It’s been a very exciting week for fans of “Arrested Development” – while most were convinced that the show was over for good after its fourth season, it will apparently run for another one, as it’s been renewed for a full 17-episode fifth season. We don’t know any specific details about the new episodes yet, and a lot could happen with the show over those 17 episodes, but it’s definitely shaping up to be a very exciting period for fans of the series.
The show has been in a strange position ever since its apparent cancellation after season 3, and its subsequent revival – it never really had a huge fan base, but the few fans it does have were always loyal to the production and usually very excited to hear news about it. Its low ratings were the reason to get it cancelled before, and its producers seem convinced that it can do better this time.
The last season of the show took a strange new direction for its writing and production, but it was well-received by most fans in the end. Most of them did note that the season felt somehow “off” though, and according to many fans, it would be better if the show went back to the style of the first three seasons for the new one.
On the other hand, the comedy style used in “Arrested Development” has always been unique, and it relies on inside jokes almost entirely. This makes it hard to get into the show in the middle of it, as that would usually result in missing the majority of the jokes used in every episode, while a fan who’s been following since the beginning will probably be bent over laughing.
That could have attributed to the show’s poor ratings before, as it probably had a hard time attracting new viewers after it had already started. However, fans seem to agree that this doesn’t necessarily have to change if the show wants to remain successful. Rather, the producers just need to focus on finding something that more people can relate to, and focusing on the same general style of humor that got people attracted to the show in the first place. Inside jokes are great but they can also be executed in a way that doesn’t leave anyone out.
In the end, most people are just happy to see that a new season of “Arrested Development” is coming up in the first place, and even though we don’t know when it will be ready yet, it should be worth the wait once it’s been finished. And who knows, maybe it won’t even be the last after all!