Why Arrested Development Ended When It Did
By Jamie Gerber/April 29, 2022 5:55 pm EST
The series ran for a mere three seasons beginning in 2003, with each season having fewer episodes than the one preceding it. For those watching at the time, it seemed like a matter of when the show would get the ax, rather than if. “Arrested Development” is hardly the only show to be canceled far too quickly by Fox, who didn’t even give “Firefly” a full season before dropping the ax. However, “Arrested Development” was resurrected by Netflix in 2013 for what I still think is an underrated fourth season, which was followed by a fifth and final one in 2018 that went over about as well as the Cornballer.
There are several factors that contributed to the show being canceled. While it may have run out of steam by the time the cast reunited, it’s hard not to wonder what could’ve been if “Arrested Development” had gotten a few more seasons in its initial run, especially in light of how great season 3 is. Let’s take a look at exactly what led to the show’s premature cancellation.
It’s showtime!
George: “I don’t think the Home Builders Organization is going to be supporting us.”
Michael: “Yeah, the HBO’s not going to want us.”
George: “Well, I think it’s showtime.”
‘I’ve made a huge mistake’
According to Ad Savvy, much of the issue could be attributed to Fox’s Luddite attitude. Like many networks, it paid far too much attention to Nielsen ratings, which were already growing obsolete thanks to DVRs. There was also a lot of online support for “Arrested Development” which the network completely failed to embrace. Aside from that, there were very few commercials running for the show during any given season and the ones that did weren’t at all indicative of the type of series it was. “Arrested Development” was nothing like the rest of Fox’s lineup, so those same marketing techniques were never going to work.
Fans were so excited when Netflix finally brought “Arrested Development” back from the dead, but it wasn’t exactly smooth sailing for the actors. Cross said on The Daily Beast’s “The Last Laugh” podcast (via IndieWire) that the show is done for good now, and while “there’s always money in the banana stand,” I think even the most ardent fans could agree that it’s probably for the best at this point. There are some aspects of the Netflix run that deserve appreciation, but ultimately the series just wasn’t able to recapture its former glory. Still, those initial three seasons will never lose their magic and the show has already cemented itself as one of the greatest comedies of all time.
