There are times that I wish that I watched more TV. Of course, it’s bad enough that I watch as many DVDs as I do since exercise and I have parted ways. (Thankfully I have other work that is physical enough to work off most of the food I consume, keeping me from becoming a bloated Jabba the Hut lookalike…). If I did have the time to watch more TV, perhaps I could help in some small way to keep the really good shows on the air that deserve to stay, while doing everything possible to end the wave of those nausea inducing ‘reality shows.’ Perhaps I could have helped a little to keep “Greg the Bunny” alive, or made it a little less scary for the producers of “Arrested Development” when the time came for a 2nd season renewal. “Arrested Development” was one of those shows that was named one of TV Guide’s “Shows you should be watching.” This is generally the death knell for any series, as it means that the show just isn’t getting the ratings that it might deserve.

These articles often paint a picture of quality programming, which nobody really seems to want to watch anymore. But this time, something strange happened. Not only did the series escape cancellation for the entirety of its freshman season, but despite low ratings somehow managed to be renewed for another. Being guilty of not having watched the show myself, I wondered what this meant. Either the series was really as good as TV Guide said and the network recognized this in time to save it (the more unlikely of scenarios), or the show was terrible and the network recognized this in time to save it (which seems more reasonable by Fox’s standards).

So it wasn’t until I happened upon a copy of the entire first season on DVD that I decided to find out for myself. What I knew about the show could be summed up as follows: it was produced by Ron Howard (good) and starred Jason Bateman (bad) and Jeffrey Tambor (good). It had guest stars like Liza Minneli (really bad) and the premise followed the misadventures of a wealthy family caught up in the mix of some real estate developments gone bad (could go either way.)

After watching just the first episode, I had a feeling that not only was I in for something really funny, but there was a real chance that hell was freezing over since my first (and most unlikely scenario) from above seemed to be the case about the show. “Arrested Development” is not only funny, but it is (excuse my French) DAMN funny. It is quite unlike any series I’ve seen in recent times, both in its writing and its production. All of the things I mentioned about the show that I said were good were as I expected. All of the things I said were bad, were not only excellent, they were inspired. As likable as Jason Bateman is, he never really made an impact with me as an actor. However, this is one of the best things he has ever done and any past transgressions are completely forgiven. Seeing him successfully go head to head with the extremely talented Jeffrey Tambor (as his father), is part of what makes this such a great show.

Of course, I also mentioned Liza Minnelli, who had at one time in her life shown a bit of talent (see “Cabaret”) had pretty much gone downhill later in life. She is not a regular on the series, but she should be. Her performance on this series is easily a highlight on her resume, and she was absolutely hysterical for every bit of her appearance.

The new DVD from Fox features the entire first season (all 22 glorious episodes of it), as well as a plethora (I love using big words!!) of extra features. One of the best is an extended version of the Pilot episode, which in itself includes three separate (but equal) commentaries by the series creator Michael Hurwitz, directors Joe and Anthony Russo, and Jason Batemen. There are also additional commentaries by cast and crew on two more of the episodes. All the commentaries are well worth a listen, in part due to the fact that they were obviously recorded prior to the show’s 4 Emmy wins and the news of the renewal. Some of the comments are rather pointed.

You’ll also find two making of featurettes that together offer up a very in-depth look at how the show came to be, complete with multiple interviews. Plus you get a look at the show’s TV Land awards show appearance, including their win of the ‘Future Classic Award.’ As if that’s not enough, there are excerpts from a Q&A session with the cast and crew that was done for the Museum of Television & Radio, and a bunch of deleted scenes. Finally, not counting the numerous Easter Eggs, there is a ‘jukebox’ of songs written by composer David Schwartz.

For a series that almost didn’t make it to a 1st season, Fox really went out of their way to make sure that this DVD release was worthwhile. I am now an unabashed fan of “Arrested Development” and so should you!!

Episodes:
Pilot
Top Banana
Bringing Up Buster
Key Decisions
Visiting Ours
Charity Drive
My Mother, The Car
In God We Trust
Storming the Castle
Pier Pressure
Public Relations
Marta Complex
Beef Consomme
Shock and Aww
Staff Infection
Missing Kitty
Altar Egos
Justice is Blind
Best Man for the Gob
Whistler’s Mother
Not Without my Daughter
Let Them Eat Cake

Starring: Jason Bateman, Jeffrey Tambor, Portia De Rossi, Will Arnett, Jessica Walter
Extras: Extended Pilot, Audio Commentaries on Selected Episodes, “Breaking Ground: Behind the Scenes of Arrested Development”, Ron Howard’s Inside Look at the Series, Deleted & Extended Scenes, The Museum of Television & Radio Cast Panel Discussion, Original Songs by David Schwartz, TV Land Featurettes
Specifications: Widescreen (1.78:1), English Dolby Surround
Studio: Fox
Release Date: 10/19/2004
Region 1
MPAA Rating: Nr
Website

We'll give Arrested Development: Season 1 an A.