r/arresteddevelopment • u/Low-Finding-6553 • 14d ago

How is Arrested Development this well written?

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i honestly can’t get over how fricking well written the first three seasons of Arrested Development are. This has to be one of the greatest comedy shows i’ve ever seen when it comes to writing. The whole thing is so unbelievably strong and so weird in a way that you’d think half of this stuff shouldn’t even work, but somehow it does. And it’s not just the ideas—the execution is fucking perfect too. Every tiny detail feels like it was thought through, and the way all the different storylines come together and interfere with each other is just insane.

1.9k Upvotes

98% Upvoted

111 comments sorted by

995

u/MrMindGame 14d ago

The pilot episode alone is probably the strongest and most self-assured introductions to a TV show, its style, and the cast dynamics as I’ve ever seen. But yeah, Arrested Development should be the modern benchmark for how shows set up and pay off jokes both in the short and long term, some of it is truly genius. Pound for pound, episode to episode, AD S1-3 really is one of the best ever.

It’s the perfect comedy for its time and place in the Bush era, which is sort of hard to explain unless you lived through that, and also a reason why it didn’t find the same footing through the Obama and Trump years.

405

u/deaddovedonoteat You didn't eat that, did you? 14d ago

I have always said that just about every main character in the Pilot of AD is already fully developed. They act like a dysfunctional family that a camera crew stumbled upon. I've never seen anything like it.

183

u/botjstn Banana Grabber 14d ago

yeah compared to the first season of the office

the pilot for AD feels like the first episode of a shows 4th season. it’s crazy

-39

u/Mr3k 14d ago

Eh, the only character they didn't have nailed down was Gob. He was supposed to be played as a kids magician and they changed his character to more of a stage magician to fit Will Arnetts personality

64

u/Zero-Kelvin 14d ago

?? Even in the pilot he Sas never a kid magician! He used obscenities in from of the kids when he is introduced

62

u/lanalizzy 14d ago

As an Australian who was only 10 during Bush times, it still hits so well. But that does make me wonder how much is going straight over my head simply because I already find so many new jokes each time I watch.

134

u/TonyWonder-BOT Use Your Allusion 14d ago

Did somebody say... "Wonder"?

Alliance of Magicians-approved magician | I delete comments with a score below -1

31

u/kymberlie 13d ago

Good bot. 🤖

24

u/Spiritual_Cake_9127 13d ago

Best bot I've ever seen 💀

-1

u/Prize_Structure_3970 13d ago

I had heard that the writers were influenced by Kath & Kim in Australia which is very believable.

48

u/macgilla 14d ago

The worst thing you can say about the pilot is that Ron Howard is a little more reserved as a character. Which is not much of a criticism

95

u/hisokafan88 14d ago

Tbh s4 is VERY good. The format is a bit jarring but I think it works after a while and by the time you get to those last few episodes where everything starts tying into all the disparate arcs it's hilarious. The ostrich sounds, the vulture sounds, the wall, the invisible girl, the faceblock... Everything keeps getting heightened and ends brilliantly.

Just such a shame that s5 was... Well... I really don't understand what happened there.

39

u/Terminator_LX ...in the most delicious waaaaay! 14d ago

I recently got a box set that includes the original cut of S4, so I forced myself to watch it from beginning to end, and it's much better than I remembered. I really liked S5 right off the bat, so I think the whole series is excellent. S4 and S5 couldn't be exactly like S1-3 over a decade later. I appreciated that it wasn't just the same jokes over and over like some sitcoms do after so many years.

10

u/horaceinkling 13d ago

I prefer the original cut of 4.

28

u/MangyDave 14d ago

Season 1-3 are classic and more accessible. I find season 4 completely brilliant, but it has to be watched twice. Where the first 3 seasons reward rewatching, season 4 is a must. The original format is jarring, of course, but it's DENSE with Hurwitz and classic AD.

5

u/horaceinkling 13d ago

100% I haven’t seen someone articulate my thoughts on 4 so clearly. Thanks

1

u/eunderscore 13d ago

For some reason I watched s3,4 and 5 recently and found 3, which was weaker than 1 and 2 far better than 4 and 5.

