Was Arrested Development Ahead of the Curve?

Рет қаралды 9,548

Күн бұрын

Alternate title: How We (Can't) Watch Old TV
I should also clarify that this video was written with the show's initial run in mind. That's not to say that what I raise only applies to seasons one through three - just that these were the parts of the show I focused on here, for reasons I expect are obvious.
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Works cited:
Skip Intro - • How ARRESTED DEVELOPME...
Drew Gooden - • How (Not) To Revive A ...
Ron Howard interview - • Ron Howard talks about...
screenrant.com/arrested-devel...
www.rollingstone.com/tv-movie...
www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn...
web.archive.org/web/202011170...
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Timestamps
0:00 Ahead
5:13 2043
6:22 The Curve
10:14 Resolution
#arresteddevelopment #videoessay #sitcom
Arrested Development is an American television sitcom created by Mitchell Hurwitz. It aired on Fox for three seasons from November 2, 2003, to February 10, 2006, followed by two seasons on Netflix, season four being released in 2013 and season five being released in 2018 and 2019. Main characters include Michael, Buster, Lindsay, George, Oscar, George Michael, and Lucille Bluth, as well as Tobias and Maeby Funke.

Пікірлер: 59

@PillarofGarbage 5 ай бұрын

Smuggle me some Krugerrands on Patreon: www.patreon.com/pillarofgarbage (P.S. Please note, I wrote this video with S1-3 in mind, as most tend to delineate the original run from the revival seasons - but some of this does apply to those also!)

@MaxMiller94 5 ай бұрын

The Iraq era references in AD hit even harder for me now, knowing how all of it turned out. Those moments were comedic in 2003, but they're tragic now.

@trinaq 5 ай бұрын

It's hard to watch this show in this same way nowadays, knowing how Jessica Walter was verbally harassed by Jeffrey Tambor behind the scenes, yet none of the cast members stuck up for her.

@mariannedarrow7227 5 ай бұрын

That is bad, didn't know about that.

@Revmped 5 ай бұрын

Boo hoo

@cassiedevereaux-smith3890 5 ай бұрын

@@mariannedarrow7227Not only 'didn't speak up' but actively covered for him.

@mandalorianhunter1 5 ай бұрын

And it's sad she passed away, I didn't know that

@yggdrasil2 5 ай бұрын

I think that "only" happened during the revival seasons, and it's not clear how much everyone else in the cast knew about, since everyone was busy with other projects and sometimes only met the other actors a few times during the shoot.

@greayworks7232 5 ай бұрын

I think one of the reasons the first 3 Arrested Development seasons are so funny is because it's such a funny time capsule of early 2000 American politics, it couldn't really be made today (no I'm not saying because of woke stuff) because it is so specific to the Bush administration.

@davdia 5 ай бұрын

I was one of the original fans of the show, and two things stood out for me from the very start: the writing is tight and doesn't look down at the audience (something even The Office fails with occasionally), and the casting and acting was extraordinary. When those two intersect, the staying power becomes amazing no matter how it fit in at the time. The classic examples of this are usually the Coen Brothers, but this series specifically is one of those flash in the pans.

@jordansweet8054 5 ай бұрын

I love that Dwight Gooden video you mentioned. You make some great points.I'm 25 and discovered the show on Netflix so I think it is dated in ways but also not. It probably doesn't hold up as well as Community over all but it's a modern classic and a favorite of mine. I'd love to see you cover the show more. Maybe why it's use of guest stars was really processive. Also, The Russo brothers helping create 2 of the greatest sitcoms in modern history and 4 of the best comic book movies ever. I just love it!

@letsgetbeans5076 5 ай бұрын

and that's why you always leave a like - J. Walter Weatherman

@zyaicob 5 ай бұрын

When you quoted Skip Intro and Drew I got war flashbacks from the Hbomb video

@starfallclockworkcrow4295 5 ай бұрын

I love this show! as a member of "gen z" I love the political satrie of the show the bush administration and the genrel war on terror was a faninateing time that in the grand scheme of things wasn't too long ago. I wasn't there to see it and due too it a lot of houmur was lost on me the first few views but after learning more bout the early 2000s I understood it clearly and a ton of the stuff still strikes a cord with me when reflecting on modern politics. the imperialism of US neoliberalism still goes on and even if the specifics are lost the heart of arressteds politics are still alive.

