139 replies to this topic

[Rich Kennedy]

With this post I will confess to some sense of vanity. One of the privileges of a subscription to GQ is a DVD I just received in the mail containing the pilot episode of this new show scheduled to start in November. Anyone receive one by other means? Will report when I watch it.

[Cunningham]

I don't watch a whole lot of TV, mostly sports, but I got sucked into watching this as I went from Cowboys game to King of the Hill, to Simpsons to Malcom to Arrested Development (does Fox have a killer Sunday afternoon lineup or what?). Totally wasted my afternoon and evening

Anyway, I enjoyed Arrested Development. I was really interested in all the corporate scandles from a couple summers ago, and this show does a good job of making fun of the corrupt CEOs behind such things, as well as the shallow, materialistic, lifestyle endorsed by richie-richers like the Hilton twins*. I laughted out loud a couple times: the arguement by which the protagonist's kid tries to get his cousin to make out with him ("that's why it'll be funny!"), the gag where the sister's husband thinks the party is pirate themed and ends up on a boat of gay protestors wearing his wife's blouse. That was a particularly funny sequence to me because the punchline was one of the first scenes of the episode, but you don't get it until you see the buildup. Nicely done.

All in all, this looks like just another disfunctional-but-loving-family-using-modernist-storytelling sitcom like Malcom in the Middle. I'm not an avid watcher of Malcom, but when I do tune in I usually get at least a chuckle or two, so I'll say I'm satified with Fox's latest and will probably watch it again next time the Dallas Cowboys play in the later NFL timeslot.

*for once I wish I had HBO so I could watch that new "Born Rich" documentary being put together by the Johnson & Johnson heir.

[Peter T Chattaway]

solishu wrote:
: *for once I wish I had HBO so I could watch that new "Born Rich"
: documentary being put together by the Johnson & Johnson heir.

FWIW, I linked to an article on that film here.

[BethR]

Saw this show last night. What was it--episode 2? Good cast, kinda funny. Quirky. Definitely better than Will & Grace, and maybe better than most sit-coms. But better than Scrubs? I'm not convinced yet.

Who said "Tragedy is easy. Comedy is hard"?

[Rich Kennedy]

No WAY better than Scrubs! The writing is weak to my mind. Dena can't really sit through it, but then, those of differing senses of humor are destined to marry each other....

[Cunningham]

2nd episode was a bit of a dropoff from the first. I saw the big twist from a mile away. The girl-cousin's dumb embezzlement scheme made me chuckle though. It wasn't until she outlined it a second time that I thought, "Wait a minute.... That wouldn't work at all!"

[M. Dale Prins]

Hi. The season two finale of "Arrested Development" was the greatest episode of anything ever. I just needed to share.

Dale

[Thom]

I really liked their fisrt album.

The show, can't say that I have seen more than a minute.

[Anders]

I finished watching the First Season DVD the other day. I LOVE THIS SHOW! It's been a long time since I've been able to get excited about a TV show.

Gob and Tobias are two of the funniest characters ever.

I only got watching about half way through Season Two, so I'm glad for the DVDs. I can't wait for the Season Two DVD.

[Clint M]

I think I've watched the first season 3 times now. Just a fantastic comedy that stretches the limits of network television, and manages to include some great gags.

BTW Anders, Fox will be showing all of the S2 episodes this summer.

[Clint M]

Good news for Arrested Development fans.

Source - It looks like the show will be renewed - and maybe for two full seasons.

[M. Dale Prins]

It's official: Renewed!

Dale

Edited by M. Dale Prins, 17 May 2005 - 08:49 AM.

[Christian]

OK, Prins (and other advocates of this show), you win: I just picked up disc 2 of Season 1 at the library, so it looks like I’ll be giving this show another shot over Memorial Day weekend.

I saw the very first episode on FOX when it premiered, but wasn’t impressed. I’m willing to give it another shot now because you and others seem to love it so, and also because my few flirtations with the program in recent months—during commercial breaks for other programs that air during the same time—have made me smile, forcing me to reconsider my earlier, tepid reaction to the program.

My question to you is, what do I need to know about those first six episodes in order to enjoy episodes 7-14 on the disc I just picked up? I’m afraid I might be completely lost when I jump back into the show.

Edited by Christian, 23 May 2005 - 03:57 PM.

[M. Dale Prins]

The pilot was pretty good, but it was certainly a below-average "AD" episode, and not quite representative of the series at large. If you make it through episodes 7-14 and still don't particularly like the show, give up; it's then obviously not your thing, because this is the show at pretty close to its best. But being of good taste, you will like them, especially "Pier Pressure" (no. 10) and "Beef Consomeé" (no. 13).

As long as you know the general family relationships, which you should have gotten from the pilot, there's not a lot of other necessary information you need to know to jump right into ep. 7, except that by this point 30-ish son Buster is dating Liza Minnelli. Also, Marta is played by two different actresses among the episodes you'll be seeing, so don't let that throw you.

Dale

Edited by M. Dale Prins, 24 May 2005 - 07:48 AM.

[Christian]

This program is misanthropic, nasty, and overly sarcastic.

I think I like it.

[Christian]

If you make it through episodes 7-14 and still don't particularly like the show, give up; it's then obviously not your thing, because this is the show at pretty close to its best. 

Suppose I agreed with this, having watched the first 6 episodes after watching episodes 7-14, but then suppose, right when you're about to proclaim the show's greatness, you find the third disc of Season 1 episodes kind of ... deflating? I have the final two episodes to watch tonight, but the other five or six on disc 3 seem to have lost something.

Just my imagination?

Oh, and am I to understand that Season 2 just wrapped, and is not available (yet) on DVD? So even if I decide the show is worth watching in the fall, I'll still have missed an entire season of episodes?

[M. Dale Prins]

Fox is rerunning either all or almost all of season 2 this summer. And I will refrain from taking an opinion on the issue of whether you should watch it or not until you've seen the last two episodes of season 1, both of which are better than anything else on disc 3. (I still very much like the rest of disc 3, however, which worries me for your "Development" future.)

Dale

[Christian]

Fox is rerunning either all or almost all of season 2 this summer.  And I will refrain from taking an opinion on the issue of whether you should watch it or not until you've seen the last two episodes of season 1, both of which are better than anything else on disc 3.  (I still very much like the rest of disc 3, however, which worries me for your "Development" future.)

Dale

I'm not sure why the rest of disc 3 lacked ... something, but you're right, those final two episodes were smashing. Having been on and off the Atkins Diet for a few years now, I loved the ongoing Atkins-related humor of the final episode.

Dude, why do you have to go and tempt me with talk of reruns?

[M. Dale Prins]

"What about macaroni -- let me finish -- salad?"

Let me say this: With the exception of the Martin Short episode (which I very nearly turned off) and the season 2 finale (which is the greatest episode of anything ever), the second season is approximately equal to season 1 in quality, both lows-wise and highs-wise. If watching more episodes in the same quality that you've been seeing sounds good to you, then, um, are you allowed to record shows off of broadcast TV onto a VCR tape and then watch them later? Otherwise, you're waiting until October or November for the DVDs.

Dale

[Russ]

I enjoy being able to reflexively refer to the lack of artful or redeeming shows on network television as much as the next guy, but I've got to give credit where it's due. We just finished the second disc of this show on DVD, and I'm stunned that something this quirky and clever is still running.

I've got to catch up to those second season reruns.