since "the story of a wealthy family that lost everything, and the one son who had no choice but to keep them together" debuted in 2003, the axe of cancellation has hovered inches above the show's neck. There have been numerous threats and false alarms in the past, such as the decrease in episodes ordered for Season Two from 22 to 18 in order to introduce the dreadful "American Dad."
The show that never seemed to get a fair deal is now meeting an unceremonious end. In the programming equivalent of bringing Old Yeller out behind the woodshed, FOX is running the final four episodes of Season Three (and likely the entire series) from 8 to 10 p.m. tonight, against the opening ceremonies of the Winter Olympics. This is a fate that not even "Emily's Reasons Why Not" deserves. While rumors have been flying that ABC or Showtime might pick up the show, nothing has been confirmed.
No synopsis can do justice to the seemingly endless gags, subplots and character quirks of "AD," but at its core the show is about one son's attempt to find his place in and ultimately save his oddball family. When the Bluth family patriarch (Jeffrey Tambor) is arrested in connection with an Enron-like scandal, his son Michael Bluth (Jason Bateman) must pick up the pieces of his chronically dysfunctional family.
Michael encounters resistance from his brother G.O.B. (Will Arnett), a struggling magician who travels almost exclusively by Segway, and his sister Lindsay (Portia de Rossi), who adopts causes only if they enhance her social visibility. Meanwhile, his oblivious brother Buster (Tony Hale), an annual contestant in the mother-son Motherboy pageant, loses his hand to a loose seal shortly after his mother, Lucille (Jessica Walter), enrolls him in the army.
The supporting cast is at least as good as, if not better than the stars. David Cross plays Tobias F??nke, Lindsay's psychologist-turned-actor husband, who has the worst guarded secret concerning his sexuality this side of Mr. Smithers from "The Simpsons." George Michael (Michael Cera) and Maeby F??nke (Alia Shawkat) are cousins dealing with the absurdities of their families who also just might be in love with each other.
"Arrested Development" relies heavily on pushing the boundaries of what a prime-time network show can be. It is filmed like a documentary, using only two handheld cameras. Unlike "The Office," which uses this style to emphasize the soul-crushing boredom and isolation of the workplace, "AD" moves along at a breakneck speed, utilizing unconventional techniques like inserts and archival footage. It is self-referential and uses frequent call-backs to previous episodes, which makes it somewhat unwelcoming to uninitiated viewers. Guest stars like Charlize Theron are used in unorthodox ways that would have had a network executive's head spinning on any other program. The most off-beat and charming addition is Ron Howard's razor-sharp narration, which is weaved so expertly into the story that he becomes one of the characters.
Smart, fast-paced and character-driven dramas like "24" and "Lost" that require viewer attention and contain multiple complex storylines have recently gained huge, loyal audiences. On the other hand, comedies have been on the downward trajectory. So-called "family sitcoms" like "Two and a Half Men" and "According to Jim" have a very different view of family than most of us are used to. Unless your dad speaks almost solely in one-liners and gets himself into a crazy jam every week that is resolved in under half an hour, this is not exactly something we can all relate to.
A lot of speculation has been made that "Arrested Development"'s poor ratings are because people can't relate to a wealthy, self-obsessed family. In the episode "S.O.B.," the first made after it became clear the show was on its last legs, Michael Bluth questioned whether his family is even worth saving. This is where "Arrested Development" is more of a sitcom about family than "family sitcoms" ever could hope to be. At its heart, "Arrested Development" is about the struggle to understand if it really is "family first" or if they're just "a bunch of people who have our nose."
If "Arrested Development" is as good as all the critics and Emmys would make it out to be, why does it average only 6.2 million viewers on a good night? It's not because America's stupid and needs a laugh-track to tell them what's funny. "Arrested Development" is a lot like G.O.B.'s puppet Franklin, an act America just wasn't ready for.
The show is so dense and so quick that comparing it to other shows is like comparing "apples with some weird fruit no one's ever heard of." On the bright side, "Arrested Development"'s legacy is already becoming apparent in NBC's new Must See line-up featuring the off-beat comedies "My Name is Earl" and "The Office."
So don't despair, "Arrested Development" fans: take a couple of Dr. F??nke's Teamosils, watch the final four episodes of one of television's greatest shows, and pray that Showtime picks them up for next season.
