Arrested Development - Season One
Run Time: 491min
Director: Joe Russo, Anthony Russo
Starring: Jason Bateman, Portia de Rossi, Jeffrey Tambor, David Cross
DVD Release: 2004
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Arrested Development is one of my favorite network television shows. Television critics seem to agree, because this season won an Emmy for Outstanding Comedy Series. The show is offbeat, detailing the chaos that ensues followng the collapse of the Bluth family business. The well to do Bluths are a selfish lot, held together only by the tenuous sanity of Jason Bateman�s character, Michael. Because the show doesn�t feature a laugh track, it instead relies on great character development and perfect timing to deliver the laughs. This is no small feat, but the actors are wonderful and seem to relish the challenge. Ron Howard is terrific as the show�s narrator, and fans of HBO�s Mr. Show will be pleased to see David Cross as a dandy brother in law. I will say that the style and pacing of the show take a little getting used to, but once you�ve become acclimated, you will truly savor the deadpan comedy. If you want to check out the show, it�s on Fox - Sunday nights at 8:30 ET following The Simpsons. This three DVD set includes commentary tracks, deleted/extended scenes, and a series of featurettes. [Mathew Brady]