Why has Arrested Development had a hard time getting an audience

[Mike Daniels]

The success of Cheers, Frasier, Seinfeld, etc.. proves there's an audience for well-crafted shows with great acting and intelligent writing. So, why hasn't this show gathered an audience that allows it to escape from the ratings basement?

Now, I will admit that this program has always escaped my radar despite me watching pretty much every other show (Malcolm, Simpsons, King of the Hill and Family Guy) on Fox's Sunday schedule. However, I watched the 2 hour block that Fox ran this past Friday and laughed myself sick to the point where I went out the next day and picked up the first season DVD set and I've been laughing at that since I plopped the disc into the DVD player.

I take some hope in that Fox did choose to renew it for a third season and it's well known that Cheers and Seinfeld took several seasons to catch on with the mass viewing public. Perhaps the fact that it seems to be one of the dominating shows for this year's Emmy nominations will give it enough extra publicity so that more people will check it out next season.

[KurtNYC]

1. The BBC and Ron Howard

have money in the show. Only needs enough audience here and in Britain combined to cover production. Syndication and DVD will reward them handsomely.

[ComerPerro]

2. Its a great show. And I have turned a lot of people onto it

with the DVD.

In fact, one of my roommates spent two days just watching the entire first season after I showed him one of my favorite episodes, "Pier Pressure"

[krkaufman]

3. Probably because a lot of the humor is subtle, tongue-in-cheek...

... or thoughtful. It comes across as a more mature (i.e. less juvenile) comedy.

[radwriter0555]

4. Democrats watch FOX? What happened to integrity and standards? That anyone

watches the teevee station complicit in the corruption of the US Constitution is rather... amazing... It's endorsing the enemy.

FOX has some of the most fetid and horrific programming on television IN america, not to even mention their bullshit lies that they pass off as news. That doesn't even begin to address the moral terpitude of Murdock, a Moonie and fascist from the get-go. He's an evil, evil man who has usurped entire nations in his quest for power and wealth.

I've never watched FOX and refuse to. I had the channel blocked on my last teevee.

Silence equals consent.

I'm not passing judgement, I'm just making a point that perhaps you've not thought of.

[krkaufman]

7. Umm... your post Subject *does* imply judgement

"Democrats watch FOX? What happened to integrity and standards?"

Translated... "Democrats who watch FOX have no integrity or standards."

Kudos for your purity.

[ghostsofgiants]

8. Ironically, Fox has some absolutely great progressive shows...

Arrested Development, The Simpsons, Family Guy, American Dad.

[KurtNYC]

21. Also used to air Michael Moore' s "TV Nation" nt

[Gormy Cuss]

25. I differentiate Fox from Fox News

Fox has some of the best comedies on television; Fox News has the best fantasies.

The Fox News station is deprogrammed from my cable line up. I never have to see the likes of Hannity and Gibson and the endless bubbleheads.

Ironically, the local Fox network affiliate has the best local news team.

[ghostsofgiants]

27. We recently started getting Fox News up here in Canada

Watched it for the first (and probably last) time while waiting for The Daily Show to come on one night. It was amazing. The fact that that shit is what passes as journalism in the US is quite sad.

[ET Awful]

28. Anyone who's watched any recent episode of Family Guy or the Simpsons

knows that there's a vast difference between Fox television and Fox News.

Sorry, but "Commander Cuckoo Bananas" and "Gulf War V the search for the President's head" aren't the products of a Bushco supporter :).

[youspeakmylanguage]

30. FOX is a huge multi-national conglomerate...

You can have two companies run by different people with wildly different ideological viewpoints under the same huge umbrella.

I think the glue that binds the FOX companies is greed. They want ratings and they want them now. If the mouth-breathers in this country weren't so attracted to O'Reilly's and Hannity's schlock like moths to a flame, then FOX would fire Roger Ailes in a minute and revamp the format and the ideology. It's all about the money - nothing else.

[ghostsofgiants]

31. Greed is the glue that binds most corporations

Nothing new there.

[youspeakmylanguage]

34. Right, but...

...I think it is more prevalent at FOX. A lot of other networks are content to coast on predictable programming. FOX would rather experiment and run with riskier programming, yet they are much more apt to axe that programming if they don't see big results fast. It's definitely more of a factor within all of their networks and companies.

