Outrage Over FOX Cancelling "Arrested Development

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SUMMARY

The forum discussion centers around the outrage over FOX's cancellation of the critically acclaimed show "Arrested Development," which won an Emmy and is considered one of the best shows on television. Users express frustration at FOX's decision to air lower-quality programming like "The War at Home" in prime time slots, arguing that it undermines better shows. The conversation also touches on the broader issue of media executives' inability to recognize quality content, with comparisons made to other canceled shows like "Futurama" and "Firefly." There is speculation about the potential for "Arrested Development" to be picked up by Showtime.

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  • Understanding of television programming and scheduling
  • Familiarity with the cultural impact of shows like "Arrested Development" and "The Simpsons"
  • Knowledge of Emmy Awards and their significance in television
  • Awareness of cable television dynamics in the U.S. market
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  • Research the history and impact of "Arrested Development" on television comedy
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Television critics, media analysts, fans of "Arrested Development," and anyone interested in the dynamics of network programming and viewer preferences.

  • #31
V... C... R?

Does it have vacuum tubes?

:-p :-p
 
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  • #32
I still can't believe FOX is cancelling this show. It won an emmy!
Correction: it won six Emmys (in two seasons). Anyway, AD is one of the greatest shows in the history of television, and is definitely up there with Seinfeld as the greatest comedy. And yes, though its days on Fox are numbered, rumor has it that both Showtime and ABC are vying for the show.

For all of you who don't watch it, let me explain why AD is so great. At a very shallow level, the show is extremely funny. The comedic timing is great, the ensemble cast is perfect, and the jokes are hilarious. However, the show also has an incredible amount of depth to it, forcing several viewings of an episode to get it all. Allusions and foreshadowing happen all over the place, in the volume usually associated with a Shakespearean play. The main way is through the extensive use of callbacks. Jokes, aspects of the Bluths' lives, and many little details are often recycled in some way, but almost always with a twist to them. Some of these go back just a few episodes, some call back all the way to the first couple episodes. They range from the subtle (such as the fact that family's maid often wears unseasonal sweaters, or that one character reuses the same banner for multiple occasions, altering it only as much is necessary), to the not-so-subtle (such as the fact that one character thinks that Portugal is in South America, or the fact that another character never gets the context of the word "blue" correct, confusing the depressed meaning with the color), to the overt (such as the fact that all of the Bluths seem to have their own impression of what a chicken sounds like, and none of them sounds remotely like a chicken, or the fact that one character unknowingly makes homosexual double entendres on a regular basis).

Unfortunately, these callbacks force the viewer to see the show from the beginning to fully appreciate everything, making it harder for people who might want to start watching it at a later date. I suspect that this is part of the reason for its low ratings (combined with Fox's marketing strategy for the show: show a promo for it ten minutes before it airs).
 
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  • #33
Manchot said:
For all of you who don't watch it, let me explain why AD is so great. At a very shallow level, the show is extremely funny. The comedic timing is great, the ensemble cast is perfect, and the jokes are hilarious. However, the show also has an incredible amount of depth to it, forcing several viewings of an episode to get it all. Allusions and foreshadowing happen all over the place, in the volume usually associated with a Shakespearean play. The main way is through the extensive use of callbacks. Jokes, aspects of the Bluths' lives, and many little details are often recycled in some way, but almost always with a twist to them. Some of these go back just a few episodes, some call back all the way to the first couple episodes. They range from the subtle (such as the fact that family's maid often wears unseasonal sweaters, or that one character reuses the same banner for multiple occasions, altering it only as much is necessary), to the not-so-subtle (such as the fact that one character thinks that Portugal is in Mexico, or the fact that another character never gets the context of the word "blue" correct, confusing the depressed meaning with the color), to the overt (such as the fact that all of the Bluths seem to have their own impression of what a chicken sounds like, and none of them sounds remotely like a chicken, or the fact that one character unknowingly makes homosexual double entendres on a regular basis).

Unfortunately, these callbacks force the viewer to see the show from the beginning to fully appreciate everything, making it harder for people who might want to start watching it at a later date. I suspect that this is part of the reason for its low ratings (combined with Fox's marketing strategy for the show: show a promo for it ten minutes before it airs).

Very Well Put.