Arrested Development - Season 1 [DVD]

RRP: £34.99
Our Price: £16.99 (subject to change)

Editorial
Amazon.co.uk Review

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. Barely holding the Bluths together is son Michael (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 harbours a secret crush on his cousin (Alia Shawkat). A peerless ensemble led by the brilliant Bateman (who 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--but once you buy in to the Bluths' innumerable dysfunctions, you'll be laughing your head off for hours. --Mark Englehart

Just buy it
Review date: 2010-05-19 Rating: 10 out of 10

The amount of gushing reviews for this show might not warrant a second look from most people given the amount of 4-5 star reviews you can see during a brief browse of Amazon. Big mistake; Arrested Development is easily one of the funniest programmes I've ever seen. America produces great drama and Britain great comedy but this is the exception to that usually solid rule. Shot in an almost documentary style and deviod of a laugh track, the jokes come thick and fast and are of consistently high quality. You should by all rights hate half the characters but they're so brilliantly played, and more importantly funny, that all their flaws and questionable traits become assets to the show and it's hard to pick a favourite. Most new shows take a while to get going but at the end of the first season, the only episodes you'll be picking out are the highlights rather than the duds.

There are more comprehensive reviews on here so I kept this one brief, but needless to say if you're a fan of good comedy and are wondering if the hype is justified, it is. Series 2 and 3 are also must buys, but you'll likely not need telling that a few episodes into this set.

Reviews

Brilliant, endearing and very funny indeed!
Review date: 2010-02-17 Rating: 10 out of 10

This a sweet series with an excellent cast of characters, wonderful comedy performances and an excellent script. It grows on you more and more as the characters become increasingly endearing and get with the, often silly, humour. Quite simply it is extremely funny and highly underrated.

I hear this was cancelled to make more room in the TV schedule for the hack that is Seth Mcfarlane to make more Family Guy clones- an absolute disgrace, unbelievable that a show of this quality should be cancelled. Especially for tripe like the Cleveland Show which has absolutely nothing about it. Buy the series and you'll agree, this should still be going!

Now, that's a Sitcom.
Review date: 2009-10-31 Rating: 10 out of 10

the cool thing about AD is that If you pay attention, the show gets even better. The Writing, the acting, the music... everything is perfect. This show was cancelled for being too smart... that's the best award you can receive... I feel bad for the cast and crew of course... but that means that they where doing the right thing, the non-comercial thing. No Laugh track, no easy jokes. pure genius.

Jason Bateman is awesome, but the interactions with the rest of the cast is what makes this series a Masterpiece. I wish more people new about this show here in Europe.

Two Words: Inside Jokes. You have to pay attention because there are jokes inside jokes inside jokes.

Arrested Development is the real American equivalent of The Office. Not because they are similar (maybe the documentary style camera work) but because they define this decade! this is how all sitcoms should be!

There are good extras, no great, but the audio commentary alone is priceless.

I'm really looking forward to seeing the AD Movie. In the Meantime let's enjoy three wonderful seasons of pure magic. not a trick, a trick is what a whore does for money... as GOB (WIll Arnett) said in episode one of the series.

This is a MUST HAVE PERIOD

As good now as it was when it first came out
Review date: 2009-10-07 Rating: 10 out of 10

Ok, I admit, Its taken me this long to buy the DVD's, the impending AD movie (2010), made me finally buy them and I'm really glad I did, I've been glued to the TV ever since.

First things first, this show isnt for everyone, the jokes arent pitched up by one character so that the others can knock them out of the park with a hilarious (if somewhat obvious) punchline or a Chandler-esque one-liner which is endemic of many sitcoms. The humour can be quite subtle in places, in other places just plain off the wall but if you manage to get in tune with this show then every episode will have you crying with laughter.

The humour comes thick and fast with lots of cut aways and scene switching and sometimes you'll find yourself having to rewind what you missed because you were laughing too hard.

The story line and characters sometimes can occasionally come accross as far fetched, but then no more far fetched than a lot of shows on TV, the difference being that AD highlights the dysfunction of the characters and has based the plot around it, rather than having dysfunctional characters in normal situations.

In short, if you like fast paced, quirky humour that has an edge, then you will love this. If you prefer your shows to be a bit more obvious with plenty of canned laughter telling you when you are supposed to laugh, then this probably isnt your bag.

Excellent
Review date: 2009-09-21 Rating: 10 out of 10

Caught this late on BBC2 a few years ago and was hooked immediately Ok some people with no sense of humour have dismissed it but its a cracking DVD...God knows why they cancelled the series in the US and kept that god awful Heroes on...madness!!

Product Details/Specifications

Actor(s):
Jason Bateman
Portia De Rossi
Will Arnett
Michael Cera

Creators:
Jason Bateman (Primary Contributor)
Portia De Rossi (Primary Contributor)

Recording label: 20th Century Fox Home Entertainment
Manufacturer: 20th Century Fox Home Entertainment
EAN: 5039036019699
Binding: DVD
Number of items: 3
Format: Box set, PAL, Widescreen,
Release date: 2005-03-21
Aspect ratio: 16:9 - 1.78:1
Audience rating: Suitable for 15 years and over
Region code: 2
Running time: 529 minutes
Language: English (Subtitles For The Hearing Impaired)
Language: Swedish (Subtitled)
Language: English (Original Language)