Hilarious Star-Studded Cult Sitcom Proves Unresolved Stories Can Be Better Than Revivals

Created by Mitchell Hurwitz, the story about a family falling apart at the seams (and the one son trying to keep them together) was truly ahead of its time with hysterical jokes, out-of-control characters, and wonderfully developing storylines that ended in belly-busting moments

Although the show wasn’t an immediate hit for audiences, it gained a cult following, and Netflix foolishly attempted to revive it seven years later—a decision that would ultimately prove that sometimes, things are better left in the past.

The first three seasons of Arrested Development are nothing short of comedic genius. With a leading cast that included Jason Bateman, Michael Cera (in one of his first roles), Portia de Rossi, Alia Shawkat, Jessica Walter, Tony Hale, Will Arnett, David Cross, and Jeffrey Tambor, the ability that the stars had to play off one another is a bit of legend in and of itself.

Meanwhile, the entire story is narrated by the iconic Ron Howard with recurring performances from Liza Minnelli, Henry Winkler, Judy Greer, Carl Weathers, Charlize Theron, and more.

Masterfully crafted to deliver huge comedic payoffs by the end of each episode, the plot builds during those first three seasons of Arrested Development are in a league of their own.

The cast’s ability to pick up one another’s tones and vibes to continue pushing the bit to its fullest extent without going overboard proves that the production is a masterclass in comedy. By the end of the third season, viewers were crushed to see the series bow out, but what happened after somehow made everything worse.

By 2006, Hurwitz was ready to be done with Arrested Development, and after the show was canceled by Fox, he declined to shop it around at other networks, allowing the actors to have more time in their schedules for new gigs.

But, five years later, Hurwitz revealed to fans that he was planning to deliver on a long-rumored fourth season that would turn into a feature-length film. 

The moment that everyone was waiting for finally came in 2013 when Netflix dropped 15 episodes for the revived fourth season of Arrested Development.

Unlike the original series, the story was choppy with the performances being even more so as it later came to light that many of the actors weren’t able to be on set at the same time, making the unhinged family dynamic that had carried the series for those three seasons completely lacking. 

Because of these scheduling dilemmas, each episode followed a different character, which only did further damage to an already rocky arc. Hearing the upset of audiences, Hurwitz worked with Netflix to recut the failed fourth season in what would be dubbed Arrested Development Season 4 Remix: Fateful Consequences.

Still, despite the timeline being shown in chronological order, it was too late to save the once beloved comedy series with the fifth and final season of Arrested Development meeting primarily mixed reviews from viewers and critics alike – proving that sometimes, less is more.