Monday, November 14, 2005

Development Arrested

In case you missed it, Fox just pulled the plug on Arrested Development due to this season's low ratings.

Despite massive critical acclaim, the show struggled over the last two seasons to build an audience. And just when it had finally done so, the programing geniuses at Fox decided to move it from its comfortable Sunday night spot to a ridiculous perch at 8pm on Mondays. There, it got to compete with mouthbreathing sitcom standards like "The King of Queens" and reality regulars like "Wife Swap" and, not surprisingly, the quirky smart show lost out.

If you're as saddened as I am over the tragic demise of Arrested Development, then you'll enjoy this outtake from the show in which David Cross lays the blame right where it belongs.

9 comments:

Mr Furious said...

Imbeciles.

Otto Man said...

You think they'd have learned their lesson with Family Guy.

Susie the Bear said...

Noooooooooo.......

Studiodave said...

And Ted McGinley wasn't scheduled until season three....

InanimateCarbonRod said...

I can say without hyperbole that this is worse than World War I and World War II combined.

ORF said...

I. Feel. SO. GUILTY!!!!
I cannot watch on Monday nights because I teach a yoga lesson and I also cannot afford TiVo so I have been unable to do my part to help keep the show on the air. Each week, I feel I've sold a tiny part of my soul to the devil since I'm out there making $$ but not at home able to help the show stay afloat. This is terrible. :( :( :(

Otto Man said...

So, we're all agreed -- it's ORF's fault.

Mr Furious said...

FOX responded to my hate mail with this:

ARRESTED DEVELOPMENT & KITCHEN CONFIDENTIAL return MON 12/5/05 with ALL-NEW episodes!!!

While that would be welcome news if true, it actually still doesn't really counter my complaints. FOX is still jerking the show around and it will still fail if even loyal viewers can't figure out when the hell it's on and get fed up. That's no way to market a show, especially a pseudo-serial or grow an audience.

My wife wondered if it was because of Jason Bateman's surgery, but if you read the story, they supposedly had new episodes ready to run through November. I think they are yanking it for sweeps, which frankly, is stupid. Perhaps the "hiatus" will allow the supposedly overwrought writers to catch up, and this won't keep happening.

"to be continued" indeed...

Otto Man said...

Mr. F, I think the all-new shows are ones they already have in the pipeline. FOX refused to order the rest of the season, and that's effectively killing it.

ORF, you just can't handle the truth!