Arrested Development: The Column

I like to think I don't watch a lot of TV, preferring to believe that quality is much better than quantity. Sure, I watch SportsCenter or a Steelers, Penguins, or Pitt game when its on, which makes up a lot of my TV time, but that doesn't really count. Choosing to watch a show like 'Lost' or the previously discussed (in not nearly enough detail) 'Dexter', 'The Wire', '24', 'Breaking Bad' or 'Band of Brothers' takes serious interest and commitment, since these shows have arcing stories that really should be followed as often as they are aired. Ever miss an episode of 'Lost'? Guess where you end up? That's right, lost.

Point being, its easy to be a fan of 'Cheers', 'Flight of the Choncords', 'Seinfeld', 'The (American) Office' or 'Curb' (all of which are all-timers in my book and probably a lot of other books as well). You don't have to pay that much attention, there aren't many references to previous plot lines, and most of all, you can watch 'The Soup Nazi' and it stands on its own just fine. Investment is limited and ultimately that makes the viewing experience less rewarding. There is no payoff when said experience ends.

For me, that all changed when I began watching AD on DVD in 2007. The show had been canceled by Fox the previous winter of 2006 and I had heard and read too many good things about it to ignore it any longer. Thanks to Netflix, there was an easy way to remedy this situation.

Once I got started, it was impossible for me to stop. I watched all 53 episodes in a matter of a couple of weeks, only stopping to go to work, sleep a few hours a night and fit in a few social functions. I liked everything about it: a riches-to-rags story, full of unlikable characters that somehow came off as likable and funny, lots of references to current events such as the Iraq War, many just plain awkward scenes and moments, references to other shows and movies that actors in the show had played, incest, Saddam Hussein, the war on terror, homosexuality, drug use and abuse, lying, cheating, stealing, murder, and above all, family.

The Bluths are a lot of things (criminals, disbarred doctors, awkward teenagers, failed actors, failing magicians, drunks, drug abusers, con artists, single fathers, irresponsible parents, etc.) but they always seem to hold their place in the family above all other things, though sometimes it takes a while to get there.

That being said, I have watched and re-watched this show over and over and I still laugh out loud at certain scenes, moments or episodes. I still cannot pick a favorite episode. They are all great and interconnected in some way. The writing is what won AD all the awards and for good reason. It is sharp, not dumbed down at all, and there is no 'Applause' light or laugh track. It wasn't necessary. If you couldn't keep up with all of the stories, then the show probably wasn't for you.

It would be just too easy to say that Tobias Funke, Lindsey Bluth's husband, a former psychiatrist-turned-wannabe actor, is the funniest character on the show. Easily, he is top two probably for any fan of AD. As much as I love George and Lucille, the mother and father, I am definitely a GOB guy.

George Oscar Bluth II is a magician who doesn't do tricks, he does illusions, because we all know that 'a trick is something a whore does for cocaine, or candy.' His stage music is 'The Final Countdown' by 80's Euro techno-rock band Europe. Which is funny enough. A couple of his accomplishments during the run of the show:

-Founds and then is expelled from the Magicians' Alliance, a group formed to protect trade secrets
-Pseudo president of the Bluth Company, while having no real power
-Marries 'Wife of Gob' (her name is never revealed) after a series of escalating dares
-Has Buster's hook hand jammed up his backside
-Has a child from a high school girlfriend who then briefly dates his niece, unaware that they may be related
-Gob has no friends, except for the Hot Cops, a group of male strippers
-Makes the Bluth yacht 'disappear'....by sinking it
-Introduced ventriloquist portion of his act with a black puppet named Franklin, who speaks in a very stereotypical manner, refering to his nephew as a 'cracker ass' and recording a CD in order to breakdown racial barriers

Gob's favorite thing to say is 'I've made a huge mistake.' He probably could make that statement at least once in every episode. C'mon!!!!

Not only are the main characters funny and despicable in every way, the supporting roles are also perfectly cast and written. The family attorney, Barry Zuckercorn, played by Henry Winkler, is a terrible lawyer who hangs out at rest stops on his spare time and sues the Los Angeles Kings for getting hit by a puck in the stands. Later in the series, he is replaced by a lawyer called Bob Loblaw (blah blah blah), who is played by Scott Baio. A call back to when Baio replaced Winkler on Happy Days.

George's assistant, Kitty Sanchez, is equal parts crazy and threatening. Michael dates two women through the course of the series: Maggie Lizer (Julia Louis-Dreyfuss) and Rita the British chick (Charlize Theron) in Season 3. Wife of Gob is played by Amy Poehler, Will Arnett's real life wife. If you are looking for guest stars, you will find no shortage here.

It is a rare television show that received and deserved every accolade sent its way. I was never disappointed by one episode that was presented to me. Everytime Gob does his act, I laugh. Everything George Michael tries to overcome his strong feelings for his cousin Maeby, I cringe, and then laugh. Every time Tobias makes a blatant attempted to be a straight man and fails, i laugh even harder. These are not great human beings, but the try their best to be themselves, even if that means they are in it only for themselves. Ultimately, dedication to family, through the greed, selfishness, and trying times, pulls the Bluths through....right to your local cinema in 2012! I for one and psyched up. I am going to grab a frozen banana, make some cornballs, admire my Mr. Bananagrabber stuffed doll and pop in Season 2's episode, 'The One Where Michael Leaves'. I urge you to do the same.