Arrested Development Season 1, Ep. 1 "Pilot"

4.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (933 customer reviews)
Moments after Michael Bluth decides he is leaving the family business because he was passed over for a promotion, his father is arrested for shady bookkeeping.
  • Starring: Jason Bateman, Portia De Rossi
  • Directed by: Anthony Russo, Joe Russo
  • Runtime: 22 minutes
  • Original air date: November 2, 2003
  • Network: FOX
 
 
 
  Amazon Prime now includes unlimited, commercial-free, instant streaming of thousands of movies and TV shows at no additional cost.  
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

Prime Instant Video

Learn more about Amazon Prime

Buy this episode

1-Click® $1.99

Buy Season 1

1-Click® $9.99

Learn more about renting and buying

 
 
 
 
 
 
[Send us Feedback]

Pilot

Have a promotion code? View Balance
Available SeasonsTV:
1234567890
HD TV:
1234567890
Get the Entire Season
You save $33.79
Buy Season 1 with 1-Click® $9.99
 
 
 
 
Watch other Episodes from Season 1
To buy multiple episodes, select the check box on the right and click Buy selected episodes
Buy selected episodes with 1-Click®
 
 
= Titles available with Prime Instant Video
 
  Episode   Original Air Date
Synopsis
      Price  
1. Pilot
  November 2, 2003
Moments after Michael Bluth decides he is leaving the family business because he was passed over for a promotion, his father is arrested for shady bookkeeping.
 
NOW PLAYING
$1.99  
 
2. Top Banana
  November 9, 2003
Michael realizes that running the company isn't going to be as easy as he thought, especially since his father seems to be pulling some strings from inside the joint.
 
$1.99  
 
3. Bringing Up Buster
  November 16, 2003
Buster moves in with Michael after their mother kicks him out of her penthouse and a distraught George-Michael realizes he has to kiss a boy in the school play.
 
$1.99  
 
4. Key Decisions
  November 23, 2003
Jealous when his girlfriend is nominated for a "daytime Desi," Gob decides to stage a publicity stunt for his magic act by breaking out of the same prison where George Sr. is being held.
 
$1.99  
 
5. Visiting Ours
  December 7, 2003
Sex is in the air as Gob seduces his father's former secretary, Lindsay and Tobias go see a marriage counselor, and George Sr. and Lucille have a bizarre conjugal visit.
 
$1.99  
 
6. Charity Drive
  November 30, 2003
Lucille's scheme to upstage her rival, Lucille Austero, at a bachelorette auction backfires when Gob mistakenly bids $10,000 on the wrong Lucille.
 
$1.99  
 
7. My Mother, The Car
  January 2, 2004
If Lindsay is disappointed that none of the inmates yell out obscene catcalls when she visits her father, Lucille is outraged when none of her children show up at her surprise birthday party.
 
$1.99  
 
8. In God We Trust
  December 14, 2003
The family attorney announces that if $20,000 in bail money is raised, George Sr. can be released from prison in time for the Christmas "Living Classics Pageant."
 
$1.99  
 
9. Storming The Castle
  January 4, 2004
Michael is so smitten with Gob's girlfriend that he decides to let her know that Gob has been cheating on her, and Lucille tries to break up Buster and Lucille Austero.
 
$1.99  
 
10. Pier Pressure
  January 11, 2004
When Buster asks George-Michael to score him some marijuana, Michael asks some male "cop" strippers to stage a phony bust to help scare his son straight.
 
$1.99  
 
11. Public Relations
  January 25, 2004
Convinced that the family's image is hurting his son's future, Michael hires an attractive publicist who proceeds to write a scathing article after Michael rebuffs her advances.
 
$1.99  
 
12. Marta Complex
  February 8, 2004
Despite his crush on Marta, Michael agrees to help Gob figure out if she has a new lover while George-Michael tries to figure out his feelings for his cousin Maeby.
 
$1.99  
 
13. Beef Consomme
  February 15, 2004
As Tobias struggles to overcome his nude phobia so he can accept the movie role of "Frightened Inmate #2," Michael, Buster and Gob fight over who gets to go out with Marta.
 
