Arrested Development... is it good?

[Zeze]

One of those shows I've heard about it endlessly for nearly a decade but never actually paid attention to it.

I just went to wiki and it had 3 seasons from '03-'06 and fourth season is back just this year.

Should I watch it? What's so special about it- did it age well?

 

[Anubis]

IMO not worth watching but everyone is different and many like it

 

[etrigan420]

The originals were *awesome*. Some of the best writing on TV...ever.

I have yet to finish the fourth season. It just seems like more of the same, which feels a little stale now.

It's still funny, but not "there's money in the banana stand" funny.

 

[PottedMeat]

it's decent. i catch a few episodes on IFC 'the arrested development rerun' channel when they're on.

 

[Platypus]

first 3 seasons were pretty good but not as good as people portray in my opinion. It's a well written, smart show but people overhype it.

the newest one is kinda sad, it had a few funny moments in a sea of mediocrity and 'hey remember when?' flashback moments to previously funny jokes.

 

[rivan]

The originals were *awesome*. Some of the best writing on TV...ever.

I have yet to finish the fourth season. It just seems like more of the same, which feels a little stale now.

It's still funny, but not "there's money in the banana stand" funny.

I think the older episodes are positively brilliant. SO many layered jokes and running gags.

The newer season I'm less impressed with; I'm not sure if it's more of the same and feels stale or if it's just not what it used to be.

 

[olds]

No, it's pretty horrible

 

[vshah]

the newer one, focusing on one character as a time, misses out on the awesome dialog between the family in the first 3 seasons.

 

[Zeze]

What's the show actually like?

Is it quirky deadpan funny like Big Bang Theory? (the show's not funny to me, but asking about the style).

Or is it tame funny like Seinfield?

Or is it raunchy like Family Guy?

 

[Nemesis13]

the newer one, focusing on one character as a time, misses out on the awesome dialog between the family in the first 3 seasons.

THIS

 

[etrigan420]

What's the show actually like?

Is it quirky deadpan funny like Big Bang Theory? (the show's not funny to me, but asking about the style).

Or is it tame funny like Seinfield?

Or is it raunchy like Family Guy?

Of those 3, more Seinfeld. The episodes tie into each other *very* intricately, so you kind of have to watch the series from the beginning to get the full enjoyment out of it.

It's like a string of inside jokes, that you're in on.

 

[KeithTalent]

One of my favourites of all time, but my sense of humour seems to be divergent from many on ATOT.

KT

 

[Broheim]

it's funny as hell, haven't finished season 4 yet but the originals are great.

Buster cracks me up and you just feel so sorry for Micheal.

 

[AmdEmAll]

One of the best shows to ever grace us with its presence. Stop asking and just watch.

 

[Arcadio]

It's one of the funniest shows I've ever watched, but it's not for everyone.

 

[BW86]

It's not good - it's great.

 

[CraigRT]

Incredible show.
Love the first 3 seasons and some of the 4th. You should watch it all, but the first 3 are best.

 

[darkswordsman17]

Its not really like any of those. Its pretty unique. If you've seen Curb Your Enthusiasm or I guess the Office kinda, there's a bunch of those awkward situations like that, but its really only like 1/4 of what the appeal of the show is.

I think it will depend most on you being able to stand some of the issues the show had. Personally I can't really stand Jason Bateman or Michael Cera, although they work good as a father son thing and the characters they play (you know the same ones they play in everything they're in...) work as a foil to the rest of the group. There's also a lot of recurring "jokes" (as in they use the exact same thing over and over and over and over), and they also like to reference stuff and then have the narrator come out and tell you in case you missed it the first 50 times. Some that is great, some of it got really old, especially if you binge watch it.

first 3 seasons were pretty good but not as good as people portray in my opinion. It's a well written, smart show but people overhype it.

the newest one is kinda sad, it had a few funny moments in a sea of mediocrity and 'hey remember when?' flashback moments to previously funny jokes.

This.

 

[KeithTalent]

KT

 

[BrokenVisage]

As others have said it's not as good/funny as people make it out to be, but I recognize the awesomeness of David Cross.

 

[soulcougher73]

The first 2 seasons are absolutely great. The partial 3rd season was crap. Im only 3 episodes into the new 4th season but so far its not been very funny

 

[Markbnj]

the newest one is kinda sad, it had a few funny moments in a sea of mediocrity and 'hey remember when?' flashback moments to previously funny jokes.

I loved the original series. Some truly outstandingly funny bits. I've watched most of season 4 now, and I'm pretty close to agreeing with the above opinion. There have been a couple of chuckles, but not one downright funny scene so far in the whole thing. The writing just doesn't have the snap, and they're relying too much on slapstick and Ron Howard's narration. Standing on its own I don't think this show would make it to a second season, and that's too bad. I guess you really can't go back again.

 

[Platypus]

I loved the original series. Some truly outstandingly funny bits. I've watched most of season 4 now, and I'm pretty close to agreeing with the above opinion. There have been a couple of chuckles, but not one downright funny scene so far in the whole thing. The writing just doesn't have the snap, and they're relying too much on slapstick and Ron Howard's narration. Standing on its own I don't think this show would make it to a second season, and that's too bad. I guess you really can't go back again.

Spoiler

the bit with tobias constantly being busted by diff people for impersonating the thing was the only thing that got a genuine laugh from me; specifically the bum passed out on him near the dumpster

 

[thestrangebrew1]

I haven't seen the newer episodes but the original ones were funny as hell IMO. You have to pay attention because the funny stuff is in tiny spurts all throughout each episode. And the family dynamic is hard to make out unless you've seen it from the beginning. It was great when originally aired, but not I'm not so sure now.

 

[Printer Bandit]

never nude.