FOX News is selling sensational neoconservatism because the masses are willing to eat it up. I don't believe their intentions are any more altruistic or ideological than that.

[Name removed]

10. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[WeRQ4U]

13. It's OK to just turn the channel when the bad stuff comes on.

I watch that show and a couple others on Fox. Am I morally bankrupt for doing so?

Would you please step off your soapbox for a second, you're blocking my view of the TV.

[eyesroll]

14. Do you also boycott:

Books by HarperCollins?
TV Guide?
DirectTV?
The New York Knicks?
The New York Rangers?
The Staples Center?
The LA Lakers?
Films by 20th Century Fox/ Fox Searchlight?
FX?
National Geographic Channel?
SPEED Channel?
MySpace.com?

Yep -- they're all News Corp. (fully owned or heavily invested) too.
I'm not knocking you for not watching Fox. But maybe some people -- including Democrats -- want to watch and support one of the rare good shows on television, that happens to be on Fox.

If I boycotted everything I was supposed to be boycotting, I'd be boycotting everything.

[radwriter0555]

20. Actually no.. I don't patronize or buy any of those things for just that

reason.

Silence equals consent.

It isn't about boycotting, it's about who I endorse and who I choose to support.

I choose not to support people who wipe their asses with the US Constitution.

What a difference it would make if more Americans did the same thing...

[slutticus]

19. ...

:rofl:

Oh my....too much coffee this morning?

[radwriter0555]

22. It's almost 7 pm where I am. I'm in France. I moved here a month ago in

protest of the atrocities the bush regime is committing.

I chose not to support the bush regime with any more of my tax dollars.

Plus I'm afraid the fucker will kill me and my family or put us in Gitmo for being so vehemently opposed to his regime.

I liken our situation to being like the first germans who fled the hitler regime as he rose to power.

[WCGreen]

5. It's just too hard and insiderish to follow,,,,

I tried but gave up after three shows..

[krkaufman]

9. I don't get the "insiderish" comment...

... but *would* concede that it can be tough to follow. You really do want/need to pay attention.

[Nicholas D Wolfwood]

11. As a die-hard AD fan, I get the "insiderish"

There are TONS of jokes that you won't get unless you've watched every episode (which I highly endorse, by the way).

[krkaufman]

15. Ah, gotcha. Inside jokes relative to previous material...

... as opposed to Hollywood insider jokes.

True. The laughs *are* much better if you're up-to-date w/ previous episodes. (But I don't think it's mandatory; just highly recommended.)

[WCGreen]

16. That''s the point. You have t be invested.....

Frazier and Seinfeld had insider jokes but enough outside funny stuff that a casual viewer could at least follow along....

too many plot twists....

[WeRQ4U]

17. My thoughts exactly.

My favorite part is how they show clips from the next episode, and then never show those clips in the next episode.

I can fully understand how new viewers would find it tough to follow, but subtle nuances like that make it a great show.

[Mike Daniels]

26. And I think that's why it avoided my radar until last week

I got the sense early on that it was a "serial" show and having missed the initial shows I figured I wouldn't be able to follow/appreciate it without knowing the back stories so I guess I never tuned in.

Watching the first season on DVD I can see where the references to back episodes could throw newbies. Someone who tunes in mid-season and sees Tobias going fetal and crying in the shower would probably not be laughing and would more likely think "WTF is up with this goob"?

[Kraklen]

6. There's no laugh track.

I think the general TV viewing audience has grown to stupid to know when a joke has just been told and needs a laugh track to know when it's appropriate to laugh.

[Ron Mexico]

12. In my case,

certain actors turn me off from a show. Jason Bateman and that dork who plays the father kept me from giving this a shot. I have no idea how many others feel the same way, I just know I can't stand either of those goobers.

[WeRQ4U]

18. Jason Bateman is hilarious. PERFECT for this role.

I've like Jeffery Tambor since Larry Sanders. I'm biased though, because I think that it's the best show on TV right now.

[Ron Mexico]

29. I'm one of the few people in America

who has never seen an episode of Larry Sanders.

I freely admit that if an actor annoys me, though, it's tough to get me to give him a second chance. All I had to do was see Randy Quaid in Major League 2, for example, for me to never want to see him in anything again.

[WeRQ4U]

37. I hear ya.

Love the name by the way.

