There’s just something about sitcoms that makes them the ultimate comfort food of television. Whether it is the nostalgia of ’90s classics like Friends and Seinfeld or the modern workplace humor of The Office or Abbott Elementary, sitcoms are reliably a comforting staple of TV. Unfortunately for fans of the genre, streaming one of the best sitcoms ever is about to get a bit more difficult after it stops streaming on Netflix in just a matter of weeks.
Videos by ComicBook.com
Following its near-removal in 2023 and subsequent last-minute license renewal that kept it on the platform, all five seasons and 84 episodes of Arrested Development are about to leave Netflix. Mitchell Hurwitz’ beloved comedy about the dysfunctional Bluth family, whose son must pick up the pieces after his father is sent to prison for committing white-collar crime, has been slapped with a March 15th departure date. The upcoming removal is a bit peculiar given that Arrested Development was among Netflix’s first originals. Following its initial three-season run on Fox from 2003 until 2006, Netflix saved the show for two additional seasons in 2013 and 2019.
Arrested Development Is One of the Most Rewarding and Rewatchable Sitcoms Ever
When it comes to the topic of rewarding TV, Arrested Development makes a strong case for being one of the best. The show was playing a very long, intricate game from the very start, and its approach to using serialization for comedy rather than just drama truly made it ahead of its time. The show’s layered comedic writing meant that some jokes took episodes, or even seasons, to pay off, like “There’s always money in the banana stand” and the running joke that Ann Veal is forgettable. This all gave Arrested Development a great rewatch factor, because even on second, third, or fourth viewings you’ll likely catch background jokes, foreshadowing, and callbacks that you missed on previous watches.
Outside of Arrested Development’s high reward and rewatchability value, the series features a really great premise that is wildly entertaining as Michael Bluth, arguably the only sane member of the Bluth family, takes over the family’s crumbling real estate company and attempts to keep his chaotic relatives in line. And speaking of those relatives, that perfectly cast ensemble of absurd characters is some of the best, and they all have great chemistry. Even at its worst, widely agreed to be Season 4, Arrested Development is still an incredibly strong, entertaining, and unique comedy worth watching.
Where to Stream Arrested Development After It Leaves Netflix?
That remains to be seen. Netflix is currently the exclusive streaming home for the show, and there is some hope that the series could still remain on the platform despite that March 15th removal notice, which technically hasn’t appeared on Arrested Development’s Netflix listing. During its previous near-departure from the platform, a last-minute deal was struck that kept the show on Netflix, and there’s a chance that could happen again. If that isn’t the case, there’s a good chance that Arrested Development will move to a different platform following its Netflix removal, but that is something that is ultimately still too early to guarantee.
What do you think? Leave a comment below and join the conversation now in the ComicBook Forum!
Most Viewed
-
Image Courtesy of Crunchyroll -
2001: A Space Odyssey
