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Arrested Development

post #1 of 165
1/6/09 at 11:55am
Thread Starter 
Forgive me if there was an old one, I can't use the search function from work's shitty old version of IE.

I had seen a number of episodes of this back when it was on, had never watched it on DVD and my wife had never seen any of them. We've been watching them in order over the last few weeks, and while I've loved it I just got to the first 4 episodes of season 3 last night and realized that I've seen very little of season 3, and season 3 is quite possibly the funniest this show ever was.

Seriously. Analrapist is the funniest thing I think I've ever seen on TV (and somehow made even funnier with Buster's "I wasn't worried about how you pronounce it!". Bob Loblaw, and the subtle joke of him replacing Henry Winkler just a couple of episodes after the subtle Andy Griffith jokes. The payoff of Gob and Steve Holt and how long it took that storyline to develop (looking back at Gob's "Steve Holt is a BASTARD!" video it's even funnier now).

It's amazing and depressing all at once to see that a show that started out funny got even better only to get cut down at it's stride.
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post #2 of 165
1/6/09 at 12:38pm
"Spring Breakout" is one of the finest episodes of comedy of the decade. Fact.
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post #3 of 165
1/6/09 at 12:46pm
Once they found out the show was getting canceled the writers just went balls to the wall all out. I can't pick a favorite ep. It's all greatness.

I have to say though, although it was sad watching the show knowing it was being cancelled, the digs at Fox worked into the eps as the process was going on made you feel as if you were right there with them fighting the good fight. I've never had so much fun watching a show knowing it was going to end.
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post #4 of 165
1/6/09 at 12:58pm
The best comedy ever made for television in my book. And the most rewatchable as well.
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post #5 of 165
1/6/09 at 1:14pm
The best of all time. 30 Rock is fantastic, and I can watch old episodes of Seinfeld any time, but they don't compare to Arrested Development.
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post #6 of 165
1/6/09 at 1:23pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by Mangy View Post
The best of all time. 30 Rock is fantastic, and I can watch old episodes of Seinfeld any time, but they don't compare to Arrested Development.
Yup. Also, the idea of the movie scares me more than it excites me. I just think the magic won't be there anymore, and I can't see how they'll please fans and neophytes alike.
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post #7 of 165
1/6/09 at 1:28pm
I actually started rewatching AD over Christmas break and it just solidified my thinking that this is the best sitcom I've ever watched. The writers on this show are my heroes. The plot and script construction are almost flawless every single episode.
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post #8 of 165
1/6/09 at 1:30pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by Eyeball Kid View Post
Yup. Also, the idea of the movie scares me more than it excites me. I just think the magic won't be there anymore, and I can't see how they'll please fans and neophytes alike.
I'm right there with you on this. The show is perfection from beginning to end, and I'm worried that the movie will only serve to add a spot of tarnish to its otherwise sterling legacy. That's not to say that I'm not anticipating more AD, just that I think it's a bit unnecessary.
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post #9 of 165
1/6/09 at 1:50pm
So great. The writing was peerless, and the performances/line deliveries perfect. It wrapped so perfectly at the end that I'm siding with Eyeball Kid regarding the film.

No scar! No scar...dot com.
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post #10 of 165
1/6/09 at 1:52pm
Michael Cera is supposedly the hold out. No George Michael, no film. I hope he doesn't cave.
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post #11 of 165
1/6/09 at 2:42pm
I carry around every episode of the show on my iPhone. One of the best half hours ever.
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post #12 of 165
1/6/09 at 2:50pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by Diva View Post
Michael Cera is supposedly the hold out. No George Michael, no film. I hope he doesn't cave.
That's because Cera is young and he thinks movie rolls will be around forever. Jason Bateman would disagree.
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post #13 of 165
1/6/09 at 3:03pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by Eric Cordo View Post
That's because Cera is young and he thinks movie rolls will be around forever. Jason Bateman would disagree.
If Scott Pilgrim is as good as it should be, then they very well might.

I have to say, I always think the first half of the third series is a bit of a dip in quality. Thought the plot of Michael going out with a mentally retarded female went on a bit too long (although I do love the 'Mr F' noise. Especially later in the season when it turns out 'Frank' is Franklin). The second half of the third season is all gold though.

For my money though, it's all about season 2.
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post #14 of 165
1/6/09 at 3:17pm
Was always a huge fan of the Ron Howard voice overs but as much as I love the show...30 Rock has eclipsed it.

