I think it does have a pretty large cult following (just look at the DVD sales). I honestly think they aren't being represented accurately by the Nielsens, no matter how many times people argue about their accuracy.

As much as I would like to think that, I rarely meet someone who watches this show. I do everything I can to let people know about the greatness that is AD and nobody tells me they watch it when I tell them how good this show is.

Same here, I don't really know anyone that watches this show. There are a couple people at the office that will watch it occasionally, but not too often.

I've met a few people who like the show, and I got 3 or 4 people into it. I've also met 1 or 2 that said it was confusing.

It would be great if an AD movie came out, people loved it, and started giving the show good ratings.

Well, I would include Family Guy as one that is also a sophisticated show. The reason it was cancelled the first time was that it was too far over the heads of the audience (mine included) and the ratings were not there.

It then had enough of a 'cult' following on the Cartoon Channel & DVD sales that it was brought back last year. That is when I started watching it and I say now in public 'what the hell was wrong with me for not liking it in the beginning?'

Chris

Did anyone watch Cartoon Network tonite? They had title cards that said, "Arrested Development" "Genius" "Cancelled" "Maybe we should pick it up" "It won't be the first time we picked up Fox's trash." Do you thnk for whatever reason, Adult Swim would at least pick up Arrested Development for repeats?

Family Guy too sophisticated? I hope that was sarcastic. I love Family Guy, but that is definitely not a word I would use to describe the show.

I doubt it. It's just Adult Swim being "edgy"

And folks you gotta realize, if a live action show gets canceled it's gone. You can't just pick up a pencil like with Family Guy and start making new ones. I think a lot of of who think it could come back that way are just grasping for straws.

Well, I think it is for sure going to either Showtime or ABC eventually for next fall season and I thinking everyone is pretty hopeful for it. I would like to see repeats being played on a TV station though and even though it is the Cartoon Network, I can imagine them bending the rules for Arrested Development.

I agree with both, but I am siding more with Draven after hearing Dancing with the Stars beat out Earl/Office and CSI last Thursday. And I have not heard one person watching this tripe. One of these days someone else will come out with stats that show the Neilson formula is flawed due to the mouthbreathers that actually have the boxes. Perhaps it is time for DirectTV, Dish and Cable to release some stats of programs actually watched.

Ever heard of Charles in Charge or Mama's Family? Sure, those aren't great examples of televisial perfection, but they were resurrected after cancellation by major networks.

Nielsen is flawed when it comes to smaller "extended basic" channels where their sampling sets are not large enough to handle the scattered and limited viewership, but not with Fox as compared to other major networks. It's unfortunate that people don't watch this great show, but it's just reality. It's not Fox's fault or Nielsen's. And for the record, just about everyone in my office watches Dancing with the Stars. Only two of us watch Arrested Development, and that's because I pestered the other guy for months until he finally broke.

das

I really don't think that the average American would 'get' the humor of Family Guy. That's what I meant by that. You have to think while watching Family Guy, not just sit there laughing at everything on the screen.

Chris

I don't know about you, but when I watch Family Guy, I can generally turn my brain off and laugh and all of the stupid shit. Rarely do I ever have to think about anything.

By 'thinking' I mean that there are a lot of 'inside' jokes about the show and 'culture'.

Chris

I'm going to have to side with those who are saying Family Guy doesn't require a lot of thought. It's funny, but I'm guessing the average viewer just watches and says "Hey, I remember He-Man!"

But the "American Movie" reference last night was pretty obscure.

After the work I had to go through trying to convince my co-workers to watch the Office (and finally getting two of them to cave), I know there's no way in hell I could convince someone to watch AD. It just isn't very new-viewer friendly (which is the same reason we love it so much I would guess).

I had marathon of Arrested Development with my dad and he came in around the 6th episode of the first season. He thought the show was hilarous but he said that he thought it would have been funnier if he had seen the first 5 episodes. I think we still end up watching 12 in a row.

I have a friend who introduced me to arrested development..ever since then it's spread like wildfire throughout my friends...we run a record label and started an 'official arrested development thread' on our message board and since then have turned tons of kids onto the show...last year we were on tour and stayed at some girls house for the night...there were 3 bands there...the next morning we were basicly stuck there waiting for our show that night.,..i threw on the dvd of the first season of arrested development...basicly there were three people in the living room all of which thought it was kinda dumb...five or six episodes in, we had all three bands (15 or so people) crowded around the television sets laughing their asses off (not one of which who had a neilsen box...in fact i don't know anyone who does but personally know about 30 people who watch this show regularily)...fox are morons

Yeah as soon as you get someone to watch 3 episodes it seems like they are hooked. NEW RUMOR!! Some unaired Arrested Development episodes are supposedly to be on ITunes tommorrow morning. I doubt it and it is probably bullshit. I wonder how many following posts are going to say, "Yeah it is bullshit."

I actually heard that too...Apparently 3 episode are going to be on itunes..if so they'll be on every torrent site by tomorrow night

you do realize that watching those iPod videos on anything bigger than the small size is nasty in quality.

As for the rumor and where it comes from. steve jobs and Fox are working out a deal for Fox shows on iTunes. So once Jobs does his anouncement Fox is suppose to offer up 3 of the episodes for purchase.

Nothing up so far. Poor quality or not, I believe I would still watch them.

every episode has already been on every torrent site for a while now.

Not true. Output to a TV looks fine.