Arrested Development
TV on DVD is the single greatest achievement in the history of entertainment.
Okay, perhaps that's a bit overboard, but how else would I be able to see the first season of Arrested Development before the second season starts in just a few short weeks? Emory and I watched the first six episodes yesterday, and I was surprised to find that the series more than lives up to its hype.
The plot concerns the wealty Bluth clan, who use their company as a personal piggybank until the SEC catches on and places their father (Jeffrey Tambor) in prison. Unpopular son Michael (Jason Bateman) is left to run the struggling company, since he is the only Bluth with anything resembling a work ethic. The rest of the family (inlcuding Portia Di Rossi, Dave Cross, Will Arnett, and Jessica Walter as the Bluth matriarch) struggle with their new-found financial limiations. Also, Michael's son George-Michael must deal with his developing crush on his cousin Maeby in a one-joke sub-plot that still somehow manages to be funny in episode after episode.
I honestly can't remember the last laugh-out-loud funny sitcom I've seen. Newsradio maybe? I never watched that show as much as Emory did. AD reminds me more of Sports Night, with its one-camera, on-location shooting, but AD always undercuts whatever sticom drama it musters with its completely loopy sense of humor. Here's one of my favorite bits:
Michael's mother: (yelling at her maid) Lupe! Be careful with that coat! That costs more than your entire house!
(Michael looks at her harshly.)
Michael's mother: Oh, that's just our little joke. She doesn't even have a house.
The show has a consistently great running gag of revealing jokes through slow pans. A touching moment between mother and son turns out to have been conducted in front of the entire board of directors. Michael and his father seriously discuss the mental limitations of Michael's younger brother Buster, and the camera slowly pans out to reveal that Buster is sitting at the table with them. It's a nice signature bit.
I've discussed voiceovers in several series this season already, and Arrested Development is no exception, with a wry narration from executive producer Ron Howard. AD's voiceover, unlike, say, Desperate Housewives', does not hinder enjoyment of the series, but rather keeps the plot bouncing along with a minimum of setup, allowing the maximum amount of humor inside its brief 22 minutes.
Now that I think about it, the best comparison show to Arrested Development on the air right now would be Larry David's Curb Your Enthusiasm. They both share an affinity for convoluted, interlocking plots in which everything seems to go wrong.
So, long story short, I'll have a new show to watch when the new season starts in November. Man, I haven't watched this much television since before college.
Okay, perhaps that's a bit overboard, but how else would I be able to see the first season of Arrested Development before the second season starts in just a few short weeks? Emory and I watched the first six episodes yesterday, and I was surprised to find that the series more than lives up to its hype.
The plot concerns the wealty Bluth clan, who use their company as a personal piggybank until the SEC catches on and places their father (Jeffrey Tambor) in prison. Unpopular son Michael (Jason Bateman) is left to run the struggling company, since he is the only Bluth with anything resembling a work ethic. The rest of the family (inlcuding Portia Di Rossi, Dave Cross, Will Arnett, and Jessica Walter as the Bluth matriarch) struggle with their new-found financial limiations. Also, Michael's son George-Michael must deal with his developing crush on his cousin Maeby in a one-joke sub-plot that still somehow manages to be funny in episode after episode.
I honestly can't remember the last laugh-out-loud funny sitcom I've seen. Newsradio maybe? I never watched that show as much as Emory did. AD reminds me more of Sports Night, with its one-camera, on-location shooting, but AD always undercuts whatever sticom drama it musters with its completely loopy sense of humor. Here's one of my favorite bits:
Michael's mother: (yelling at her maid) Lupe! Be careful with that coat! That costs more than your entire house!
(Michael looks at her harshly.)
Michael's mother: Oh, that's just our little joke. She doesn't even have a house.
The show has a consistently great running gag of revealing jokes through slow pans. A touching moment between mother and son turns out to have been conducted in front of the entire board of directors. Michael and his father seriously discuss the mental limitations of Michael's younger brother Buster, and the camera slowly pans out to reveal that Buster is sitting at the table with them. It's a nice signature bit.
I've discussed voiceovers in several series this season already, and Arrested Development is no exception, with a wry narration from executive producer Ron Howard. AD's voiceover, unlike, say, Desperate Housewives', does not hinder enjoyment of the series, but rather keeps the plot bouncing along with a minimum of setup, allowing the maximum amount of humor inside its brief 22 minutes.
Now that I think about it, the best comparison show to Arrested Development on the air right now would be Larry David's Curb Your Enthusiasm. They both share an affinity for convoluted, interlocking plots in which everything seems to go wrong.
So, long story short, I'll have a new show to watch when the new season starts in November. Man, I haven't watched this much television since before college.
posted by Jeff at 2:46 PM
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