How do you burn off the last episodes of a critically beloved but pretty much canceled show? You air them as counter programming to the biggest sporting event of the year. At least that’s what FOX is doing with the remaining four episodes of the acclaimed comedy Arrested Development. They will air back-to-back beginning at 8:00 p.m. EST/7:00 p.m. CST on FOX against the opening ceremonies of the 2006 Winter Olympics on NBC.
There are few comedies of the caliber of Arrested Development that ever get the chance to air on network television ... or television at all. Barring a savior in the form of ABC, Showtime, or another network, tonight may be the very last time we get to see a new adventure of the dysfunctional Bluth family. AD may not be for everyone but if you enjoy cutting-edge comedy, great acting and writing, and just good television, the potential loss of this show will be a sad thing indeed.
So, take your pick. Do you watch the opening ceremonies of an event that will happen again in four years or do you watch something that could truly never air again? My eyes will be glued on FOX.
Article comments
1 - Ty
"My eyes will be glued on FOX."
Mine won't, and since no else's will or has been glued to FOX for this show, the show is CANNED.
HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA.
But if FOX gave a damn about your show (They don't, since the ratings have never been good, they would air this mid-week, not on FRIDAY (a horrid day for TV), and especially not on the same day as the opening ceremony of the Olympics.
2 - jdehnert
Olympics shmolympics! I'll be watching Fox! and probably for the last time ever. My $$ are ready to be sent to Shotime the second I know they will actually be picking up AD.
3 - adamk
I didn't think that many Americans even knew where Italy was on a map. I'm sure the "splendor" of the games is facinating, for say, a cultural anthropologist. But for many it's just another excuses to not have to think for a change, and to see pretty colors and big explosions. Arrested Development on the other hand is a smart (even though I know it signals the death of a show to call it smart, which is odd because when people say they don't like smart shows they are basically saying they like stupid shows), well written and acted jem that like other smart shows, never achieves any type of mainstream success, and "I'm ok with that". "(Said in a Ron Howard like voice) No, he wasn't." Oh well, it was a good ride. But if you want to see an awesome ride, check out four-man bobslead, guys going down ice fast, HMMMM do I smell NASCAR audience.
4 - Tom
Ty, Fox actually does care about this show - they would have dumped it entirely long ago if they didn't. As much as I dislike how Fox has treated AD in general, they really did give it a strangely optimistic helping hand by keeping it on for three seasons, especially this season when it was pretty obvious that things were simply not going to work out. As stupid and greedy as Fox is, they really did seem to want to help keep this show on - as long as it didn't involved them putting any of their own advertising money behind it. Yeah, that's a ridiculous and short-sighted way to deal with things, but they did make at least some effort to keep it on, build a dedicated audience, and make it more tempting for another network to pick up. All bets are on Showtime, who have reportedly made Mitch Hurwitz a deal for two seasons. Hurwitz is taking some time to make a decision - he's worn out from three years of dealing with keeping this show afloat, but I'm guessing he's going to go for it.