@MaggiDaC 3 ай бұрын

So true -- we can enjoy art from past times and get a glimpse of How Things Were Then, but not in the way they could be understood in their own time. Enjoyed this essay

@MrGruzefix 5 ай бұрын

Woooh, sources and credits for other peoples work being properly referenced and used to further your own work, rather than just being used verbatim? Writing your own ideas down in your own words? Insane. Quickly, someone tell James Somerton! This must be some new technique he can copy!

@agenerichuman 5 ай бұрын

It was ahead of the curve in that it serialized a sitcom during a time when that was rarely done (though I'll always argue it's fundamentally a soap opera but filmed like a sitcom and a lot of praise the show gets could (funnily enough) be thanks the structure of soaps. I watched it recently and had forgotten just how dated the jokes were. It was such a product of its time in that most all the jokes require you lived back then. Though there's also the obvious issue with how shockingly offensive some jokes that no one questioned at the time but modern audiences would cringe.

@agenerichuman 5 ай бұрын

Great video btw. Most people miss the duality of the show being both a trendsetter and a follower. It was rooted in it's time and looking forward from that time.

@mariannedarrow7227 5 ай бұрын

The first episode I ever saw I thought was really annoying, but then it got me hooked and I thought it was amazing! It definitely stands the test of time.

@MxCorvid 5 ай бұрын

This was a great video, and it made me wonder, was Arrested Development ever rerun on the networks? That's the only way I could think that people in the aughties would have been expected to catch the many layers of humor it's now easy to review immediately with streaming (other than buying it as a physical copy, which might also have been possible, but would have also been relevant to less viewers).

@PillarofGarbage 5 ай бұрын

A good question. I don’t _think_ so? A quick google says MSN bought the rerun rights, rather than any more conventional TV network, in an early attempt at cultivating online a library of online programming.

@shotinsarajevo 4 ай бұрын

It was re-run on FOX, the network that aired it, as most network shows would be between seasons so people could "catch up" if they missed an episode. But mostly we binged it on DVD.

@plaidan 5 ай бұрын

as a zoomer who watched Arrested on Netflix, you were exactly on the mark. although i appreciated the layered humour, i did miss most of its political nuance

@phrankyou 5 ай бұрын

I don’t think back on Arrested Development as particularly tied to its time. It did reference the times often, but all the best bits, even the ones that aren’t memes, come from just being funny. Consider the American late night talk shows or stand-up sets or whatever. Arrested Development is way less topical. I think it’ll hold up.

@stuartdenton8537 5 ай бұрын

At the peak of our watching it at uni, my housemate kept letting a random street cat in and feeding it. We didn't know its gender, so called it Maeby...

@dogbreathTK 5 ай бұрын

Your videos are criminally under viewed

@live2play56 5 ай бұрын

Isn't this... how all media from the past works? Yeah, the specific things they were talking about may not be relevant or even known about by modern audiences, but the themes, lessons, and human experience of it all should be able to shine through. Arrested Development isn't unique in this regard. You don't have to have lived through something to relate to it. I wasn't around for World War II but I can still understand the impacts it had on people and the world at large through media depicting it. I dunno, this whole video kinda feels like a "yeah, duh... what's your point?" sort of reaction to me. And I generally like your takes on stuff.

@PillarofGarbage 5 ай бұрын

That's fair. I did want to explore that general difficulty of accessing media from the past, and the strange identity the show's developed as something that's both ahead of its time and very clearly _of_ its time made it an interesting candidate to do that with. I did have that 'so what?' thought myself while writing, but I thought I'd answered that with the conclusion - the idea that a satire of patterns & the layeredness of meaning that results from its uniquely cluttered/rewatchable construction _do_ push Arrested Development's relationship with its time & ours to a more specific place than is maybe typical for a sitcom seemed a strong enough point to write around. I'm sorry if it didn't work for you.

@live2play56 5 ай бұрын

@@PillarofGarbage You’re alright. It’s probably worth mentioning that I haven’t really watched Arrested Development. I tried the first couple episodes years ago but I guess it didn’t grab me at the time. So maybe for someone that has watched it and has that nostalgia for it, your video has more specific meaning. Without the context, for me a lot of your points just felt like common sense, basic media literacy. But that’s not a bad thing, highlighting those ideas with AD as your example wasn’t a bad choice or anything. Not everyone gets or thinks about how they engage with media in this way, so presenting it like you did makes sense. I also may have just been in a more cynical mood when I watched the video and made the comment so *shrug*

@zappernapper 5 ай бұрын

On the layering topic: Arrested Development was a show you had to actually pay attention to in order to get most of the jokes the first time around. If you only half watch the show, you'll never get why a callback later on is so funny

@bernardcornellisvanmeijere4375 5 ай бұрын

Oh new PoG video, nice!

