Arrested Development

        

         Arrested Development is a unique show, not quite similar to any other show I've watched. The scripting, story, acting, characters, and camera work are astounding, and all of these elements come together to produce a sitcom that's both brilliant and outright hilarious. Arrested Development follows the story of a wealthy but dysfunctional family, the Bluths, after George Sr., the patriarch and CEO of the Bluth Company(housing development), is arrested for defrauding his investors and using company money for personal indulgence. His son, Michael Bluth, who had theretofore served as the responsible manager of the Bluth Company, did not receive a promotion upon George Sr.'s retirement. Because of this, Michael was fed up with his proclaimed immoral family and decided to leave the company; his socialite mother, Lucille, was named the new CEO and immediately made her panic-attack prone, socially inept son Buster Bluth president. After realizing that nobody in the Bluth Company was neither diligent nor responsible enough to run a business, the Bluth family courts Michael to come back and run the company. Michael reluctantly concedes out of duty to his "immoral" family: George Bluth Sr., Lucille Bluth, Gob (pronounced "Job"; Michael's older brother and "magician"), Buster (Michael's younger brother), Tobias Fünke (Michael's brother-in-law, a failed therapist who's sexuality is confusing), Lindsay (Michael's sister, who married Tobias and dabbles in charities without a real job), Michael's son George-Michael, and his niece, Maeby.

        Despite fervent critical acclaim (won six Emmy's and a Golden Globe), Arrested Development never received the ratings it deserved and was canceled after the third season in 2006. Even though it had low ratings, it's an excellent show that's definitely worth watching; if I had a top ten list for t.v. shows, I'd put in above Lost but below the X-Files.

       You can watch all three seasons of Arrested Development on Netflix instant stream, and you can watch the first season on Hulu (without Plus):Arrested Development (Hulu). If you have Hulu Plus, you can also watch all three seasons of Arrested Development.