Unique, Intelligent, and Irreverent -- no wonder it didn't last..

by Robert H. Goretsky
Arrested Development was one of those rare television shows that truly broke the mold, and in doing so, created a genre unto itself. Similar to 'The Office', the cinematography led you to believe you were watching hidden cameras showing you people behaving as they normally do -- quite different from the staged look and laugh tracks that usually accompany sitcoms. The dialogue, while sometimes a bit contrived, rewards the intelligent viewer who is paying close attention (similar to 'Scrubs' in this regard). Furthermore, unlike the other programs that were accompanying this show on Fox's Sunday night lineup (Family Guy, Simpsons, etc.), you could not attain the full enjoyment from this show by just sitting down and catching any half-hour episode. I started watching toward the end of the first season, and since going back and catching up, it's amazing how much more of the dialogue takes on new (and hilarious) meaning..

While it's a shame this show didn't survive any longer, I highly recommend grabbing the DVD set, starting from the first episode, and enjoying this great show. Review by Robert H. Goretsky of Hoboken, NJ