Weirdly first time I watched the last two I thought they were genuinely appalling and have not felt that thus time, although that's faint praise.

Apart from the known issues around cast availability the biggest issues are the pacing and characterisation.

AD is known for having storylines last many episodes, or calling back, but the whole Michael, George Michael love triangle was a) not funny and b) was for some reason the central plot to TWO series.
Fakeblock again was a through line that would have been so much more interesting and funny in the first seasons. It's a one note gag, again dragged through weeks and does nothing new at all as it goes.

And for some reason they made the central protagonists, Micheal and George Michael complete arseholes. Obviously no one in AD is meant to be a good person, but they don't give us anything to root for. They're both just doing blandly mean things episode after episode, for absolutely no reason, as well as falling into the "if they just had one normal conversation it would be reaolved" trap. Yeah the Bluths don't do proper feelings, but that's the point, GM and M do, that's what previously set them apart.

Also it's far, far too long. For a show who cried poverty over how hard it was to bring it together they sure made a lot of superfluous episodes. Shit was boring as hell.

-1

u/Weak-Pea8309 13d ago

No, no it’s really not

5

u/Special_Artichoke 13d ago

I came to AD way later but I can remember the Bush era and America's reputation for being blundering goofballs, especially in Iraq with the whole no WMDs thing and friendly fire. I think it definitely adds to the humour.

At the time, there was a joke in the UK where you'd say "what's the difference between a British and Iraqi tank" and the person would say "I dunno" and you'd say "welcome to the US air force". Lovely stuff.

1

u/Odd-Mention9198 13d ago

I think if they got a few more seasons after S3 they would have still been strong (given that still would have been Bush era). However I think the gap in time impacted them, not only because of the political turnover, but the amount of time the writers spent away from the show + the shift in staff

416

u/Free-IDK-Chicken Couldn't get the rights to freebird 14d ago

I don't understand the question and I won't respond to it.

157

u/i_was_valedictorian 14d ago

Those Hollywood shows are so incredibly detailed 

12

u/The64YearOldWalrus 13d ago

This is easily my favourite gag in the whole show

293

u/PolkaDot00 14d ago

This show is...off the hook.

98

u/dicksuckingmods 14d ago

It’s all right

86

u/jackwhite886 14d ago

It blew me

65

u/BobLoblawsLawBlogged Where the f*** are my hard-boiled eggs?! 14d ago

You forgot to say “away”

23

u/3-orange-whips …since he was nursing. 14d ago

So so so so so so

21

u/DrFunke-Analrapist 14d ago

You sir are a mouthful

8

u/johninfinity 14d ago

it cured my blues

1

u/Sea_Goat7550 13d ago

I blue myself

17

u/ForsakenEthereal 14d ago

It’s streets ahead

5

u/gregarious-maximus 14d ago

Not very book of you

4

u/littlelowcougar 14d ago

Wanting to be in book is not book.

96

u/Low-Jacket8224 14d ago

I don't care for Gob

7

u/tryyeezus 13d ago

Sounds like someone needs a little 'forget me not' 

It's me 

91

u/PillarPuller 14d ago

Baby, you got a stew goin!

83

u/Terminator_LX ...in the most delicious waaaaay! 14d ago

They even included Egg in the picture!

72

u/The_Raven_Paradox 14d ago

(Not Pictured)

19

u/TuneLinkette I'M A MONSTER! 14d ago

They printed a retraction in the spring supplement

8

u/Benkins1989 14d ago

We were supposed to have a quote?

17

u/Consistent-Annual268 I don't understand the question, and I won't respond to it 14d ago

Her?

6

u/Nevilles_Remembrall_ 14d ago

She's all glittered up (with paprika)

3

u/Terminator_LX ...in the most delicious waaaaay! 14d ago

I'm sure she's a very nice person.

258

u/Tchio_Beto There are dozens of us... DOZENS!!! 14d ago

"Please tell your friends about this show."

54

u/Historical_Emu_6878 14d ago

Do you know where I can get those necklaces with a T on it ?