And I agree that a Movie would just taint the show. It ended too soon but it ended on a perfect note.
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post #15 of 165
1/6/09 at 3:52pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by Eric Cordo View Post
That's because Cera is young and he thinks movie rolls will be around forever. Jason Bateman would disagree.
Bialys on the other hand will live on forever.
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post #16 of 165
1/6/09 at 4:29pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by Paul755 View Post
Was always a huge fan of the Ron Howard voice overs but as much as I love the show...30 Rock has eclipsed it.
30 Rock is hilarious, definitely the best on TV now, but the density of AD is what sets it apart for me: The endless callbacks, wordplay, visual jokes, sight gags and subtle allusions to future plotlines blows my mind. There's just so much comedy packed into each episode, of all varieties.
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post #17 of 165
1/6/09 at 4:41pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by Mangy View Post
30 Rock is hilarious, definitely the best on TV now, but the density of AD is what sets it apart for me: The endless callbacks, wordplay, visual jokes, sight gags and subtle allusions to future plotlines blows my mind. There's just so much comedy packed into each episode, of all varieties.

Agree all the episodes play like a big piece of giant clockwork.
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post #18 of 165
1/6/09 at 4:55pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by Mangy View Post
30 Rock is hilarious, definitely the best on TV now, but the density of AD is what sets it apart for me: The endless callbacks, wordplay, visual jokes, sight gags and subtle allusions to future plotlines blows my mind. There's just so much comedy packed into each episode, of all varieties.
Actually, this describes 30 Rock pretty accurately as well. But AD still edges out ahead for me. I prefer dysfunctional family over dysfunctional work place.
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post #19 of 165
1/6/09 at 8:20pm
Yeah, I love 30 Rock and all, but no show has made me laugh as much and as hard as Arrested Development.

One of my favorite bits was at the end of an episode where Gob tries desperately to defiantly throw a check into the ocean.
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post #20 of 165
1/6/09 at 9:33pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by Diva View Post
Actually, this describes 30 Rock pretty accurately as well. But AD still edges out ahead for me. I prefer dysfunctional family over dysfunctional work place.
I see your point. One person's "I want to go to there" is another person's "Look at banner, Michael!"
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post #21 of 165
1/6/09 at 9:38pm
Have you ever noticed how much ADR this show utilized? Either they had a very poor boom mic operator, or they were improving on jokes right up until the last second.
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post #22 of 165
1/6/09 at 9:48pm
Well, we did see the boom operator after Bob Loblaw exposed a leak in the family.
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post #23 of 165
1/6/09 at 11:58pm
I got all three seasons on DVD for Christmas. I have already seen every episode, but it is just as good if not better on repeat viewings. There is so much packed in each episode that it is very easy to miss amazing jokes the first time through.
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post #24 of 165
1/7/09 at 12:48am
Probably my favorite show period so far. Damn I need to bring back the old avatar.
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post #25 of 165
1/7/09 at 1:00am
Quote:
Originally Posted by Mangy View Post
I see your point. One person's "I want to go to there" is another person's "Look at banner, Michael!"
Awesome! This made me laugh so hard.

Quote:
Originally Posted by englebert View Post
I got all three seasons on DVD for Christmas. I have already seen every episode, but it is just as good if not better on repeat viewings. There is so much packed in each episode that it is very easy to miss amazing jokes the first time through.
I have to say the best thing about watching AD during its run is that I learned about so many jokes that I missed after reading others' posts in the forum threads. The one joke I remember most vividly is learning that Michael thought Lindsay was referring to Ann when she said George Michael was riding a hog.

My favorite bit still to this day is when Michael tells G.O.B. to get rid of the Sea Word (the yacht he'd bought) and Lucille yells "I'll leave when I'm good and ready!" Similarly, when Lucille says, "How am I supposed to find someone willing to go into that musty old claptrap?" referring to their cabin in Tahoe and Michael thinks she was referring to herself. I guess I love a good vagina joke. "I'll stick it in her brownie" is a fave, too.

God this thread is making me want to break out the DVDs, but I have The Wire and The West Wing to finish first!
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post #26 of 165
1/7/09 at 1:42am
I loved the hell out of this show ever since watching/taping a marathon on F/X and the very next night took it over to some friend's house and made them watch it. Instant fans, all of us.

And as much as I enjoy 30 Rock, I've never laughed as hard or as long or as repeatedly as I did while watching AD.

The insane brilliance that led to the jetpack and mole man fight and the fact that NONE OF IT SEEMED FORCED is just part of what made the show great.
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post #27 of 165
1/7/09 at 1:46am
I wish the old AD thread was back up. I need a gif of the entire family doing their chicken impressions stat!

I've gone on a search rampage:

Here's the Season 3 thread. There's some really great stuff in there that I had forgotten about.

