Arrested Development
There have been many pretenders like It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia and Scrubs, but it is clear that Arrested Development is the true heir to the legacy of Seinfeld. Even against some very strong competition from comedy giants like Ricky Gervais and Stephen Merchant (The Office, Extras), Larry David (Curb Your Enthusiasm) and Judd Apatow (Freaks and Geeks), Arrested Development stands tall as one of the sharpest American comedies in recent memory.
Post-modern (although the comedy is so sharp and off-the-wall that it often seems like it is post-post-modern), Arrested Development continues the brilliant comedic bravura of Seinfeld and David to create something just as inspired and intellectual stimulating, melding various forms of comedy- satire, ribald slapstick, human observation, farce and brilliant wordplay- to forge a genuine original.
Jason Bateman is Michael Bluth, the middle son of a wealthy American family and President of the Bluth Company, until his father and CEO George (Jeffrey Tambor) is arrested for fraud. Michael works hard to fight the charges lobbed against his family and his company by the American Government.
His family is a bizarre collection of the most disturbed, materialistic and unbelievably selfish people you will ever meet: Michael’s mother holds a disturbing hold over her son Buster (Tony Hale), his older brother Gob (Will Arnet) is a obnoxious, failed magician, his sister Lindsay (Portia DeRossi) has married failed actor Tobias (David Cross) whilst Michael’s son George-Michael (Michael Cera) struggles with a crush on his cousin, Maeby.
If this synopsis sounds convoluted or confusing, rest assured the series itself is ingeniously told. United by the brilliant mind of Mitchell Hurwitz, the show benefits from the writing’s considerable wit. The writing brilliantly links all the stories involved, creating overlapping stories which brilliantly converge. Helped by the incisive, sharp narration of series producer Ron Howard, Mitchell Hurwitz’s show is quite edgy and brave, tackling issues like terrorism, corporate fraud, torture, incest, closeted homosexuality and, of course, family dysfunction.
The performances are uniformly terrific. Bateman’s Michael is a brilliant straight man at the centre of these stunningly unhinged situations. The thoughtful, unselfish centre of this seriously unhinged family unit, he shows compassion and often saint-like understanding as he navigates the twisted and convoluted manoeuvrings of his family’s situation, but Bateman and the writers also shade the role with just enough flaws to make the character interesting in his own right.
In any other television show, the rest of the family would be the villains; rude, snide, opportunistic and manipulative, they represent the worst qualities of America’s corporate culture. But the show is not simply a brilliantly scatological satire on American stupidity, it is also an intelligent study of emotional insecurity and modern anxiety. The sitcom shows sympathy for these incredibly vain, selfish people, despite their incredibly selfishness, egotism and decadence, most because so many of their crazy high jinks stem from their desperate need for respect and love. For instance, Gob may be brimming with arrogance and bluster, but Arnet also presents layers of deep psychological trauma and insecurity, as Gob is desperate for the respect and admiration of his younger brother.
But the rest of the characterisations are brilliantly realised as well, especially the cruel and materialistic mother and the stunningly oblivious Tobias as well as a fine collection of guest stars, some very famous (Charlize Theron, Ben Stiller) whilst others brilliant in their obscurity and meta-ness (Rocky’s Carl Weathers and the Fonze himself, Henry Winkler, as the family’s incompetent and quite degenerate lawyer).
