A Positive "Development"

While we're still on the subject of sitcoms, one Fox sitcom that has been getting a good deal of attention is "Arrested Devlopment," a show about a nouveau-riche Southern California family whose patriarch ends up in jail after his real estate development company pulls one scam too many, leaving his son (played by Jason Bateman - remember him?) to handle the family's affairs and deal with his kooky relatives.

There are many good reasons to watch this show, even if it is on Rupert Murdoch's network. First of all, veteran character actor Jeffrey Tambor plays the jailed patriarch, and does so very entertainingly. Second, Portia de Rossi is in this sitcom, as the family's nutty daughter. Third, Ron Howard produces and narrates the series. Fourth, Portia de Rossi is in it. Fifth, Jessica Walter, a quite underrated actress, plays the family matriarch, and she's just as crazy as the rest of them. Sixth, Portia de Rossi is in it. Seventh, "Arrested Development" uses no laugh track, and relies on a single camera and on-location shots. Eighth, it makes fun of rich people. Ninth, Portia de Rossi is in it.

The best reason to watch "Arrested Development," though, aside from the fact that Portia de Rossi is in it, is that it's as funny as hell and as innovative as anything on HBO. It could even be the next "Seinfeld," as some critics have suggested. Sadly, it has not caught on with viewers and may be canceled, a curse that many Fox sitcoms, good and bad, have fallen prey to. Perhaps the reason it hasn't caught on so quickly may not be its unconventionality but its time slot. It airs at 9:30 Eastern Time on Sunday nights, a time when most likely viewers are thinking more about having to go to work the following day than about watching TV for a good laugh. Hey, I've forgotten it's on; the only times I've watched it, in fact, were when I was out of work! But that doesn't mean we should let Jeffrey Tambor (or Portia de Rossi) lose their jobs.

I think Fox should not only renew this series, but put it in better time slot. If that happens, "Arrested Development" may not catch on as quickly as the advertisers might like, but it could still find an audience and revitalize situation comedies.

Just like "Seinfeld" did. :-)