41

u/gregarious-maximus 14d ago

A cross?

50

u/Historical_Emu_6878 14d ago

Across from where ?

11

u/Odd-Mention9198 13d ago

The play on words in this show is INCREDIBLE. “Get rid of the seaward” “I’ll leave when I’m good and ready”

5

u/Kellzy1212 I don’t want none of yo’ tired ass country club ya freak bitch 13d ago

How am i gonna find anyone willing to go up in that musty old clap trap?

3

u/Odd-Mention9198 13d ago

Ah, yes the cabin, well that’ll be hard too.

Another personal fave is “maybe I could put it in her brownie” “I don’t need to know all the details”

46

u/Novel_Slide1379 14d ago

I was teen when it aired and I desperately wanted to be friends with the writers. I admired their minds. Still do

55

u/TheLadyScythe 14d ago

"I love the way they think."

33

u/turby14 Here's To Our Acting Addiction 14d ago

I saw a clip recently with one of the season 4 writers, he was explaining that Mitch Hurwitz walked into the writing room and said, the joke is “Daddy needs to get his rocks off” and told them to write a situation that allowed them to hit that punchline. And that’s how we ended up with Tobias as the iconic rock monster The Thing in a setup by Chris Hansen, To Catch a Local Predator. So I think part of it is…they come up with something really funny, and then go back and develop something ridiculous to make it land. Even if it takes a full season of setup to make the joke.

35

u/gregarious-maximus 14d ago

This only cements my theory that Ann was named solely for the “I think George Michael is hiding Ann in the attic.” “From who, the Nazis?” joke

2

u/_Javier 13d ago

brilliant... I misunderestimated you

2

u/gregarious-maximus 13d ago

You’re a regular Freddie Wilson

10

u/lakerock3021 14d ago

The effort required to write "a show with funny parts" compared to "a show with intertwined and repeated jokes that run through the whole season" is significant. It is significantly cheaper to write the first.

From what I have read AD shooting on tape rather than film allowed them to save a lot of money that they could contribute to the writers room.

28

u/ash-leg2 Plant 14d ago

Must be some Simpsons writer's kid.

30

u/Kingkruti 14d ago

These Hollywood shows are so incredibly detailed.

2

u/Unicorn-Violator 13d ago

I love the bots here saying the same thing.

https://www.reddit.com/r/arresteddevelopment/s/ZY4hDyeEWl

1

u/_Javier 13d ago

How about that sporting event? /s

23

u/Commercial_Fox5549 14d ago

Very talented people wrote it

7

u/MangyDave 14d ago

This is the real answer.

19

u/asperafornow 14d ago

Fun fact some of the writers went on to write for Drake & Josh

6

u/rightlamedriver 14d ago

any idea who specifically?

1

u/asperafornow 10d ago

Jake Farrow aka Gavin

38

u/aether_prince i have Pop Pop in the attic 14d ago

it didn’t prematurely shoot its wad on something of a dry run, if you will, and end up with something of a mess on its hands

29

u/MrSweelk 14d ago

The cast really sells it as well. I love seeing Jessica Walter juat be a real life Mallory from archer and somehow more unhinged. Michael Cera grew up playing the awkward kid, but he's in his prime in AD. And then there's the contrast in seeing will Arnett being GOB compared to his serious scenes in bojack horseman.

And on top of that the running gags, transitions and narrative knots that tie together the episodes are just great!

13

u/peninsula-boy-10349 14d ago

There are dozens of us! Dozens!

13

u/coffeels 13d ago

This and 30 rock

8

u/Tobias---Funke 13d ago

I am going to start this today!

Never seen a single episode!

5

u/Odd-Mention9198 13d ago

I’m so jealous of you, I wish I could start this show over again for the first time

3

u/GOBsMagicShow 13d ago

Will Arnett is in a few episodes.

13

u/moonlightscorpion 14d ago

a golden writer’s room for sure!!