Season 2

Season 1
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post #28 of 165
1/7/09 at 2:46am
I watched the whole series back in December after discovering it was all on Hulu. It is indeed glorious.
One of my favorite moments from the show is when GOB makes the yacht disappear. The way he just matter-of-factly tells Michael that he sunk it with explosives sent me into convulsions of laughter.
Also, when George Sr. is confronted by the Mexican police, and he mentions the Cornballer. Then, they show him their burn scars.
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post #29 of 165
1/15/09 at 4:37am
I've been re-watching the whole series lately, and if anything, the show is better now than I remember it being, and I had a pretty high opinion of it while it was airing. This really is the funniest TV show I can think of.

Every single character is a slam dunk. Gob and Tobias seem to be most people's favorites, and with reason (they're both amazing comic creations), but I can't get enough of Buster. But Jason Bateman also does the best straight man routine I can think of.

The guest stars, especially Winkler, are all knocking it out of the park too.

As impossible as it is to pick a favorite bit, I do think the Ms. Featherbottom stuff is hard to beat.
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post #30 of 165
1/15/09 at 4:45am
I was disappointed that due the abbreviated third season, they never got to bring back Maggie Lizer after revelation at the end of her season 2 storyline.
As for the movie, I doubt it will disappoint. We're not talking Sex and the City here. I think the writing on the movie will be as tight as the show. And as far as Cera is concerned, the movie happens with or without him. I'd prefer to have the whole clan. At the same time if he isn't they'll be some in-jokes about it.
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post #31 of 165
1/15/09 at 5:28am
If the AD movie actually happens, I can't lie. I'll be there opening night, really jazzed.
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post #32 of 165
1/15/09 at 11:48am
Quote:
Originally Posted by Arjen Rudd View Post
Every single character is a slam dunk. Gob and Tobias seem to be most people's favorites, and with reason (they're both amazing comic creations), but I can't get enough of Buster. But Jason Bateman also does the best straight man routine I can think of.
Lucille and George Michael are my favorites. Although the exchanges between Bateman and just about everyone are comedic gold.
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post #33 of 165
1/15/09 at 12:33pm
I think my favorite Buster moment is when Michael makes a joke about his hand in the hospital (after Buster has made four or so himself) and then Buster just flips out. First "Get him out of here!" in a low voice ending in yelling and cussing.
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post #34 of 165
1/15/09 at 12:42pm
Thread Starter 
The more I think about it, the more disappointed I am that they used Super Dave as a proxy for George Sr. in S3. If they hadn't gone there, even if Cera doesn't do the movie they could have had a proxy for him with him not actually there and played up the meta joke of Happy Days marrying off Richie without Ron Howard even being in the episode.
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post #35 of 165
1/31/09 at 1:08am
Thursday, I had a truly shit day at work, and trudged in at 9pm. My wife bought some beer, poured me a cold one, and played the Arrested Develoment pilot. Pure fucking bliss.

NOTHING touches Arrested Development. I mean, for God's sake, Buster's sheer existence makes me laugh. I could watch that well-meaning bastard give awkward shoulder rubs for days.

EDIT: One thing I noticed: It felt like the show's style of humor was firmly established in the pilot. However, some of the earlier episodes seemed to lose the groove in a way that's hard to explain (granted, it may have been the beer). I wonder if Fox asked them to tweak the formula in earlier episodes, or if the writers themselves were just settling in.
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post #36 of 165
2/7/09 at 5:56pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by Arjen Rudd View Post
The guest stars, especially Winkler, are all knocking it out of the park too.
Arguably Martin Short's finest hour as well.

Re-watched his episode last night and had to rewind his introduction a few times because I couldn't stop laughing (i.e. him screaming orders to his deaf man-servant and his reaction to seeing Lucielle!)
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post #37 of 165
2/26/09 at 12:26pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by Diva View Post
Michael Cera is supposedly the hold out. No George Michael, no film. I hope he doesn't cave.
I've heard from those saying he should agree to participate because "he owes them for his career." Sorry, but as much as I love Arrested Development, I'd credit Superbad and Juno for his current position in the industry.

And his wanting to see a script, outline or just fucking have an idea of what the story will be is a reasonable request.

