# We knew Arrested Development couldn't hang on forever **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [November 11, 2005, 5:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/we-knew-arrested-development-couldnt-hang-on-forever/330592 "2005-11-11T17:17:35Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 4
**Author:** ![irishgirl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/8edcca/32.png) [@irishgirl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/irishgirl)\ **Post date:** [November 12, 2005, 6:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/we-knew-arrested-development-couldnt-hang-on-forever/330592/61 "2005-11-12T18:09:17Z")
I love that show…and the last two episodes were some of the funniest yet. At least the new season of _Peep show_ has just started on Channel 4. Thank og the British channels can still make sitcoms that only 4 people watch…that’s the licence fee for you! ---
**Author:** ![Operation\_Ripper](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/34f0e0/32.png) [@Operation\_Ripper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Operation_Ripper)\ **Post date:** [November 12, 2005, 6:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/we-knew-arrested-development-couldnt-hang-on-forever/330592/62 "2005-11-12T18:25:21Z")
> [@irishgirl](#): > > At least the new season of _Peep show_ has just started on Channel 4. > Thank og the British channels can still make sitcoms that only 4 people watch…that’s the licence fee for you! [Peep Show](http://imdb.com/title/tt0387764/) is exquisite, have you seen [I’m Alan Partridge](http://imdb.com/title/tt0129690/)? Just caught it the other day on BBC America, it slays me as well. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Operation\_Ripper](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/34f0e0/32.png) [@Operation\_Ripper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Operation_Ripper)\ **Post date:** [November 12, 2005, 6:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/we-knew-arrested-development-couldnt-hang-on-forever/330592/63 "2005-11-12T18:27:12Z")
What if HBO picked up AD? Could such a thing happen? Has such a thing happened (network show going to paycable, instead of vice versa)? ---
**Author:** ![ISiddiqui](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/97f17d/32.png) [@ISiddiqui](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ISiddiqui)\ **Post date:** [November 12, 2005, 8:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/we-knew-arrested-development-couldnt-hang-on-forever/330592/64 "2005-11-12T20:20:51Z")
> [@foolsguinea](#): > > Oh, please. Fox has no taste at all. They infanticided _Life on a Stick_ & _Wonderfalls_ in favor of reruns & clip shows. > > The fact that _AD_ lasted this long is probably a) due to big names like Ron Howard being involved–I think Fox probably just figured out he only does voice-overs on the show–& b) a sort of left-handed honor, like it was ugly & evil enough for the demon fish-man under Fox HQ that torpedoes anything harmlessly cute & likeable. > > I’m sorry. That was uncalled-for. Maybe I need to talk to an analrapist. I heard that the new head of programming at Fox (came on after AD’s first season) really did like AD. Unfortunetly that wasn’t enough to save it from the crappy ratings :(. They moved it from Sunday nights because they realized that Family Guy would get a TON more ratings (and it has). Damn. ---
**Author:** ![Harborwolf](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/c89c15/32.png) [@Harborwolf](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Harborwolf)\ **Post date:** [November 12, 2005, 11:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/we-knew-arrested-development-couldnt-hang-on-forever/330592/65 "2005-11-12T23:42:52Z")
I’m also surprised that it lasted as long as it did, but in a way I think that it is good that the show ended when it did. Sooner or later it was going to have to attempt to resolve something. The current episodes were starting to feel stretched. It’s best to have the good seasons to remember. ---
**Author:** ![jasonh300](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/46a35a/32.png) [@jasonh300](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jasonh300)\ **Post date:** [November 12, 2005, 11:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/we-knew-arrested-development-couldnt-hang-on-forever/330592/66 "2005-11-12T23:52:44Z")
> [@middleman](#): > > But does FOX benefit from people who DVR the show? Why wouldn’t they? You’re watching the show. You might be fast forwarding through the commercials but if you’re watching it live, you might be muting the commercials or going to the bathroom or stepping out for a smoke while the commercials are on. ---
**Author:** ![middleman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/e9a140/32.png) [@middleman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/middleman)\ **Post date:** [November 13, 2005, 8:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/we-knew-arrested-development-couldnt-hang-on-forever/330592/67 "2005-11-13T20:10:26Z")
> [@jasonh300](#): > > Why wouldn’t they? You’re watching the show. You might be fast forwarding through the commercials but if you’re watching it live, you might be muting the commercials or going to the bathroom or stepping out for a smoke while the commercials are on. If you watch it live, there is a decent chance you are going to watch the commercials. If you DVR it, there is a close to ZERO chance you are going to watch the commercials. So playing the probabilities, Fox gets at least SOME benefit from live viewers and almost none from recording viewers. What benefit is “watching the show” if the people who pay the bills do not get their intended benefits? This isn’t just a problem for low rated shows. As DVRs become the standard, free TV is going to have a tough time. ---
