Arrested Wednesdays #1

Today marks the debut of a new weekly feature on Big Mike's Movie Blog, entitled 'Arrested Wednesdays'. Every week I will be writing a short post highlighting the funniest television series ever, 'Arrested Development'. The purpose of this feature is twofold. First, to increase awareness of the critically acclaimed and publicly dismissed series as the likelihood of a feature length film based on the show grows greater by the week. Secondly, to motivate me to write something new even when I haven't seen anything new and exciting.

That is part of the charm of 'Arrested Development'. Off the air for years now, the show has gained a cult following and for some fans, has become part of their everyday vernacular. I am on of those devotees and will be recounting similar stories in the weeks to come. But, more importantly, I came to re-discover the series this past week and it lifted me out of my funk. I adore the show and wished I could write about it instead of the awful movie I saw instead. So, I decided to do just that.

'Arrested Development' was a Fox sitcom that ran from 2003 to 2006 and in just three seasons managed to win 7 Emmys and constantly stave off cancellation while struggling with ratings. It helped to launch the careers of Will Arnett, Michael Cera, Tony Hale and Alia Shawkat while serving as a huge career boost to Jason Bateman, Jeffrey Tambor, Jessica Walters and David Cross. The show hosted such special and recurring guests such as Charlize Theron, Henry Winkler, Liza Minnelli, Jeff Garlin, Ed Begley Jr., James Lipton, Julia-Louis Dreyfus, Zach Braff and Ben Stiller. Infinitely quotable and rapid fire with its jokes, the show never found an audience on the air, but lives on eternally on DVD, reruns and in the hearts of fans around the world.

If you are unfamiliar with the show, you can find the three seasons on DVD for under twenty dollars each in most places, especially Target.

Now, the blog feature about the story of a wealthy family who lost everything and the one son who had no choice but to keep them altogether.

It's Arrested Wednesdays.