$1.99  
 
14. Shock And Aww
  March 7, 2004
Things get awkward after Michael dates George-Michael's ethics teacher then learns his son has a crush on her.
 
$1.99  
 
15. Staff Infection
  March 14, 2004
After discovering that most of the family picks up weekly paychecks from Bluth Company even though they don?t have jobs, Michael tries to put them all to work.
 
$1.99  
 
16. Missing Kitty
  March 28, 2004
Michael finally stands up to George Sr. and fires his old secretary, and Gob performs the ultimate magic trick when he makes the family yacht disappear.
 
$1.99  
 
17. Altar Egos
  March 17, 2004
While Michael experiences his first one-night stand with a blind woman named Maggie, George Sr. learns that Cindi is actually an undercover agent who has fallen in love with him.
 
$1.99  
 
18. Justice Is Blind
  March 21, 2004
Michael attempts to do the right thing and end his relationship with Maggie, the prosecutor on George Sr.'s case, but sex keeps getting in the way.
 
$1.99  
 
19. Best Man For The Gob
  April 4, 2004
Gob tries to scare a company accountant who notices a discrepancy in the company's bank account and threatens to reveal the truth if asked to testify in court.
 
$1.99  
 
20. Whistler's Mother
  April 11, 2004
When the family begins fighting over company funds that have recently become available, Michael decides it would be best to invest the money in land their Uncle Oscar is selling.
 
$1.99  
 
21. Not Without My Daughter
  April 25, 2004
While Michael is questioned by the police about Kitty's disappearance, Gob takes George-Michael shoplifting at the department store where Lindsey just got a job.
 
$1.99  
 
22. Let Them Eat Cake
  June 6, 2004
After learning that his father is in prison for doing business with the old Iraqi government, Michael decides to wash his hands of the whole family and leave town for good.
 
$1.99  
 
 
 
New to Amazon Instant Video? Watch your videos on the Kindle Fire HD and hundreds of other devices. See how to watch on your computer, tablet, phone and TV.

Enjoy Unlimited Streaming with Prime Instant Video: Stream over 40,000 movies and TV episodes on virtually any TV with compatible streaming devices starting under $100. Shop now.


Customers Who Bought This Item Also Bought


Product Details
Episode 1, "Pilot"
Synopsis: Moments after Michael Bluth decides he is leaving the family business because he was passed over for a promotion, his father is arrested for shady bookkeeping.
Original air date: November 2, 2003
Runtime: 22 minutes
Captions and Subtitles: English
ASIN: B000N2TMKO
Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #13,289 in Movies & TV (See Top 100 in Movies & TV)
Arrested Development Season 1
Synopsis: In this critically acclaimed series, Michael Bluth is forced to help his wildly eccentric family pick up the pieces after its wealthy patriarch is arrested and its assets frozen.
Starring: Jason Bateman, Portia de Rossi
Supporting actors: Will Arnett, Michael Cera, Alia Shawkat, Tony Hale, David Cross, Jeffrey Tambor, Jessica Walter, Liza Minnelli, Patricia Velasquez, B.W. Gonzalez, Bashir Salahuddin, Carl Weathers, Carlos Albert, Ron Howard, Bruno Oliver, Marco Pelaez, Lou Saliba, J.J. Stevens
Season year: 2004
Genre: Comedy
Executive producer: Brad Copeland
Network: FOX
ASIN: B000N2X5CK
Rights & Requirements
Purchase rights: Stream instantly and download to 2 locations. Details
Format: Amazon Instant Video (streaming online video and digital download)

