Arrest your expectations!

I first started watching Arrested Development 2 years after its 3rd and final series had wrapped up. I'd read in passing about what a great show it was, glimpsed at occasional snippets calling it "The greatest sitcom of all time" in various magazines and dismissed the claims as 'hyperbolic flavor of the month', since many magazines (Who shall remain nameless) tend to crassly over-exaggerate for the sake of it. (Empire). Still, eventually my curiosity got the better of me and I hastily picked up a copy of the first series and....was underwhelmed.

I went in not only with high expectations and with a certain degree of anxiety, after all, I'd purchased this on a whim. Obviously there were things about it I liked straight away (Gob!), but I went into it trying too hard to enjoy it and came out of the first series wondering what all the fuss was about. So, I watched the series again, somewhat indifferent this time and low and behold I loved it. I'd become familiar with the series' style, tone and quirky characterisation on first viewing and subconsciously adjusted to it. By my second viewing I became immersed in it, now familiar with the characters and their relationships, by the time I'd finished season one again I was ready for series 2.

When I'd finished series 2 it was already my favourite show of all time.

I get far too involved when it comes to writing synopsis so I'd advise you just Google the show and read the Wiki page. Still, it's a sitcom with fabulous writing and an even better cast that includes Jason Bateman, Will Arnett, Jessica Walter, Michael Cera and Jefferey Tambor. Combine this with an array of brilliant cameos, some ingenious satire, insider gags and a format which rewards those paying attention and you've got yourself one great show. It's just a shame nobody noticed until it was too late.

Arrested Development never caught on with the greater masses, getting lost in the shuffle  and eventually getting cancelled, ending its run in 2006, god knows, those increasingly smug Seth Macfarlane projects aren't gonna watch themselves.

Hey Lois, remember the time this show was funny?

 Sour grapes aside, it was always a crying shame that the show ended so soon. Still the show developed a strong cult following (Every show has one of them these days, but that's a rant for another day) and fans continued to champion it every chance they got (Myself included) and campaigned for the increasingly unlikely forth series.

So nobody was as happy as I was when the show finally did get a renewal. After years of deliberation, rumblings of a movie and a few fan documentaries, Netflix renewed the series (Originally for 10 episodes, later extended to 15) for its much deserved forth season and I was excited.....for a while.

That same trepidation that I'd experienced the first time around was back again, only this time it was perhaps worse. Alarm bells began ringing when Mitch Hurwitz and Jason Bateman confirmed that due to scheduling conflicts amongst the cast each episode would focus on an individual character rather than concentrating on the family as a unit.(Due to the last-minute shooting and scheduling conflicts of the cast) Arrested Development is a show that adheres to that time tested comedy trope, the dysfunctional family. Ironically, the cast were far removed from their dysfunctional, offbeat counterparts that they operated a lot like a real family on set, which allowed their performances (Specifically timing and improvisation) to shine through on screen. To move them away from each other on screen would be (As Gob often so astutely puts it) a huge mistake. The Bluth family are the heart of Arrested Development and so much of the comedy emanates from the characters interactions with each other and some characters, enjoyable as they are, wouldn't be able to carry an entire episode. (I mean was anybody really clamouring for a Maebe episode?).

Then of course there was the worry that the show had ended at just the right time, despite the unfortunate circumstances. Would a renewal beat the old, great jokes into the ground, would we the audience become tired of those characters we knew and loved?

Well, of the fifteen new episodes I've watched 8 of them and here are my thoughts so far.

Hmmmm.

Aesthetically, the show is as familiar, yet fresh as it always was, even the ad breaks are still in tact. (Netflix has no advertisements). In fact the shows aesthetics are so similar, it felt in some ways like it had never left. The cast (Aside from a strangely bird-like Michael Cera) don't look like they've aged all that much and all of them gamely fit back into their beloved characters and it's great to see them back. Hell, I even enjoyed seeing/hearing Ron Howard return. All the old favourite bit-part players are back too (Carl Weathers!) as well as some new faces, some more welcome then others. (Get to that later). So far so good right?!

Without a doubt the shows biggest strength is also its biggest weakness and that's the writing. Firstly shows now run between 30 to 35 minutes, that's an extra ten to fifteen minutes per episode meaning there's a lot of fat and some of the episodes really suffer. That's not to say that these extra minutes are joyless, however the pacing suffers and despite the extra time, it seems the writers are cramming in way too much plot and exposition.

Then of course there's the new format, giving nearly every character his or her own episode. The hook of course is that each characters story is running parallel to the others and there are points where their adventures overlap and characters bump into each other. When this happens, the exchanges are as gold as ever, it's just a shame they don't happen enough.


Oh and those new faces I was talking about earlier, it seems Arrested Development has its share of celebrity fans too as there are a TON of new famous faces who are obviously having a ball with the material. With that said, not all of them fit in with the show (Seth Rogen and Kristen Wiig give it their best efforts but stick out like sore thumbs) and the parade of cameos can be a bit much at times. With that said the always game Terry Crews and Ron Howard (Yes the same) are more than welcome additions.

Kristen Wiig and Seth Rogen as a younger Lucille and George Sr.

What's important though is that AD is back and that's something even the most cynical, hard to please fan should be happy about. (After all, they're likely the ones who campaigned for its return). As I said, the writing may be the new series' biggest weakness, but it is also its greatest strength.The non-linear series narrative (though over complicated at times) and character crossovers have been so well crafted that even the biggest critics will have to admire the boldness of the new format and the care that has gone into scripting it. These over-scripted sequences may have sacrificed some of the inspired  improvisations between the cast but it lends itself to the self-referential gags and Easter eggs that make re watching the original series such a pleasure.

