# Arrested Development 3/27 **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [March 28, 2005, 1:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/arrested-development-3-27/296531 "2005-03-28T01:37:12Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Marley23](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@Marley23](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Marley23)\ **Post date:** [March 28, 2005, 4:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/arrested-development-3-27/296531/21 "2005-03-28T16:10:32Z")
I think I need a math tutor. See, this is what happens when I work on Monday. ---
**Author:** ![Nutty\_Bunny](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/d07c76/32.png) [@Nutty\_Bunny](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nutty_Bunny)\ **Post date:** [March 28, 2005, 4:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/arrested-development-3-27/296531/22 "2005-03-28T16:23:15Z")
GAAAAAAAHHHHH! It was 9:30 when I realized I had forgotten to watch and now you’re all telling me how great it was? Why don’t you add a “nanny-nanny-boo-boo” while you’re at it? Damn! It sounds like a great one and now I’ll have to catch a rerun. If they even bother showing reruns at all! ---
**Author:** ![middleman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/e9a140/32.png) [@middleman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/middleman)\ **Post date:** [March 28, 2005, 4:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/arrested-development-3-27/296531/23 "2005-03-28T16:25:42Z")
Entertainment Weekly had a blurb on bubble shows. AD was one of the ones they ranked as more likely to return. (It only had two axes instead of the maximum five!) ---
**Author:** ![Marley23](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@Marley23](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Marley23)\ **Post date:** [March 28, 2005, 4:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/arrested-development-3-27/296531/24 "2005-03-28T16:27:41Z")
> [@Nutty Bunny](#): > > It was 9:30 when I realized I had forgotten to watch and now you’re all telling me how great it was? Except me. 😉 I’ll rewatch it later and maybe I’ll think it was better, I was not in the best of moods last evening due to grinding povetry-related issues. ---
**Author:** ![Hey\_It\_s\_That\_Guy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/6f9a4e/32.png) [@Hey\_It\_s\_That\_Guy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hey_It_s_That_Guy)\ **Post date:** [March 28, 2005, 4:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/arrested-development-3-27/296531/25 "2005-03-28T16:33:08Z")
I heard E! conducted a poll on their website, allowing people to vote for which show on the verge of cancellation they wanted to be saved. My friend told me Veronica Mars won with over 50% of the vote, and Arrested Development got less than 10%. I could definitely see Arrested finding a new home on HBO, FX, or even Bravo (but for some reason, I can’t see it fitting in on Comedy Central… too “highbrow”). ---
**Author:** ![Marley23](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@Marley23](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Marley23)\ **Post date:** [March 28, 2005, 4:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/arrested-development-3-27/296531/26 "2005-03-28T16:36:46Z")
Probably. My socks are wet. You want irony? Part of the reason I couldn’t count to three a few minutes ago is that at 3:16 a.m., just as I was about to fall asleep, I got the other meaning of that pop-up joke. Yes, I was thinking about Arrested Development as I went to sleep. Shut up. I’ll dream my way onto the show if they won’t hire me. Anyway I had that sudden flash of inspiration, lept up to post it, and probably lost another half-hour of sleep. ---
**Author:** ![Marley23](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@Marley23](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Marley23)\ **Post date:** [March 28, 2005, 4:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/arrested-development-3-27/296531/27 "2005-03-28T16:38:54Z")
> [@Big Bad Voodoo Lou](#): > > for some reason, I can’t see it fitting in on Comedy Central… too “highbrow” Ugh, that’d be horrible. Comedy Central is to editing as Sweeney Todd is to haircuts. ---
**Author:** ![Raygun99](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/6f9a4e/32.png) [@Raygun99](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Raygun99)\ **Post date:** [March 28, 2005, 5:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/arrested-development-3-27/296531/28 "2005-03-28T17:40:52Z")
I liked how the secretary’s rabies was attributed to a “famous record producer’s guard dog”. The secretary, as previously mentioned, believes she has a relationship with Quincy Jones. ---
**Author:** ![middleman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/e9a140/32.png) [@middleman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/middleman)\ **Post date:** [March 28, 2005, 10:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/arrested-development-3-27/296531/29 "2005-03-28T22:41:25Z")
> [@Raygun99](#): > > I liked how the secretary’s rabies was attributed to a “famous record producer’s guard dog”. The secretary, as previously mentioned, believes she has a relationship with Quincy Jones. Nice! I just wanted to bring something else up about AD’s ratings. I think the weak ratings of AD can be credited to the decline in the The Simpsons’s ratings. ---
**Author:** ![Marley23](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@Marley23](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Marley23)\ **Post date:** [March 28, 2005, 11:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/arrested-development-3-27/296531/30 "2005-03-28T23:20:04Z")
> [@watsonwil](#): > > I think the weak ratings of AD can be credited to the decline in the The Simpsons’s ratings. The Simpsons may be down - I have no idea - but AD has never done that well, so I don’t think that explains anything. On the 20th, The Simpsons had 8.49 million viewers and Arrested had 5.72. ---
**Author:** ![RealityChuck](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/realitychuck/32/195_2.png) [@RealityChuck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RealityChuck)\ **Post date:** [March 29, 2005, 12:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/arrested-development-3-27/296531/31 "2005-03-29T00:14:57Z")
Fox does seem to be leaning toward renewing. That, at least, is why they cut the episodes: nothing will run in May, so they can sell ad space without the May sweeps dragging it down. ---
