The End of Arrested Development?

This is some pretty bad news for us fans of Arrested Development. Fox have cut the show’s order from 22 episodes to 13. Last year it was cut from 22 to 18. The axe looks once again ready to fall. Fox say that they had never agreed to air 22 episodes, but to only commission 14-22 if the viewing figures were good. And of course they haven’t been.

This really sickens me as it’s easily the best sitcom since Seinfeld and The Simpsons. Every episode has a season’s worth of gags packed into it. Every character has their own story thread, not one of them is filler, every character has their own unique personality, no lines of dialogue could be switched between characters as each one is so perfectly drawn.

I’ve recently taken receipt of season two on DVD and it’s so easy to watch 3 or 4 episodes in one sitting.

Here’s a good article on the fans who are already mourning the loss of the show and what happens next, including news of a potential saviour. And it’s not HBO.

And here’s a couple of rants about it.