**Author:** ![Troy\_McClure\_SF](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/troy_mcclure_sf/32/4150_2.png) [@Troy\_McClure\_SF](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Troy_McClure_SF)\ **Post date:** [November 14, 2005, 5:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/we-knew-arrested-development-couldnt-hang-on-forever/330592/68 "2005-11-14T17:20:06Z")
Tim “Far and away the best sitcom on broadcast television” Goodman [offers a bit of hope](http://sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2005/11/14/DDG4NFMUAI1.DTL). ---
**Author:** ![Homebrew](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/c89c15/32.png) [@Homebrew](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Homebrew)\ **Post date:** [November 14, 2005, 5:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/we-knew-arrested-development-couldnt-hang-on-forever/330592/69 "2005-11-14T17:43:27Z")
_I’d rather have three minutes of wonderful than a lifetime of nothing special._ ---
**Author:** ![AndyPolley](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/54ee81/32.png) [@AndyPolley](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AndyPolley)\ **Post date:** [November 15, 2005, 11:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/we-knew-arrested-development-couldnt-hang-on-forever/330592/70 "2005-11-15T11:41:49Z")
Does anyone know how the DVD sales went? Will they even release this short season on DVD? > [@ISiddiqui](#): > > They moved it from Sunday nights because they realized that Family Guy would get a TON more ratings (and it has). Damn. Fox actually added **American Dad** and the craptacular **The War at Home** to the Sunday line-up after moving Arrested off of it. I hardly think moving AD to Mondays was designed to help the show. If a Sunday line up that looked like… (all times Eastren) 7:30: King of the Hill 8:00: The Simpsons 8:30: Arrested Development 9:00: Family Guy 9:30: American Dad …I’d bet Arrested would still live, and it would be The War at Home joining Kitchen Confidential in the abyss. How are the ratings for The War at Home anyway? I hate this and hope Arrested finds a way to come back from the grave. The potential of Pay per episode TV is in it’s infancy, perhaps AD would be a neat test subject. If half of Monday’s 4 million viewers were willing to pony up $.99 per episode, the show’s alive again. Of course, you’d have to download it from iTunes or something, but it could still exist. Am I dreaming? Is this kind of thing even possible? ---
**Author:** ![middleman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/e9a140/32.png) [@middleman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/middleman)\ **Post date:** [November 15, 2005, 1:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/we-knew-arrested-development-couldnt-hang-on-forever/330592/71 "2005-11-15T13:55:11Z")
Sadly, _The War At Home_ is performing better than AD did last year… ---
**Author:** ![kingpengvin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/9dc877/32.png) [@kingpengvin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kingpengvin)\ **Post date:** [November 15, 2005, 2:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/we-knew-arrested-development-couldnt-hang-on-forever/330592/72 "2005-11-15T14:03:08Z")
> [@middleman](#): > > Sadly, _The War At Home_ is performing better than AD did last year… How?!?! How?!?! How can that be? It is an awful awful show! Unfunny and unoriginal. It steals Titus’s Neutral space! It recycles Married with children’s dialogue with none of the great delivery. It stinks like a rotting cat corpse floating in an old brakish fish tank, in your crazy neighbour’s junky funky backyard… in July… (and yet still has only a tenth of the entertainment factor that sight would have) Neilsen families suck rocks ---
**Author:** ![jali](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/ecae2f/32.png) [@jali](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jali)\ **Post date:** [November 15, 2005, 2:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/we-knew-arrested-development-couldnt-hang-on-forever/330592/73 "2005-11-15T14:12:19Z")
Wow! I _had_ to check out this thread after visiting the pit. I thinks it’s ridiculous of some to assume that their idea of comedy is the yardstick that everyone should measure up to. There were shows that I loved that were cancelled. I still miss “CopRock” but because the masses didn’t like the show doesn’t make them any less hip than me. I like Broadway musicals and “CopRock” brought the concept to TV. I love “Friends” and still watch it every day. My partner likes “Seinfeld”. We don’t care for the other person’s choice. Who’s smarter? Who “gets it”? So…if I don’t like AD then I don’t get it? How condencending can you be? (in my best Chandler voice) ---