[Ron Mexico]

38. Thanks. :))) I've already had

at least two DUers actually curse me out (in a friendly manner, mind you) for beating them to the name. When that happens, you know you've picked well.

[WeRQ4U]

43. Since it happened, I've seen it more and more as a screenname.

You did luck out. I've also seen it at least 3 times now as a team name in Fantasy Football, baseball, etc.

[Mojambo]

41. You don't like Jeffrey Tambor?!

You might be the first person I've ever met who doesn't.

He's a freaking genius, IMO.

[Ron Mexico]

46. Can't put my finger on it, but there's something

about the guy's work that annoys the shit out of me. There are a few like that - Rick Moranis, Wings Hauser, the guy who played the cop in "Replacement Killers" and this guy.

[Lost4words]

23. I just don't think its very funny! n/t

[grace0418]

24. Funniest show on television.

I love Arrested Development.

[El Fuego]

32. Arrested Development is brilliant

I love that show!!! I keep hoping that Fox will renew it. For me it was the only "sitcom" worth watching.

I guess the problem is that you have to watch it all the time to "get it." Some people just want formula laugh track shows so they'll know when it's funny. :eyes:

[Initech]

33. I cant wait for season 3!

More of Buster and his hook hand, and maybe GOB will make it to the cover of Poof! magazine!

[6000eliot]

35. It's too smart and too quirky

The two are not unrelated, I think. I don't know that it is the best fit on network television. It should be an HBO or Showtime show.

[WeRQ4U]

44. I like the bleeps personally. I think it's funnier for some reason.

Wouldn't be the same on HBO. The limits placed by regular broadcasts are perfect. But that's just mho.

[tedoll78]

36. I dunno.

I suspect that the lead-in shows aren't ideal for leading a target demographic audience to this half-hour of excellence. We get "King of the Hill," "Malcolm In the Middle," and then "The Simpsons" - which are all fine shows in their own ways - but the lead-in audience doesn't seem to match Arrested's target. It might skew a bit too young. I dunno.

Then there is the issue of the inside jokes. While I'm dying laughing at something alluding to the first season, be it The Big Yellow Joint or The Red Dress or Why We Don't Teach Lessons, other people watching with me are going, "Whaaa..?" This show is chock-full of inside jokes. It may take a supersized DVD-lending effort to get millions of viewers caught-up on these jokes before the third season begins.

Right now, I think this is THE best-written show on network television. It'll probably garner a few more Emmy awards (including Best Comedy), and that should be a nice shot in the arm. If this show is on TV year after year winning Emmys, people are gonna start to wonder about what they're missing, and that's gonna net some viewership. From what I hear, Fox was thiiiiis close to renewing it for 3rd AND 4th seasons, but decided to stay with just the 3rd for now, so I think the chances of a 4th season are pretty good.

[Rabrrrrrr]

39. It's too intelligent for Americans

probably a big hit in Britain though.

Fuckin' brilliant show - probably the wittiest, most creative, and unique show to hit TV in the last decade.

[Dastard Stepchild]

40. Dry humor?

I love it for this very reason, but that doesn't always play well to mass audiences.
You have to be quick on the uptake to catch much of the humor.

Of course, some people just hate dry humor.

[Coventina]

42. There's a million reasons to love that show.

It's just fantastic. So good on so many levels.

A Sunday night with Malcolm,KOTH, Simpsons (when it's good), Family Guy, American Dad and Arrested would be Nirvana!

[faithnotgreed]

45. i thought you were talking about the intelligent hip hop group

arrested development and wanted to read all the reasons you people here thought they didnt make it bigger

oh well
thats another future thread to look for i guess

[d_b]

47. I dunno

But I really liked that MR. Windel song myself.

[SoCalDem]

48. Because it was on a crappy network and people forgot to watch

I really liked the show, but I never watch the channel it was on so I forgot it. Now I have a dvr recorder thintg, so I could just program it, but I missed so many episodes, I lost the flow of the show:) Like Malcolm in the Middle. I used to always watch it, & then they started moving it around,

[HughBeaumont]

49. Because they sucked live.

Oh . . . this is about the TV SHOW!

Because Dumberica made shows like Friends last for 10 seasons. And then there's that whole Fear Factor/reality TV thing.