A few months back, having finished my Curb Your Enthusiasm marathon, I needed my next comedy fix, and after a strong recommendation from my dealer (of DVDs), my brother, I agreed to give Arrested Development a go. My first reaction wasn’t good, in fact, it was ugly: “I miss Larry! Who are these horrible, spoilt people?” and “OMG, OTT or wot?!” Gradually, the LOLs went from non-existent to non-stop and by the end of the first disc I was hooked.
I mean, a failing “illusionist” called Gob (pronounced Jobe), who rides around on a Segway and repeatedly sprays people with lighter fluid from the unreliable pyrotechnic trick kept up his sleeve - what more could you ask for in a comedy? Oh, you want more? Ok, well how about an alcoholic mother who smothers her son in a shouldn’t-be-funny-but-it-is, oedipal manner, only to accidently adopt a young Korean boy who she then uses to make her son jealous when he begins dating her friend come rival, played by the brilliant Liza Minelli. Throw in a self-centred daughter who is married to the fantastically named, Tobias Funke, a father who is wanted by the police for suspected treason, and another son who is forced to “keep them all together”. And don’t forget George Michael (the names keep coming) who is desperately in love with his cousin Maeby (told ya), and some fantastic cameos from the likes of Charlize Theron, Henry Winkler and Ben Stiller.
Originally broadcast in the States on Fox, way back in 2003, the first series won critical acclaim, but appallingly, was received worse than a cold shower by US audiences. Some fans believed it was too smart or ahead of its time, others blame Fox’s poor marketing, but whatever the reason, it has since grown a huge cult following, both here and in the US.
Brilliantly simple, and yet hugely complex, there are so many gags and character nuances, it’s difficult to take it all in on first viewing. If you have any sense of humour at all, you should definitely check out this show, and keep your eyes peeled for the highly anticipated up-and-coming movie, which has been on the cards for some time now. Creator, Mich Hurwitz and star, Will Arnett (Gob) recently spoke to fans via a webchat for Empire magazine. Hurwitz was reluctant to give any solid answers re the forthcoming movie, but did have this to say: “It's taken a while to get the elements together. And they're all together now, except the script, the plot and the shooting for the movie. But our hope is [that the film will be made] this year. Seriously. I am in the process of writing the movie with my quondam partner Jim Vallely”.
So, for all you virgin ADers out there, let me introduce you to the Bluths...
Still not convinced? Watch clips from the show at IMDb here http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0367279/
Screaming for more? Well lucky for us Brits, it’s just begun screening on FX (Sky channel 124) Tuesdays at 9pm .
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