Streaming Saturday: Arrested Development (2003-2006, 2013-present)

With the long-awaited arrival of season 4 hitting Netflix mere hours from now, I had to make Arrested Development this week’s Streaming Saturday recommendation. The show tells “the story of a wealthy family that lost everything, and the one son who had no choice but to keep them all together.” It ran for three seasons on Fox between 2003 and 2006. […]

With the long-awaited arrival of season 4 hitting Netflix mere hours from now, I had to make Arrested Development this week’s Streaming Saturday recommendation.

The show tells “the story of a wealthy family that lost everything, and the one son who had no choice but to keep them all together.” It ran for three seasons on Fox between 2003 and 2006. Every episode is so densely packed with jokes, background gags, double entendres and amazing comedic timing. A part of the genius of the show’s writing came from the intricate layering of jokes. Oftentimes, the punchline to a gag will appear before the set up. Punchlines and character development are alluded to long in advance.

Arrested Development is a series that pays back the viewer upon repeat viewings much more than any other show I’ve ever seen. I have seen the series from beginning to end more times than I can count and I still find hidden jokes and small gags I had overlooked before. I cannot imagine another comedy series as intricately put together as Arrested Development. And I really can’t wait for tomorrow.