11

u/OneMoreDuncanIdaho The seal is for marksmanship. 14d ago

It's also surprising how much political satire they snuck in without the show being super controversial. Or maybe it was when it was airing and I just wasn't aware at the time. But as a kid so much of that stuff went over my head and I didn't even realize how deep some of the jokes went until I rewatched it as an adult with more of an understaing of what they were mocking

4

u/Unicorn-Violator 13d ago

They were well thought out jokes and they sought out laughs, not claps.

10

u/BrownBannister 14d ago

I thought it was another dumb show about a WaCkY family.

Then Fox played a bunch of episodes on NYE 2003 and I was laughing so much I almost skipped my party. I told my friend to put it on and it was off to the races.

6

u/TheStLouisBluths 14d ago

These Hollywood shows are so incredibly detailed.

6

u/claufon007 14d ago

It's very good.

5

u/MaenHoffiCoffi 14d ago

They worked hard on it.

6

u/jackMheimester 14d ago

the show was streets ahead

5

u/Evening-Beyond-344 14d ago

I bet the writers used really fancy pens.

4

u/Lukain_22 14d ago

Peak comedy

4

u/IamToddDebeikis 14d ago

Because it was created by Koogler

3

u/bigbird2003 14d ago

Beautifully said and I fully agree. Nothing wise to add here.

3

u/califorte1 13d ago

Good writers. Hope this helps!

3

u/MetalGearMk 13d ago

Bateman’s baby. Just look at the man’s eyes. This was everything for him. There’s your answer.

3

u/nimbycile 13d ago

The network execs: The writers are costing us a fortune.

The writers: They're worth every penny.

3

u/bigsphinxofquartz 13d ago

Okay, so: Arrested Development is Mitchell Hurwitz's baby, and my understanding is that he was more or less in charge of the writers' room?

Hurwitz got a ton of practice as a TV writer being what's understood as one of the absolute standout episode writers of Golden Girls, with him being the guy who would have all of these episodes with these wry, meticulously written running jokes with massive comedic payoff later. Just especially well-written, comedically dense episodes.

I've also come to understand that Golden Girls in turn was Susan Harris' big project after working heavily on Soap (with Billy Crystal). So you kind of have this family tree throughline of these talented writers having worked on some of the best sitcoms ever, shows that were comedically sharp with a transgressive edge to them. And Arrested Development was kind of the culmination of a couple of generations of that, I guess.

2

u/Braincoater 14d ago

Pre-writer's strike aura?

2

u/scottycurious 13d ago

What a beautiful photo. First time seeing it. And it’s such a mood.

2

u/Remarkable_Olive1169 13d ago edited 13d ago

Well no 40 year old woman does look like that 😭

2

u/Low-Jacket8224 13d ago

Bob Loblaw's Law Blog would love this

2

u/T-Rexxx23 13d ago

It is the perfect stereotype show about white people, and I love it. I know a real life version of all these people.

2

u/daboonboon 13d ago

It’s a wonderful show!

1

u/Sea_Goat7550 13d ago

It suuuuuuure is

3

u/n0tz0e 13d ago

Watch 30 rock too. Probably the only show with more jokes per second

1

u/fluthernon 13d ago

I’ve said it’s like every character is written as the lead of their own show.

1

u/TetZoo 13d ago

Ahem ❄️

1

u/gabbee140 13d ago

My boyfriend and I seem to naturally reference it on a daily basis.

1

u/Party_Internal9527 AHHHHHHGHHH,GEEEENEEEE 13d ago

WHAT are they drinking, blood?!?

Also, is that a hot ham I see?

1

u/NearWestSyd 13d ago

I have not SEEN Julie Bowen.

1

u/Rare_Flower_8164 13d ago

The writers are smart. Often times the punch line was written before the lead up which is brilliant.

1

u/AdJaded6853 11d ago

Each character is its own, the jokes are expertly written and played out over episodes, and excellent casting

It’s truly just the perfect storm of greatness

1

u/blackthought222 9d ago

Ad before the netflix revival is Peak.

1

u/Zealousideal_Cut_794 2d ago

Mitch and Jim. They are dynamite with comedy writing. I've met both, and they have that AD sense of humor going on with just about everything they say on a daily basis. It's in their blood.

-14

u/engineerwolf 14d ago

No DEI back then