The Best Show on Television (Not just of shows currently on TV)

From the bad (Lost) to the GOOD.... The very very good.
Some of you may have heard of a little show called Arrested Development. Yes the same name as the popular rap group from the early 90s. Don't let the name fool you though. This show has nothing to do with that rap group. It is one of the smartest, wittiest, fast-moving, dysfuncitonal sitcoms to grace the airwaves. Granted it is a new breed of sitcom. It is a mockumentary of the Bluth family. The intro narration says it all: "Now the story of a wealthy family who lost everything and the one son who had no choice but to keep them all together. It's Arrested Development."

It is shot like a reality show, using handheld cameras, no laugh track. There are certain occasions where you can see cameras in the background. There is cursing (bleeped out) so the dialogue seems natural. There is a narrator who keeps the show storyline moving along and fills in the blanks. Also, this show is filled with flashbacks. Sometimes these flashbacks will show scenes from earlier in the episode, sometimes it will show scenes from earlier episodes. Sometimes the flashbacks will show something we have never seen before. These flashbacks will often highlight why a certain action or thing someone said is funny.

Now to the characters. There are many main characters, first the Bluth family.
Father: George Bluth
Mother: Lucille Bluth
Oldest Son: George Oscar Bluth (Gob)
Twins: Michael Bluth and Lindsay Funke
Youngest Son: Byron (Buster) Bluth
Lindsay's Husband: Tobias Funke
Michael's Son: George Michael Bluth
Lindsay and Tobias's Daughter: Maeby Funke
These are the main characters. There are many other recurring characters as well as big name co-stars. Some big names who have had cameos on Arrested Development: Ben Stiller, Liza Manelli, Henry Winkler (Hey!), Charlize Theron, Scott Baio, Carl Weathers, and Julia Louis-Dreyfus just to name a few.

The major plot line as well as all the characters are explained in detail in the pilot episode, but I will give you a quick overview. George Sr. was the president of the family owned Bluth Company and while he was giving his retirement speech the SEC boarded the boat party where this was talking place and took him into custody for "using the company as his own personal piggy bank." Michael is forced to hold the family and the company together as no one else in his family has ever done any real work and has no idea how to run a business. We soon find out that his family had been spending company money freely for years. There are many character specific plot lines but I wouldn't want to ruin the fun.

Now you may be wondering where the comedy comes in, that is a good question. The comedy pours readily from the brilliant writing. Mitch Hurwitz, the show's creator, just claimed the best writing in a comedy Emmy for the second year in a row. The way the characters interact is downright hilarious most times. So let me tell you about the characters.

Gob is a failing magician who is just desperately seeking approval from his family. Lindsay is a self-proclaimed activist who spends her time trying to make her open marriage work while still trying to make everyone thing she is fighting for a cause. Her husband, Tobias, was a therapist until he lost his doctor's license. He is now an aspiring actor, although aspiring is being kind because he is just terrible at it. Lucille spends most of her time drunk, and it shows, she is extremely mean and self-centered. She is also very close to her son Buster who is basically a 32-year oldmamma'ss boy. Michael is the closest to "normal" in the Bluth family. Now that his father is in prison, he runs the Bluth company and does his best to get his father out of jail. His son George Michael is a work-a-holic. He works at the family's banana stand(where he sells a novelty item, a frozen banana covered in chocolate and nuts). He works very hard in school, so he can, "live a happy life, full of hard work", his words, not mine. He is basically a dork. An interesting plot line is the crush he is on his cousin Maeby. Maeby spends most of her time rebelling against her parents. She plays by her own rules and is often getting herself into trouble.

So that is the main rundown of the characters. To fully appreciate the show there really is only one thing to do.... Watch it. I suggest you do and I don't think you will bedisappointedd.
Now, I write this whole little story because of one reason. The show is in trouble. The ratings are very bad right now. The ratings for episodes 1 and 2 of season 3 were down from last season, and although ratings for episode 3 were the highest of the season the show could still be in trouble. Fox renewed the series for a full 22 episodes this past May but we cannot be so sure this will happen again next May if the ratings continue to sag. The fact that the ratings are so low boggle my mind, as it boggles the mind of many critics. In two season this show has won 8 Emmys and been nominated for many more. It's first season won the vaunted "Best Comedy" Emmy. Critics praise this show all the time, but critical acclaim can only go so far. People need to watch this show.

Why are the ratings so low?
I am not really sure. Some of the reasons I have heard suggested are that it moves too fast, there are too many plot lines, the plot lines carry through too many episodes, it is too intelligent, and that it just isn't that funny. I will agree the show moves fast, so fast that I often miss some jokes that I only pick up upon re-watching the episode. I will get to the plot lines in a second. In response to those that think this show is too intelligent, they must think that the American public is extremely dumb. There is loads of physical comedy and some toilet humor. The jokes are very obvious. The intelligence is in the writing. Some lines are only funny after you see a flashback, some lines are only funny knowing the context of the show, the storyline, and the characters. The intelligence is in how well everything is woven together. I won't even comment on anyone who thinks the show isn't funny, because...Welll I won't.

Now, about the plot lines. There area lott of plot lines, and yes, some carry through many episodes, some as long as a whole season's worth of episodes. So, it can be difficult to follow sometimes. However, having a narrator and multiple flashbacks per episode goes a long way to helping viewers keep up on the storylines. It won't go the whole way, and I personally have watched the first and second seasons over many times and will pick up on jokes I may have missed along the way because of the number of storylines and situations that occur in each episode. But isn't this what people should want? I have heard various people complain about the lack of intelligence in television shows. That TV is made for idiots essentially. Why doesn't America embrace this brilliantly written show? The best answer I can come up with is that America has been brainwashed. Brainwashed by shows like Law and Order and CSI. These shows are completely self-contained where a full storyline runs it course over an hour. Problem, conflict, climax, resolution.... boom one hour. Quick and easy. Most sitcoms are very similar in this regard, where a storyline will run its course in one half hour. Arrested Development does not submit to this instant gratification.

Now, I want to make two quick show comparisons and just wonder outloud, why those shows are successful but Arrested Development is not.
The first show I will compare it to is a new show on NBC "My Name is Earl". It is shot in a similar way, like a documentary with no laugh track and lots of flashbacks. The comedy comes from brilliant writing and character interaction. Earl is one of the highest rated comedies that has debuted in a long time. Why is Earl so well-received and AD isn't? My best guess is promotion. NBC pumped Earl ads everywhere. I even saw ads for Earl before a movie. Arrested Development is hardly ever promoted on Fox except on the night it is on. I have seen more Prison Break promos than I could ever want to see during the baseball playoffs but not a single ad for Arrested Development.

The second show is a drama....Aa show a talked about not too long ago. That show is Lost. It is also shot in a very unique way, with many flashbacks and storylines that run over the course of an entire season. For some reason people flock to that show but don't appreciate Arrested Development. It really boggles my mind.

Well, I guess that ends my rant for now. I will surely be back with more info on Arrested Development in the coming weeks as it is my favorite show and I am obsessed with it. So, when November 7th comes around and you aren't doing much, flip on Fox at 8:00. Give Arrested Development a try. You just might find out what I have already found out, that Arrested Development is the Best Show on televisionn (not just of shows currently on TV).