@ITSMeatMan 5 ай бұрын

Only Murders In The Building is an early 20s show not a late 2010s show. Great video!

@PillarofGarbage 5 ай бұрын

You’re right, for some reason I thought season 1 premiered in 2019. Thanks for the correction!

@saml302 5 ай бұрын

hell yeah, great show. first 3 seasons are great, love the vid!

@SoulofPimpC 5 ай бұрын

I feel you could watch Succession without knowing anything about Rupert. I didn't find out till the 2nd season and it kinda diminished the show for me. Just a little... please continue my bad

@yggdrasil2 5 ай бұрын

They pulled inspiration from a bunch of different events and people, and knowing that does kind of elevate the show because you know that this could happen, but it's far less necessary than PoG makes it out to be. I think it's actually weirdly timeless because it shows the end of a specific type of business.

@robdeakin1166 5 ай бұрын

Great vid

@dgxkeyboards4535 5 ай бұрын

My Favorite Show of all time.

@tecpaocelotl 5 ай бұрын

When I hear people say any type of media that it was ahead of it's time, I assumed people over hyped/nostalgic goggles on.

@charliericker274 5 ай бұрын

People say that about this show because of the way it formed it's jokes. They work really well on the binge watching style that is common now but was much more rare back then. We did have DvDs of course, and that is how I watched the show, but watching it on TV weekly would make it much harder to get all the repeating jokes and self references.

@willb6913 5 ай бұрын

Get yourself a script, some editing...Baby, you've got a stew going!

@abigfavor 5 ай бұрын

I think "ahead of the curve" is correct. The fact they were satirizing the housing market early was a thing you could reasonably know and it not be magic is "ahead of the curve" just like the docudrama being a thing they decided before other shows still fits "ahead of the curve" ...But then you throw it out at the end because does it really matter 😂 thats why I watched the video my dude

@user-lp3ew1xb5u 5 ай бұрын

Grant Wood's painting isn't a husband and wife. It's a father and daughter. (:

@NoodleBerry Ай бұрын

You know when you play the Iraq stuff back to back I can see it, but you're right I missed it watching though (I'm 19 but a nerd)

@Shishkebarbarian 5 ай бұрын

Arrested Development is Timeless, and was also ahead of its time in structure/production terms. I always find myself at a loss when asked what my favorite TV comedy is, is it Arrested Development or Sienfield?

@011marylin 5 ай бұрын

I don't disagree with the main premise, but I think you're underestimating the ability of new viewers to google and read wikipedia and just be interested in the past. I grew up during the US occupation of Iraq and am still learning new things about it. People can have their curiosity piqued for all sorts of reasons, and watching AD later as an adult was one of the things that prompted me to learn more about those wars.

@hannahmetzger4880 5 ай бұрын

I'm not really into sitcoms other than Friends, but this was still decently interesting. :3.

@SilortheBlade 5 ай бұрын

No touching!

@PillarofGarbage 5 ай бұрын

_no touching_

@jackbot43 5 ай бұрын

Bro I’m a zoomer and I totally understood all of the Iraq stuff. I was around and a kid when that was happening and when my family watched this show, I totally understood all that. I think some media is behind the time in the present, but some can still move beyond that because the historical stuff that happens is widely known.

@yggdrasil2 5 ай бұрын

There are things that I feel still are relevant about the commentary of early AD, like the Patriot Act (read it), general incompetence of major companies and institutions and the casual and systemic racism.

@cleverick 5 ай бұрын

In American Gothic, that's his daughter

@yggdrasil2 5 ай бұрын

So they weren't...streets ahead?

@JBIsrael 5 ай бұрын

Do You Have An Exit Strategy!?

@pufflis4588 2 ай бұрын

I never really found it that funny. Maybe it’s just because I’m a zoomer idk but it felt like I was bombarded with jokes that didn’t really land and the later seasons had so much nostalgia baiting to old jokes and unnecessary recaps