Netflix Avoids A Terrible Mistake And Keeps Arrested Development
In a stunning reversal of what was widely considered to be a huge mistake, Netflix has announced that it will no longer follow through on plans to remove "Arrested Development" from its streaming service. Hopefully, they were waiting with a banner that said "Family Love Show" when they made the decision.
The announcement was made in a March 24 tweet from Netflix, reading "The Bluths aren't going anywhere!" above a gif of David Cross's Tobias Funke and Tony Hale's Buster Bluth getting into all manner of cutoff-clad, juice-fueled debauchery.
Netflix made headlines when the company included "Arrested Development" on its list of properties set to exit on March 15, 2023. Of specific concern to devotees was the fate of the show's fifth season, which was produced by Netflix and never released on physical media. Held up alongside other recent streaming excisions like HBO's "The Gordita Chronicles" and "Made for Love" as an example of the potential dangers inherent in counting on streaming companies to make beloved programs available.
Well, wash those concerns down with a Forget-Me-Now for the time being. "Arrested Development" is on Netflix to stay. For now. As far as we know.
Arrested Development is back; gets us every time
The path to finding a forever home has always been a bumpy one for "Arrested Development." The Mitch Hurwitz-led sitcom premiered 20 years ago in November of 2003 on Fox, where it received critical acclaim, an armful of Emmys, and disastrous ratings. After three seasons on the network, the show was canceled, leaving fans to wonder what might have been.
Then, like someone shouting "Did somebody say 'wonder?'" it reappeared, thanks to a highly-publicized second shot at Netflix as a streaming exclusive. Despite guarantees from the producers that the show's fourth season would be its last, it was brought back for one and a half more tries with a fifth season in 2018 and a re-edited presentation of the fourth season, "Arrested Development Season 4 Remix: Fateful Consequences," also premiering in 2018.
The planned removal of "Arrested Development" from Netflix was a hallmark moment in a year of streaming services pruning their libraries. The series was a tentpole project and an enormous draw for the company when it joined the Netflix family.
Luckily, with Vulture reporting that Netflix will regain exclusive streaming rights for the series, "Arrested Development" looks to have a safe place to stay for the time being. It's all very touching.