**Author:** ![sleeepy2](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e9a140/32.png) [@sleeepy2](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/sleeepy2)\ **Post date:** [March 29, 2005, 12:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/arrested-development-3-27/296531/32 "2005-03-29T00:20:33Z")
> [@Marley23](#): > > The Simpsons may be down - I have no idea - but AD has never done that well, so I don’t think that explains anything. On the 20th, The Simpsons had 8.49 million viewers and Arrested had 5.72. Meanwhile AD has a higher number than almost everything on the WB and UPN, including their “hits” like Smallville ans 7th Heaven. An episode of AD has to be cheaper to produce than an ep of Smallville, right? ---
**Author:** ![Marley23](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@Marley23](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Marley23)\ **Post date:** [March 29, 2005, 4:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/arrested-development-3-27/296531/33 "2005-03-29T04:23:25Z")
I have no idea. But different networks have different expectations, and it doesn’t help that the show isn’t doing so great in a really good timeslot. If people say the signs for renewal are good I’ll trust them. ---
**Author:** ![iamthewalrus\_3](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/258eb7/32.png) [@iamthewalrus\_3](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/iamthewalrus_3)\ **Post date:** [March 29, 2005, 6:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/arrested-development-3-27/296531/34 "2005-03-29T06:30:10Z")
Tobias: “It could be your colon. I’d want to get in there and check it out.” ---
**Author:** ![mouthbreather](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/a698b9/32.png) [@mouthbreather](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mouthbreather)\ **Post date:** [March 29, 2005, 1:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/arrested-development-3-27/296531/35 "2005-03-29T13:18:37Z")
“You look like you’re figthing dragons…In the future.” ---
**Author:** ![mouthbreather](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/a698b9/32.png) [@mouthbreather](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mouthbreather)\ **Post date:** [March 29, 2005, 1:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/arrested-development-3-27/296531/36 "2005-03-29T13:56:23Z")
> [@pokey](#): > > I don’t even know what to say. “Use your Allusion” If you want to throw in a reference but not Poe. Ben Stiller is the best. Another laugh out loud moment was right after “but not Poe” – Buster’s uncontrollable giddiness when he finds out Tony Wonder has not used Chaucer for his upcoming allusion. ---
**Author:** ![middleman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/e9a140/32.png) [@middleman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/middleman)\ **Post date:** [March 29, 2005, 2:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/arrested-development-3-27/296531/37 "2005-03-29T14:02:18Z")
> [@Marley23](#): > > I have no idea. But different networks have different expectations, and it doesn’t help that the show isn’t doing so great in a really good timeslot. If people say the signs for renewal are good I’ll trust them. That was what I was saying when I noted the Simpsons steep decline in ratings. The spot _isn’t_ as desireable as it used to be. If the Simpsons had higher ratings, then AD would have a larger lead in audience to hold. There is a reason _House_, which follows _American Idol_ is the #5 show. ---
**Author:** ![Cliffy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/59ef9b/32.png) [@Cliffy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cliffy)\ **Post date:** [March 29, 2005, 3:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/arrested-development-3-27/296531/38 "2005-03-29T15:26:52Z")
> [@watsonwil](#): > > I liked the description of the whistle blower as “rabid and disgruntled.” Oh, I missed that. > [@](#): > > (And I totally missed 18 of 22!) Missed it. > [@](#): > > the secretary’s rabies was attributed to a “famous record producer’s guard dog” Missed that too. The joke density was still incredibly high. 😉 > [@sleeepy2](#): > > An episode of AD has to be cheaper to produce than an ep of Smallville, right? Maybe, maybe not. AD is filmed digitally and I’ve heard it’s actually pretty expensive to shoot. > [@Marley23](#): > > I was not in the best of moods last evening due to grinding povetry-related issues. Perhaps you should move to a lower floor of the building? 😉 (Sorry!) “Ancient Chinese Secret, huh?” had me howling so hard **Mrs. Cliffy** had to pause the thing for several seconds to catch the next joke. (Thank God for TiVo.) Then when we skipped back the few seconds, I almost lost it again. This story might be funnier if you know that I’m white but that **Mrs. Cliffy** is Chinese. –Cliffy ---
**Author:** ![Marley23](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@Marley23](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Marley23)\ **Post date:** [March 29, 2005, 4:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/arrested-development-3-27/296531/39 "2005-03-29T16:03:23Z")
> [@watsonwil](#): > > That was what I was saying when I noted the Simpsons steep decline in ratings. The spot _isn’t_ as desireable as it used to be. If the Simpsons had higher ratings, then AD would have a larger lead in audience to hold. Were they in decline last year? Even if there’s a decline, the Simpsons is still doing well and it has a solid core audience. The problem is that it looks like a third of the Simpsons audience changes the channel as soon as the show ends. **Cliffy** , I already live on the first floor. Unfortunately. Is “Ancient Chinese Secret, huh?” a reference to something I don’t get? ---
**Author:** ![Cliffy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/59ef9b/32.png) [@Cliffy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cliffy)\ **Post date:** [March 29, 2005, 4:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/arrested-development-3-27/296531/40 "2005-03-29T16:11:53Z")
> [@Marley23](#): > > Is “Ancient Chinese Secret, huh?” a reference to something I don’t get? 15 or 20 years ago there was a series of commercials for Calgon laundry detergent. Well-dressed white folk would marvel at how their stereotypical chinese launderer (without doubt the first asian I’d ever seen on TV, or at least the first that wasn’t in a kung fu movie) got their clothes so clean. He refused to confess, claiming it was an ancient chinese secret. Whereupon someone would knock over a pile of laundry or something, revealing a box of Calgon, leading all the customers to smirk and say “ancient chinese secret, huh?”, secure in thier racial superiority. –Cliffy [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/arrested-development-3-27/296531.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/arrested-development-3-27/296531.md?page=3)