I'm 50/50 on the film. As much as I'd love to see what those characters have been up to and what Hurwitz has in mind, that finale was a fitting end to the series. And there is such a thing as leaving a good thing alone.
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post #38 of 165
2/26/09 at 12:56pm
I just watched the entire series run for the first time, and it is definitely the best comedy series ever. It decimates the prime Simpsons seasons, it's not even a contest. I think it might even play better in marathon sessions rather than watching week to week, because of all the jokes that carry over from episode to episode. It would be so easy to miss several hilarious jokes each episode if you take a week or two off from the show. I don't know if I would like to see a movie or not. I liked the way George Michael and Michael got away, and felt it was a pretty good ending, if premature.
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post #39 of 165
2/26/09 at 3:42pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by BillyG View Post
I just watched the entire series run for the first time, and it is definitely the best comedy series ever. It decimates the prime Simpsons seasons, it's not even a contest.
As much as I love AD...and I really adore the show. I don't think it's possible for me to ever agree with this. In fact AD doesn't even make my top 5 of all time.

I'd say both 30 Rock and It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia are close to being as funny as or even more funny than AD.

And I for one hate the idea of a movie. The series ended perfect (although too soon) and if the show did crap in the ratings a movie would be a disaster.
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post #40 of 165
2/26/09 at 9:49pm
Quote:
As much as I love AD...and I really adore the show. I don't think it's possible for me to ever agree with this
Yeah, I think I'll always have a soft spot for prime Simpsons episodes...

Quote:
In fact AD doesn't even make my top 5 of all time.

I'd say both 30 Rock and It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia are close to being as funny as or even more funny than AD.
..Annnd ya lost me.

I like both of those shows, but I think AD blows them away in the consistency department, especially Always Sunny.
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post #41 of 165
2/27/09 at 1:45am
Just watched Nick and Nora's Infinite Playlist. Many of friends said they were over Cera's awkward nice guy "stchick", but it/he will always remind me of this show and how awesome he portrayed George Michael. For every over-the-top G.O.B. or Tobias gag, George Michael was slaying me with his subtleness. The way he bounced off everyone was just perfect.
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post #42 of 165
2/27/09 at 1:47am
"What a fun, sexy time for you." is my favorite George Michael Quotable.
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post #43 of 165
2/27/09 at 2:03am
Favorite random moment of the series: Gob arriving, then dancing on-stage at one of his magic shows to the song "The Final Countdown."
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post #44 of 165
2/27/09 at 12:05pm
Was The Final Countdown really that random? He used it every time. I think it was used more than "Her?"
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post #45 of 165
4/10/09 at 2:44am
Rewatching the series on Hulu now. One of the funniest bits was George Michael's strategy to woo his teacher......

"Well I was thinking I'd just come up to her at the dance and go 'do you want to dance or something?' real jokingly and she'd think it was cute and go 'Why not?' It looked better in the mirror. I didn't think it through....."

And then later a nerdy kid tries it and it works. This show is a real classic.
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post #46 of 165
4/12/09 at 12:16pm
It's funny how many comedy stars are in cameos in this show. Amy Poelner plays Gob's dare wife, Craig Robinson plays a guard up for "Confidence Man 2", and Jack McBrayer plays a waiter at the country club. Glad to see alot of people on the show get career boosts. It kick started Michael Cera's career and brought Jason Bateman's back from the dead. The guy who plays GOB deserves more work than he's gotten. Out of an impressive ensemble cast (maybe the best ever assembled for a comedy) he's the standout.
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post #47 of 165
4/12/09 at 2:13pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by dynamotv View Post
It's funny how many comedy stars are in cameos in this show. Amy Poelner plays Gob's dare wife
Husband / wife in real life as well.
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post #48 of 165
4/13/09 at 10:36am
"Oh Michael, you're such a p****."
"I can't believe we had to bleep that. It would have been such a nice moment."

New small joke I'm in love with: The plinking xylophone music that plays whenever Gob talks to the surrogate about "Tiny Town".
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post #49 of 165
4/13/09 at 12:55pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by dynamotv View Post
It's funny how many comedy stars are in cameos in this show. Amy Poelner plays Gob's dare wife, Craig Robinson plays a guard up for "Confidence Man 2", and Jack McBrayer plays a waiter at the country club. Glad to see alot of people on the show get career boosts. It kick started Michael Cera's career and brought Jason Bateman's back from the dead. The guy who plays GOB deserves more work than he's gotten. Out of an impressive ensemble cast (maybe the best ever assembled for a comedy) he's the standout.
As I recall, Phyllis from The Office is a member of the Bluth board.
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post #50 of 165
4/14/09 at 5:13am
Thinking about Arrested Development, I think the biggest reason it will be remembered for a long time to come is that it has something no other show has: a rich comic mythlogy. All the traditions, the repeated lines, recontextualized, the plethora of callbacks, and surprising returns of old characters makes Arrested Development. And the series awesomely ended with a plot reveal which had been foreshadowed subtly for the whole run: Lucille did it.
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