I feel exactly the same as”a pretty good kisser”. I don’t think I’ve ever posted on a thread or forum or blog before, but it must be said that while 30 rock, the office and many others are all awesome…NOTHING compares to Arrested Development. It employed so many types of humor and engaged so many of my emotions. It elicited cringe responses to behaviors I notice in my own life. It was absurd in the extreme yet it not only inspired sympathy in me for the characters, but appealed to feelings and preconceptions I didn’t even know I had about family. It had every type of humor I love including complex site gags and spectacular physical comedy (tobias falling in the wheelchair, gob throwing the letter in the ocean, oh my god…), farce, irony, incongruity, sarcasm, non-sequitors and all manner of word play inc. double entendres, paraprosdokians, malapropisms, puns, you name it. It deftly employed unique stylistic techniques (hand held filming, “footage”, persistent narration, epilogues for plot resolution, etc.). It maintained a sophisticated network of plot lines within each episode but more so over the entire series, balanced character evolution with character idiosyncracies, and played its absurd adventures off of real-world conventions, current events and bureaucratic processes. It was always going between subtle and outright social commentary and subtle and not so subtle self-reference. It gave credit to its audience and to this day rewards multiple viewings. It consisted of the most brilliant ensemble cast whose delivery and timing were always pitch-perfect (remembering Lucille saying “nobody wants you” and “they don’t allow bees in here” a pause after everyone else speaks, hilarious). The characters encompassed all number of archetypes and stereotypes but maintained depth. Everything just fit.
I’ve gushed far too much. I suppose I’ve never gotten over how amazing it is and how not on television it is. Will anything ever be this good again?