Arrested Development

Started by Weak2ndAct, October 24, 2004, 12:25:59 AM

0 Members and 1 Guest are viewing this topic.

killafilm

So I netlfix the first season.  All three arrive around the same time.  Last night finally get around to popping in the first disc.  But for whatever reason my roommate throws it in.  Don't really look at the menu or anything just start watching.  I'm all like "they're really just throwing us into this world."  About three hours later I pass out.  Wake up thinking why didn't I watch this earlier when Mod said I should.  Throw in disc two and... IT's the same disc that I watched last night.  I check all of the labels, disc one check, disc two check, disc three check.  Looks at all of the discs and lo and behold two disc twos.  Ahh-well.   :doh:

modage

yeah you need the first handful of episodes really to introduce everybody.  damn!  try again, check in after season one.
Christopher Nolan's directive was clear to everyone in the cast and crew: Use CGI only as a last resort.

tpfkabi

i went ahead and watched season two. it was great. i'd already seen several of the eps when they were showing older episodes after the new ones. i think my favorite ep so far is Good Grief, but that might be because i've seen it more than the others. i got a disc with it on it a long time ago when i bought something else. one of those bonus disc best buy things.

"like anyone would want to 'r' her."
I am Torgo. I take care of the place while the Master is away.

ᾦɐļᵲʊʂ

My favorite from season two is Immaculate Election.

"It's a way to make money while I'm working!"
"Yeah, that's what we call working."
"As a matter of fact I only work with the feeling of something magical, something seemingly significant. And to keep it magical I don't want to know the story involved, I just want the hypnotic effect of it somehow seeming significant without knowing why." - Len Lye

Ravi

 :yabbse-sad: :yabbse-sad: :yabbse-sad: :yabbse-sad: :yabbse-sad:


http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?file=/c/a/2006/03/28/GOODMAN.TMP

R.I.P., 'Arrested Development' -- critics' fave not given room to grow
Tim Goodman
Tuesday, March 28, 2006


The Bluths are out of business.

"Arrested Development," the critically praised but low-rated Fox show that won an Emmy for outstanding comedy series, as well as Emmys for writing, will not be resurrected on Showtime as rumors circulating for months have suggested.

A source close to the negotiations said that creator Mitch Hurwitz had decided after a lengthy period of debating an offer from Showtime that "Arrested Development reached its end, creatively, as a series."

Reached on his cell phone while filming a movie in Toronto, star Jason Bateman said he had mixed emotions about the news, saying he was sad for the series to end but happy that the beloved series will live on DVD for people to enjoy.

"I'm so proud of it and so like it as a TV fan that I'm happy we're not going to get a chance to screw it up," he said, in the deadpan style of his character, Michael Bluth, about the only sane member of the dysfunctional Bluth clan. "Our luck wouldn't have held. There would have been cast fighting. We would have messed it up."

Part of the reason Bateman can joke about it now -- and perhaps it will sting a little less painfully for diehard fans -- is that the fate of the series has been in limbo for so long. Though Fox hasn't even officially canceled the series, Fox entertainment President Peter Liguori said months ago that the network was moving on -- and the last four episodes from this truncated third season were burned off in February up against the opening ceremonies of the Winter Olympics, a sure sign of not being wanted.

Despite the Emmys, the audience never showed up to make "Arrested Development" a hit. Though Fox renewed it for a second season, it ended up cutting the order to 18 (a move spoofed in a later "Arrested Development" episode). When Liguori took over as entertainment president of Fox, one of the first things he was told, according to a source inside the network, was "You don't want to be the guy who cancels 'Arrested Development.' "

But risking a critical backlash was apparently easier to do than making the show profitable, so even though "Arrested Development" was brought back for its third and final season, it was moved to Mondays and limited to 13 episodes.

"Arrested Development" premiered in November 2003 and quickly became a critical darling for its brilliant writing, superb cast and multilayered jokes. Narrated by Ron Howard (whose company produced the series), "Arrested Development" had a faux-documentary, cinema verite style that traced the sorry path of the Bluths from the glory days of their home development company to their cash-strapped existence thanks to a government fraud bust.

The series mined hilarious performances from Bateman, Jeffrey Tambor, Jessica Walter, David Cross, Will Arnett, Tony Hale, Portia de Rossi and others, plus a string of memorable guest stars.

Bateman, who's in Toronto filming "Mr. Magorium's Wonder Emporium" alongside Dustin Hoffman and Natalie Portman, said "Arrested Development" opened a lot of doors for him. "The people who hand out jobs in L.A. were basically the only ones who watched the show, which worked out great for me. I'm getting a lot of flattering opportunities." Bateman said the reason he got the role in his latest film is "a direct result of 'Arrested Development.' "

Everyone involved in the series benefited, Bateman said, including Fox. "At least they had a presence at the Emmys, which was new for them."

For a series that never attained more than cult status, "Arrested Development" set off one of the strangest behind-the-scenes bidding wars when it was clear Fox had given up on it. The Chronicle first reported that Showtime was interested in picking up the series and moving it to pay cable, where it would not only add significant value to the Showtime lineup but also be immune to the ratings pressure of broadcast television. Then word came that ABC wanted to get into the bidding (probably because "Arrested Development" would have been a good stylistic match for that network's midseason comedy "Sons & Daughters"). Once the ABC interest surfaced, sources inside Fox said the network became worried that it would suffer great embarrassment if it lost the series to a rival that managed to make it a hit. That's partly why no official cancellation came from Fox.

But 20th Century Fox TV, the studio that made "Arrested Development," was clearly pursuing a home for the series. The Showtime offer was reportedly for two 12-episode seasons, with the entire cast coming back. Though the deal was on the table for some time, Hurwitz sounded out cast members about whether it made sense for the show to continue.

