Product Details

• Actors: Jason Bateman, Portia de Rossi, Will Arnett, Michael Cera, Alia Shawkat
• Directors: Anthony Russo, Greg Mottola, Jay Chandrasekhar, Joe Russo, John Fortenberry
• Writers: Abraham Higginbotham
• Format: Box set, Closed-captioned, Color, Dolby, Dubbed, DVD, Subtitled, Widescreen, NTSC
• Language: English (Dolby Digital 2.0 Surround)
• Subtitles: English, Spanish, French
• Region: Region 1 (U.S. and Canada only. Read more about DVD formats.)
  
• Aspect Ratio: 1.78:1
• Number of discs: 3
• Rating: NR (Not Rated)
• Studio: 20th Century Fox
• DVD Release Date: October 19, 2004
• Run Time: 512 minutes
• Average Customer Review: 4.9 out of 5 stars See all reviews (433 customer reviews)
• ASIN: B0002PYS7Y
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #756 in Movies & TV (See Bestsellers in Movies & TV)

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  #1 in	Movies & TV > Comedy > Series & Sequels > Arrested Development
  #7 in	Movies & TV > Comedy > Domestic Comedies
  #20 in	Movies & TV > Television > Funny Families

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com
Winner of the Outstanding Comedy Series Emmy its first year out, Arrested Development is the kind of sitcom that gives you hope for television. A mockumentary-style exploration of the beleaguered Bluth family, it's one of those idiosyncratic shows that doesn't rely on a laugh track or a studio audience; it's shot more like a TV drama, albeit with an omniscient narrator (executive producer Ron Howard) overseeing the proceedings. Holding the Bluths together just barely is son Michael Bluth (Jason Bateman), the only normal guy in a family that's chock full of nuts. Hardworking and sensible, Michael's certain he's going to be given control of his family's Enron-style corporation upon the retirement of his father (Jeffrey Tambor). The fact that he's passed over instead for his mother (Jessica Walter) is only a blip when compared to his father's immediate arrest for dubious accounting practices, and the resulting freeze on the family's previously limitless wealth.

Bereft of money, and even less family love, the Bluths have to band together in their moment of need--not easy when everyone's looking out for number 1. In addition to his scabrous parents, Michael has to contend with his lothario older brother (Will Arnett), his basically useless younger brother (Tony Hale), his greedy twin sister (Portia DeRossi), and her sexually ambiguous husband (David Cross). Michael's only comrade in sanity is his son George Michael (Michael Cera), but then again, the teenage boy harbors a secret crush on his cousin (Alia Shawkat). A peerless ensemble led by the brilliant Bateman (who ever knew he could be this good?), all the actors are pitch-perfect in their roles, delivering the dryly funny, sometimes absurdist dialogue with the speed and flair of classic farce. The unusual tone of Arrested Development takes a bit of getting used to--it's far different from anything you'll see on TV, even HBO--but once you buy in to the Bluths' innumerable dysfunctions, you'll be laughing your head off for hours.--Mark Englehart

Product Description
Studio: Tcfhe Release Date: 08/05/2008

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

236 of 250 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Where's the 6 stars option?, November 8, 2004

By	A Fan (Chicago) - See all my reviews

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!!!

48 of 51 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 "I like stuff" (Boston, MA) - See all my reviews

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...

48 of 53 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Comedic brilliance!, August 3, 2004

By	J. Allen "supreme time waster" (Lost in Austin) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

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!