The early episodes of the season 4 are perhaps the hardest to get through, but stick with it and you'll start to appreciate how clever the writing actually is, as gags start to gain context and the story begins to fit together. Like a complicated puzzle, you'll get off to an slow start but dammit, it's  rewarding as it comes together.

Of course, I'm only halfway through the season and I can't give a 100% accurate verdict on this series but I can leave you with some advice. Just sit back and enjoy it. No, it's not the Arrested Development you're used to, not entirely, but then on its first run, was it like the rest of those sitcoms you knew and loved? No. But we loved it for what it was, not for what it wasn't. More importantly, if this series does well (And I see no reason why it won't), there's no way this will be the end for the Bluth family, I mean every season ends on a cliffhanger right? And whose to say that if we do get the long awaited movie, or indeed a fifth season that we'll see a return to the more traditional series with full commitment by the cast.

Show your support for Arrested Development and Netflix (The unsung hero of this story) by watching this new series and watch it neutrally. Don't bog yourself down with the viewpoints of others (Except mine) or a set of expectations, judge it on its own merits, as a new and ambitious entry into the Arrested Development canon and enjoy.

A lot can happen in a year.

So I'm back, after a year’s absence I've decided to update this damned thing. Lots to tell? Maybe. Interested? Unlikely. In all seriousness the past year has been an interesting one, and personally one of the best years of my life, I can only hope that whatever awaits me around the corner will be as exciting and rewarding as the experience I had in my final year at University.




Although writing a blog entry on me would be both easy and damn enjoyable for someone as self-absorbed as yours truly, this is not why I decided to return to the blog.

I go to the gym; it's one of my hobbies. Most gyms screen music channels so to encourage and motivate those using the facilities to train that extra bit more, sounds stupid, it is, but it works. Not my gym though, no, we get BBC News 24. I don't follow the news, personally it depresses me and, being a depressive, cynical so and so by nature I try not to encourage these thought processes. Still, over the last 3 months I've been paying slightly more attention.

Tabloids such as News of the World have been accused of, among other shenanigans hacking into the phones of various individuals, including victims of the 7/7 bombings, relatives of British soldiers fighting overseas and Katie Price. Granted, I don't know all the facts and I'm too lazy to take my research beyond the much maligned Wikipedia and what I see on the news everyday but there's something about the situation that really bothers me.

I love how fickle the public can be, it would perhaps be unfair to blame the British public specifically but it is they who I have been most exposed to. Whether it's the News of the World, The Daily Star or, my personal favourite, The Sun, it seems that the public will lap up any story fed to them, believe it and spread it willingly as gospel, no matter how dubious or hurtful it might be. More often than not, these stories are best received when they are at the expense of a celebrity.

First world celebrity culture is another one of my main gripes. There are celebrities out there who actually have talent, who have achieved the level of celebrity by setting themselves apart from everybody else and showcasing their talents. Then there are those who exist solely in the tabloid solar system, people who achieve fame and fortune almost exclusively through tabloid journalism and magazines aimed at a predominant female demographic. Even sadder is that some of these celebrities were once talented individuals who went out and achieved something but have since fallen from grace.

It saddens me greatly that in 2011, publications such as The Sun and The Daily Star are able to not only exist but thrive within our culture, the blame however cannot rest at the feet of the editors and 'journalists' behind these publications but instead with the British public who happily spend money out of their own pockets to not only keep the papers alive but those working for them rich and successful. How then, does this tie into the recent phone hacking scandal.

As I mentioned before, tabloids such as The Sun thrive off spiteful journalism, exploitation and heckling those who are on the verge of self-destructing with a sadistic voyeurism and glee. It has proved a recipe for success. However, when the means to these horrifying ends are exposed as underhanded, the world goes up in arms and labels the papers reprehensible.




"Say What?!"


Say what indeed. Still, this didn't really strike a nerve until 2 weeks ago by the unfortunate news that Amy Winehouse had died at the age of 27. I got some flak for this at the time, but it is an opinion I still believe has some truth to it and I'm going to share it with you all again now. Amy Winehouse is not a role model, should not be looked up to by future generations and should not be heralded as a national treasure.

Young Amy was admittedly a talented (very) young lady who wrote and performed some great music, she was certainly unique and I was, in fact a fan. Of her music. Personal demons plagued her throughout her career and she was, no doubt a troubled young woman, her personal life, drugs and alcohol problems span out of control so fast that it was amazing she stayed alive as long as she did. All this by the way, was played out for the world to see and brought to you in colour by the British press.




For years this went on, story after story of a woman whose life was spinning out of control, a woman who desperately needed help and support. She received none; the public of course, lapped up stories like this and apparently enjoyed watching someone’s life tailspin before their eyes. So when young Amy finally reaches ground zero, the public mourn, the same public who sat by and watched laughed at her expense and sat around doing nothing suddenly are in mourning, and what do the papers say.



Well I don't have an image for this, but let's just say there was an abrupt about face, urging the public to sympathise with her family and remember what great talent she had, both factors which were seldom discussed when she was actually alive. The sad truth is Amy's star fell long ago into that aforementioned tabloid solar system where a star's life is played out in a bricolage of scandal, shame and disgrace. Was she talented? Very much so. Should she be remembered as an icon or national treasure? Certainly not.

I'm sure there will be those who do not agree with me and think I am being rather callous, that is of course fine but the fact remains, she is dead and we all sat by and watched and what's more, it will happen again.

I told you the news brings out the depressive cynic in me.