**Author:** ![jali](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/ecae2f/32.png) [@jali](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jali)\ **Post date:** [November 15, 2005, 2:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/we-knew-arrested-development-couldnt-hang-on-forever/330592/74 "2005-11-15T14:14:03Z")
> [@kingpengvin](#): > > How?!?! How?!?! > > How can that be? It is an awful awful show! Unfunny and unoriginal. It steals Titus’s Neutral space! It recycles Married with children’s dialogue with none of the great delivery. > > It stinks like a rotting cat corpse floating in an old brakish fish tank, in your crazy neighbour’s junky funky backyard… in July… (and yet still has only a tenth of the entertainment factor that sight would have) > > Neilsen families suck rocks Or…maybe the AD people just don’t get it. (just a joke - just a joke) ---
**Author:** ![UncleRojelio](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/unclerojelio/32/3160_2.png) [@UncleRojelio](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/UncleRojelio)\ **Post date:** [November 15, 2005, 2:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/we-knew-arrested-development-couldnt-hang-on-forever/330592/75 "2005-11-15T14:24:39Z")
> [@jasonh300](#): > > It’s been a very long time since CBS, aBC or NBC came out with anything new that wasn’t total crap. _Lost_ being the exception to that rather broad generalization. ---
**Author:** ![kingpengvin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/9dc877/32.png) [@kingpengvin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kingpengvin)\ **Post date:** [November 15, 2005, 2:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/we-knew-arrested-development-couldnt-hang-on-forever/330592/76 "2005-11-15T14:57:26Z")
> [@jali](#): > > Wow! I _had_ > I love “Friends” and still watch it every day. My partner likes “Seinfeld”. We don’t care for the other person’s choice. Who’s smarter? Who “gets it”? > > So…if I don’t like AD then I don’t get it? How condencending can you be? (in my best Chandler voice) Well it is more of a sense of frustration rather than condecention. You have critics and fans agreeing that this show is the funniest cleveriest thing in years and yet the ratings slide. It creates a little anger and the only thing to lash out against is either the network or the people not watching. So the fan goes through the following process: Why aren’t they watching? Reasons: A) The show is no good/not funny … uh uh don’t want to believe that because I love the show and it has me rolling on the floor. That can’t be it. I have a sense of humour… I’m not stupid. B) They don’t get it… It’s funny and they don’t understand the show so they tune out. That has to be it. Sure it seems snobby. It is an emotional reaction. I know we all have differnet sesibilities when it comes to humour. I understand some people don’t like certain actors or styles of comedy. Hey you don’t have to like the show… that is your tastes. But no one wants to say that they aren’t smart or have a good sense of humour. That being said…when a show as bad as The War at Home gets better ratings one can’t help but get the feeling that there is something truly wrong in the Universe… well at least on your side of the boarder. 😉 ---
**Author:** ![brickbacon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/898d66/32.png) [@brickbacon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/brickbacon)\ **Post date:** [November 16, 2005, 3:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/we-knew-arrested-development-couldnt-hang-on-forever/330592/77 "2005-11-16T15:59:57Z")
For all of you that don’t own the DVDs yet, [Amazon](http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000A9QKRI/103-9502605-8095839?v=glance&n=130&n=507846&s=dvd&v=glance) has both seasons for 31.94 with free shipping. Pretty good deal, considering each one usually cost over $20. Maybe if they sell enough, they’ll bring it back like Family Guy. ---
**Author:** ![BabaBooey](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/dfb087/32.png) [@BabaBooey](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BabaBooey)\ **Post date:** [November 16, 2005, 4:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/we-knew-arrested-development-couldnt-hang-on-forever/330592/78 "2005-11-16T16:28:58Z")
Good call, I was about to get them through deepdiscountdvd’s 20% off deal, but your way is $10 cheaper. Gonna make the 12 hour Thanksgiving drive much more pleasant. ---
**Author:** ![brickbacon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/898d66/32.png) [@brickbacon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/brickbacon)\ **Post date:** [November 16, 2005, 4:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/we-knew-arrested-development-couldnt-hang-on-forever/330592/79 "2005-11-16T16:52:27Z")
> [@BabaBooey](#): > > Good call, I was about to get them through deepdiscountdvd’s 20% off deal, but your way is $10 cheaper. Gonna make the 12 hour Thanksgiving drive much more pleasant. Glad I could be of assistance. Eat, drink, and be merry! ---
**Author:** ![Smeghead](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/f1d935/32.png) [@Smeghead](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Smeghead)\ **Post date:** [November 16, 2005, 6:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/we-knew-arrested-development-couldnt-hang-on-forever/330592/80 "2005-11-16T18:24:32Z")
> [@BabaBooey](#): > > Good call, I was about to get them through deepdiscountdvd’s 20% off deal, but your way is $10 cheaper. Gonna make the 12 hour Thanksgiving drive much more pleasant. I hope you’re not driving… [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/we-knew-arrested-development-couldnt-hang-on-forever/330592.md?page=3) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/we-knew-arrested-development-couldnt-hang-on-forever/330592.md?page=5)