Arrested Development and how to watch TV

Talking about good TV shows, I've figured out why the groundbreaking Arrested Development was a big hit with critics and discerning viewers, but not with the broad public.

It's the same phenomenon as Police Squad versus The Naked Gun. The concept did not succeed as a TV show, but really worked as a movie. Because it was so intricate and detailed that you had to pay attention! Most people, to the astonishment of somebody like me, don't sit down and watch television, they have the TV on while they do other stuff. And that does not work unless the show is pretty easy to follow and digest.

Me, either I watch it, or I don't. When I visit my likkle sister, I get irritated, because the TV is always on whether anybody is watching or not. It's dreadfully distracting. To me, if something is not worth giving your full attention, it's not worth getting distracted by.

I think Arrested Development (or something developed from it) might be very successful as a movie.

Eric said:
Interesting you should mention Arrested Development:
Wikipedia says, "In February 2008, stars Jeffrey Tambor and Jason Bateman confirmed in interviews that a future motion picture may be in the works, and that although Hurwitz "does not yet have a script, he has a good, solid understanding of what he'd like to do for the movie." Will Arnett also confirmed a movie was currently being planned, on Late Night with Conan O'Brien."

Hey, excellent!

Joe Dick said:
I'm the same way. If I'm not sitting down and watching something then why have it on? It seems strange to have it on when no one is watching anything but a lot of people do that.
I too loved Arrested Development. It might be a good thing that it didn't last that long. Too many American shows go on too long.

Yes, I was actually thinking of that. While it might have deserved a bigger audience, I'm not sure I'd want to see AD for eight seasons. It was quite intense, and might have gotten to be too much. Though for some shows it works, I never got the least bit tired of Friends.

Maybe for some shows it could continue indefinitely, but slowly change the characters and settings? But would it be the same show? And how do you come up with new things as good? And it really seemed to kill West Wing. But then that was more likely simply because they had run out of steam. And the creator had left.

Thinking about it, the reason I think I may have gotten tired of Arrested Development if it had continued much longer, was that they were starting to milk some jokes/plots to the last drop. Like George always being on the run, and George Michael continuing his crush on his cousin, and Michael continuing to want to leave the family, but not being able to. If the show had continued, they really should have given them some new games to play.
Friends was very good with this, apart perhaps from the silly Rachel/Ross romance, . The characters had very different careers, relationships, and concerns near the end than in the beginning.