Other Formats and Versions


Customers Who Viewed This Item Also Viewed


Customer Reviews

The best show on network TV I've ever seen. D. Carlson  |  243 reviewers made a similar statement
The cast and characters of this show are great. Chris  |  214 reviewers made a similar statement
My wife and I loved watching every episode together, and can't wait for Season 2. David Velcek  |  136 reviewers made a similar statement
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
306 of 326 people found the following review helpful
5.0 out of 5 stars Where's the 6 stars option? November 8, 2004
By A Fan
Format:DVD|Amazon Verified Purchase
I arrived late to this dance. I don't really have any structure to my TV viewing, other than Sunday nights on HBO. Despite reading positive reviews and hearing accolades for this show I missed the entire broadcast season. What that means to me is that I've just immersed myself in probably the funniest 22 episodes of broadcast comedy ever (that includes Seinfeld and the old Dick Van Dyke show). This first season is chock full of running gags, absurd situations and some of the funniest deadpan dialog deliveries ever recorded on video. It's impossible to single out a cast member because they all make important contributions, even the guys who walk on for a line or two. Watching them in sequence does maintain some continuity of narrative but you'll find yourself returning to some special favorites. The bring your daughter to work episode brings out the absurdity of the whole practice while delivering some of the best laughs of the whole series. BUY THIS!!!
Was this review helpful to you?
58 of 62 people found the following review helpful
5.0 out of 5 stars Best Comedy Emmy - Biggest upset since the Miracle on Ice September 22, 2004
By Burnsy
Format:DVD
Simply put: The best new sitcom to hit the small screen since Curb Your Enthusiasm. This is clearly the best that network television has to offer, a refreshing change from the cookie-cutter "dysfunctional family" or "oversexed pals" sitcoms that have been shoved down our throats for the last decade.

AD features what is, far and away, the most original and imaginiative group of characters in TV history. While credit goes to the creators for that, it is the actors that truly make these characters work. The show is perfectly casted, with Will Arnett (GOB) and David Cross (Tobias) particularly shining. Jason Bateman has revived his career as Michael, best described as the least crazy one.

The poster who compared AD to Malcom in the Middle is off his/her rocker, and those who compare this show to Scrubs do it a great disservice. Scrubs, which I love, doesn't have the same creativity behind its plots; it's also much more jokey. AD is much more subtle and creative - and, in the ultimate compliment to a sitcom - even has shades of Seinfeld, where several plot lines will tie in at the end. Still, the show maintains its own identity, mixing original characters, witty dialogue and sometimes outrageous stories to perfection.

Through only one season, AD has quickly become one of my three favorite shows ever. The DVD is a no-brainer, day-of-release purchase that may even force me to use a vacation day...
Comment | 
Was this review helpful to you?
30 of 32 people found the following review helpful
5.0 out of 5 stars Simply the best. August 31, 2004
By David
Format:DVD
There isn't a series on television (comedy or drama) that surpasses the consistent level of quality achieved by "Arrested Development." A casual viewer can enjoy an episode as a standalone presentation, but loyal (and attentive) fans are rewarded with astoundingly funny story arcs and inside jokes.

For the price, even a simple compilation of the first 22 episodes (without any bonus material) would be a bargain. Instead, we're being treated to a top-notch assortment (16:9 aspect ratio, deleted/extended segments, interviews, commentaries, behind-the-scenes footage and even the ability to listen to 29 original songs by David Schwartz).

For established fans, this is a dream collection. For the uninitiated, this is a golden opportunity to see what you've been missing. Either way, the decision to purchase this DVD set should be a no-brainer.
Comment | 
Was this review helpful to you?
53 of 60 people found the following review helpful
5.0 out of 5 stars Comedic brilliance! August 3, 2004
Format:DVD
Fox finally gets it right for the first time in years and renews a show that deserves all the support it can get. This show can be considered an acquired taste initially, but one could say the same for other classic shows such as Seinfeld and Curb Your Enthusiasm. The pacing and narrative are different from what is typically served up on TV, so it may take some time to adjust to the quirkiness of the show...let it sneak up on you as the episodes progress, and you will be genuinely surprised at how clever and laugh-out-loud funny this show truly is. I just wish Jason Bateman had made the cut for a Best Comedic Actor Emmy, as his work is surprisingly excellent and crucial towards grounding the rest of the loopy family members (all of them great as well) in something resembling reality, unlike the Jack & Karen slapstick nonsense in Will & Grace. Great stuff!
Comment | 
Was this review helpful to you?
31 of 34 people found the following review helpful
5.0 out of 5 stars Life among the rich and stupid January 3, 2005
Format:DVD
As reality TV continues rearing its ugly head on every major network, Arrested Development has arrived at just the right time for those of us itching for something intelligent to come over the airwaves. With corporate malfeasance (rightly or wrongly) assuming so much of the public spotlight over the past several years, Arrested Development casts a light on the people behind such shady goings on, and in this case the picture is not pretty. It's loosely classifiable as a sitcom, but Arrested Development is shot with more of a documentary/reality show style, giving it a distinctive look and feel that you just won't find in most of network TV's decidedly formulaic fare. Not since The Simpsons was in its prime about a decade or so has a show so effortlessly balanced wit, randomness, and unapologetic vulgarity (as of this writing, rumors that The Simpsons is still on have yet to be substantiated).

