Arrested Development
Michael Bluth, the one functioning member of a wealthy Newport Beach family, tries to keep the Bluth Company afloat after his father is arrested for fraud. Jason Bateman leads a cast including Jessica Walter, Will Arnett, David Cross, Tony Hale, Portia de Rossi, Michael Cera and Jeffrey Tambor, with Ron Howard narrating.
Where to watch
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Our take
Michael Bluth, the one functioning member of a wealthy Newport Beach family, tries to keep the Bluth Company afloat after his father is arrested for fraud. Jason Bateman leads a cast including Jessica Walter, Will Arnett, David Cross, Tony Hale, Portia de Rossi, Michael Cera and Jeffrey Tambor, with Ron Howard narrating.
Why watch Few sitcoms reward attention like this one: jokes are planted in one episode and harvested seasons later, and the cutaways, archive photos and deadpan narration pack more into 22 minutes than most comedies manage in an hour. It won six Primetime Emmy Awards and a Golden Globe, and its single-camera style shaped shows like 30 Rock and Community. Ideal for viewers who like comedy dense, fast and a little cruel.
What to know
Mitchell Hurwitz created the series, which debuted on Fox on 2 November 2003. Ron Howard, an executive producer, supplied the omniscient narration and later appeared on screen as a version of himself. The show was shot on location in HD with handheld cameras, in a style that borrowed from documentary and reality television rather than the studio sitcom. Critics adored it, but ratings never followed, and Fox cancelled it in 2006 after 53 episodes.
Netflix revived it with a fourth season of 15 episodes, all released on 26 May 2013, among the streamer’s earliest originals. Built around one character per episode, that season was later re-edited into a more conventional shape. A fifth season followed in two halves, in May 2018 and March 2019.
Where to start
Begin with the pilot and watch the three Fox seasons in order. The running gags compound, and the payoff depends on having seen the set-up. Treat the Netflix seasons as an encore once you are hooked.
Seasons & episodes
- Season 1
- Season 2
- Season 3
- Season 4
- Season 5
Cast & crew
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Jason Bateman
Michael Bluth
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Will Arnett
George "G.O.B." Bluth II
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Jessica Walter
Lucille Bluth
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Jeffrey Tambor
George Oscar Bluth, Sr.
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Michael Cera
George Michael Bluth
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Alia Shawkat
Mae "Maeby" Fünke
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David Cross
Tobias Fünke
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Tony Hale
Byron "Buster" Bluth
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Portia de Rossi
Lindsay Bluth Fünke
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Jeffrey Tambor
Oscar George Bluth
More like this
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Quick answers
- Where can I watch Arrested Development?
- In Canada: Netflix and Apple TV (buy). In the UK: Netflix, Disney+, Apple TV (buy) and Prime Video (buy). In New Zealand: Disney+. In Australia: Netflix, Disney+ and Apple TV (buy). In the US: Netflix, Apple TV (buy) and Prime Video (buy).
- What is Arrested Development about?
- Michael Bluth, the one functioning member of a wealthy Newport Beach family, tries to keep the Bluth Company afloat after his father is arrested for fraud. Jason Bateman leads a cast including Jessica Walter, Will Arnett, David Cross, Tony Hale, Portia de Rossi, Michael Cera and Jeffrey Tambor, with Ron Howard narrating.
- Who is in the cast of Arrested Development?
- Arrested Development stars Jason Bateman as Michael Bluth, Will Arnett as George "G.O.B." Bluth II, Jessica Walter as Lucille Bluth, Jeffrey Tambor as George Oscar Bluth, Sr. and Michael Cera as George Michael Bluth.
- When did Arrested Development start?
- Arrested Development premiered on 2 November 2003 and ran until 2019, with 5 seasons.
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