Noted for his work on getting all the details right (not just the writing, but the visual humor and the ceaseless references to past episodes and previous punch lines), Hurwitz ended up putting an inordinate amount of time into the series, and no doubt that workload played a part in his decision to pass on the Showtime offer.

Though the demise of one of television's most devastatingly funny comedies deals a blow to the hopes of a diehard audience (not to mention the sitcom genre), Hurwitz and his writers deserve credit for a tremendously effective wrap-up of the myriad story arcs in "Arrested Development." The series would have had to change gears on Showtime.

And as Bateman said about the three-season DVDs: "It's nice that there's a medium to preserve it."

modage

Mitch Hurwitz Quits Arrested Development
Source: Variety March 28, 2006

Variety reports that Arrested Development creator Mitch Hurwitz says he will not be continuing with the series, throwing a major wrench into attempts to keep the Emmy-winning comedy alive for a fourth season.

Series producers 20th Century Fox TV and Imagine Television had agreed on a deal to move "Arrested," previously on Fox, to Showtime -- assuming Hurwitz was willing to come back. In the end, however, a mix of creative and financial concerns has prompted Hurwitz to move on.

Hurwitz said he had briefed most of the show's cast about his decision, as well as some of the writers. He also talked with executive producer-narrator Ron Howard, who asked Hurwitz if he would be willing to continue as a consultant on "Arrested" should 20th and Imagine find a network willing to continue the series without Hurwitz.

"I said I'd be happy to do that, but that as showrunner, I've gone as far as I can go," he said.

Hurwitz hinted that while "Arrested" may have run its course as a TV show as far as he's concerned, he would be interested in reviving the franchise as a feature film.

Christopher Nolan's directive was clear to everyone in the cast and crew: Use CGI only as a last resort.

Pubrick

Quote from: modage on March 28, 2006, 07:46:01 AM
Hurwitz hinted that while "Arrested" may have run its course as a TV show as far as he's concerned, he would be interested in reviving the franchise as a feature film.
jesus, let it go.
under the paving stones.

Gamblour.

Quote from: Pubrick on March 28, 2006, 08:04:50 AM
Quote from: modage on March 28, 2006, 07:46:01 AM
Hurwitz hinted that while "Arrested" may have run its course as a TV show as far as he's concerned, he would be interested in reviving the franchise as a feature film.
jesus, let it go.

don't you really mean, "Kick it to the curb?"
WWPTAD?

MacGuffin

An Arrested Development Movie?

Now that he's officially quit the show, series creator Mitch Hurwitz all but sealed the fate of Arrested Development by pretty much saying (Note: Not an actual quote), "Hell, if I can't develop this thing into a hit, then no one can." While those of us who have remained faithful to the show knew this was coming eventually, it does mark a sad day for television. Anyway, although he's left the show, Hurwitz did hint that a feature film is a possibility. Could Arrested Development follow in the footsteps of Firefly and take a chance at the big screen?

The good folks over at Cinema Confidential give us this:

"Arrested Development" TV series creator Mitch Hurwitz has quit the show, leaving little hope for the series to continue on another network for a fourth season. But could it follow in the footsteps of "Firefly" and be resurrected as a feature film? The trade hints as such. Hurwitz hints to the trade that while "Arrested Development" has run its course as a TV series, a feature film is a possibilty for the future.
"Don't think about making art, just get it done. Let everyone else decide if it's good or bad, whether they love it or hate it. While they are deciding, make even more art." - Andy Warhol


Skeleton FilmWorks

Ravi

Quote from: Gamblour le flambeur on March 28, 2006, 09:22:00 AM
don't you really mean, "Kick it to the curb?"

Or "take a forget-me-not?"

modage

Title: Arrested Development
Released: 29th August 2006
SRP: $29.98

Further Details:
Fox Home Entertainment has revealed the artwork for the third and final season of Arrested Development which stars Jason Bateman. The two-disc package will be available to own from the 29th August, and should set you back around $29.98. All 13 episodes will be presented in 1.78:1 anamorphic widescreen, along with English Dolby Surround tracks. Fox has yet to reveal details on any extra material for this one - but we'll let you know as soon as we hear anything. For now though, here's the official package artwork:

Christopher Nolan's directive was clear to everyone in the cast and crew: Use CGI only as a last resort.

Weird. Oh

re-watching the 3rd season ago after read the news it was nominated for outstanding comedy series.... and I read this little tidbit and just amazed at the details this show goes to In the episode "The Ocean Walker", Buster loses his prosthetic hand when it becomes lodged in the dashboard of the stair car as he is dancing to Styx's song, "Mr. Roboto". Fans may remember a similar scene from a 1999 Volkswagen commercial which, not so coincidentally, also featured Hale
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VBdLJ7Pox9Y&search=mr.%20roboto%20commercial


....so great...so sad it's gone :(
The more arguments you win, the fewer friends you will have.

Redlum

Nice one.

I ended up re-watching some season 3 episodes after seeking out 'Faking it' to experience the joy of the moment where Michael calls Franklin to the stand and Gob prances across the court to an up-tempo version of 'It aint easy being white'.
\"I wanted to make a film for kids, something that would present them with a kind of elementary morality. Because nowadays nobody bothers to tell those kids, \'Hey, this is right and this is wrong\'.\"
  -  George Lucas

tpfkabi

i finally got the Season One set.

i thought the girlfriend, Anne, had probably shown up in Season One, but it looks like she just appears in the first ep of Season Two.
I am Torgo. I take care of the place while the Master is away.

I Love a Magician

Semi-spoiler:

The part in the finale where GOB lies to Michael and says that he did have sex with his sister is probably the funniest thing I've seen on the show.