At the center of everything is Jason Bateman as genial widower Michael Bluth, the one sane member of a wealthy but deeply dysfunctional family, charged with holding it together after his corrupt father's incarceration. It's not easy, as Michael is surrounded by a collection of screwballs the likes of which you can scarcely imagine. Fortunately, the characters on Arrested Development are far more than just zany caricatures; they're all brilliantly drawn and distinctive, aided by some masterful performances from the show's cast. Yes, they're all isolated from reality and toxically self-absorbed, but the Bluth family still manages to come across as sympathetic. Michael's twin sister Lindsay (Portia de Rossi, who rarely fails to make my eyeballs bulge) is a pretentious "liberal activist" whose advocacy of fashionable causes is in sharp contrast to her vanity and terrible parenting.
... Read more ›
Comment | 
Was this review helpful to you?
Most Recent Customer Reviews
3.0 out of 5 stars getting into it.....
a little strange and disjointed, but not a bad show, all in all....

will keep watching it to see what happens.
Published 1 day ago by Richard E. Rooney
5.0 out of 5 stars Arrested development is arresting
It is great entertainment. So many parallels to reality. Are they all on antidepressants? Makes Netflix a value added. Amazing how much time would be taken up by commercials.
Published 1 day ago by pete's dragon
5.0 out of 5 stars One of the most underrated shows
This show was well ahead of its time. I would recommend it to anyone looking for a comedy with jokes that continue throughout each episode.
Published 1 day ago by mtea
4.0 out of 5 stars Quirky and funny
I never watched this show when it was originally on, but I am enjoying watching it with my college-age son.
Published 1 day ago by T. Smith
5.0 out of 5 stars Arrested Development is so quirky and fun!
I cannot imagine how this show will be if it returns. I never watched when it originally aired - looking forward to watching the other seasons.
Published 1 day ago by Jane
5.0 out of 5 stars Awesome show
Love the humor and the actors are great. Watched two episodes and was totally hooked. You can find the last session on netflix if you don't want to buy it on amazon.
Published 1 day ago by Joshua Schroeder
5.0 out of 5 stars Love It
Would recommend highly. If you love to laugh, this is the series to watch. Can't wait to see Season two.
Published 1 day ago by Grace Centonzo Parker
5.0 out of 5 stars So glad to have all the episodes available
I want to make sure I see all of the episodes of this show. I tried watching it when it was on TV and couldn't get into the show, but clearly my sensibilities have changed because... Read more
Published 2 days ago by Candice W. Myers
5.0 out of 5 stars Why did this show get canceled.
Love this show. I can't believe it was not continued. Must have been the mood of the nation. It was too sarcastic for them. The wit and timing of the characters is great.
Published 2 days ago by Tracy Isacco
5.0 out of 5 stars Before its time
This whole show was way before its time. If it came out now, it would not have been cancelled. Definitely worth the watch.
Published 2 days ago by Lex
Search Customer Reviews
Only search this product's reviews

Production Stills
  • Production Stills:

Get photos, fun facts, and filmographies for Arrested Development from The Internet Movie Database, the biggest and best movie and TV site on the planet.
By placing your order, you agree to our Terms of Use  Sold by Amazon Digital Services, Inc.  Additional taxes may apply.