Customer Ratings & Reviews

My life changed three weeks ago when I found both Seasons 1 and 2 at Best Buy, in the DVD bin. What Arrested Development was doing in a bin for $5 a piece I will never know, but there's never been a wallet pulled out faster than on that day. A bad episode (which doesn't exist) of Arrested Development trumps ANY episode of Friends, of Big Bang, of Two and a Half Men. Even heavy weights like The Simpsons and Seinfeld fumble at the might of Arrested's sharp satire and fierce pacing. It is has a disturbingly large fan base following for a reason. Season 1 is just the foreplay, Season 2 will blow your mind and make your toes curl! Ongoing gags, perfectly timed punch lines, the best double entendres in television, Arrested Development is the sharpest writing and funniest series that's been made in 20 years. It also one of the few shows filmed in HiDef that isn't actually released on Blu-ray (for some seemingly unknown reason), at least not in the U.S. But none of that subtracts from the value of this overly stuffed 22 episode comedy series. My favorite thing about the set is the entire casts' commentary tracks! Ever wanted to know what Will Arnett has to say about David Cross and Jason Bateman, here you go!!!

Let yourself be introduced to the Bluthe family and their crazy escapades as they try and are sometimes forced to stay together as a family! HILARIOUS!

I was so excited to watch the beginning episodes of one of my favorite shows of all time. It was even more funny than I remembered!

One of the funniest shows of all time. Really wished it was given more of a chance in the initial run

Arrested Development is one of the funniest series ever, especially the 1st 3 seasons.

How can you not relate to this family great comedy always something new to laugh at

Great show! Incredibly funny. Even better the second and third times through.

Good laugh out loud entertainment for the entire family

Very funny show--assuming you have the right kind of sense of humor. Even though this didn't have a long life on network tv, it'll be a comedy cult classic for years.

Not finished watching the season, but the episodes to date have proved worth the expense of the series.

The season that started it all off....great beginning...wish I had Netflix

It usually takes great shows a little time to find their sea legs. Characters are raw and undeveloped, actors aren't quite getting the kind of direction they'll get a season or two down the road, writers a little uncertain where they're going so they leave themselves some wiggle room. Not so with Arrested Development. From the Pilot on it delivers hilarious lines, a consistent yet developing chemistry between characters, and as much consistency in writing as you can expect from a show that isn't especially plot-based. Micheal (Jason Bateman) works for his father at a housing development company named after the family: The Bluth Company. His siblings are ne'er-do-well's who have never worked in their lives and still pick up company paychecks. When his father is arrested (are you starting to see where the name came from?) for reasons that remain vague during the first season, and the company falls apart, Micheal steps in to keep it, and the family together. George Micheal, his son, is his conscience and the person who convinces him that his family is worth keeping around. His sister is generally smarter than the rest of the family, but hides it behind her vanity most of the time while she struggles to make her marriage to her clueless husband work. Her clueless husband is therapist turned actor with a knack for Freudian slips. His brother JOB is a magician whose own Magicians Alliance has black-listed him from working in the industry because he gave away a trick in a hopeless effort to win his father's affection. Buster is a momma's boy to a mother who barely qualifies as a mother. Together, they're the most dysfunctional family ever. What really makes the show work are the individual scenes. Lines are delivered and countered with gut-splitting comedic timing and clever writing that isn't normally found in the sitcom genre. It's not a family friendly show, content (almost entirely in the form of dialogue) is often pushing the boundaries of what censors will allow, but usually what comes to the screen is more subtle than other sitcoms as well. If you haven't seen it yet, do yourself a favor, and buy this show.

I don't buy TV show DVD's. But this was an exception that I could not pass by. Hilarious, though like any show that starts out, the first couple episodes don't feel quite right. An example of this is the enthusiasm in the narrator's (Ron Howard) voice. But I personally did not notice this until I saw this season for the THIRD time. Great writing and character construction. Each season gets better and better. Although you'll have to watch them in order to get its full worth of humor. The cast has been included, and now starring in, many famous shows and movies examples: Superbad, Juno, The Ex, and The Captain(tv) just to name a few. I'm still baffled on how so much talent combined into one show only were given 3 seasons. After watching it, I'm sure you'll agree.

Unfortunately, I found out about Arrested Development too late. The show was cancelled by the time I started watching. I should have listened to everyone who told me over and over again to give it a try. I rented season one, disc one and immediately purchased the entire series. It may not be the smartest or funniest series ever but it IS the smartest AND funniest series ever. The writing is truly brilliant and the acting is equally fantastic. If you like your comedy cerebral and quick, this is the show you've been waiting for.

I hadn't even heard of this show until my friend got me this box set - can you believe that!? It's so under appreciated - probably just because it's not advertised everywhere. It's one of the funniest shows I've ever seen, yet touching at the same time. The characters are brilliant. This show won 5 Emmy Awards and was nominated for 15 more. It won several other awards including a spot in a "Greatest Shows Of All Time". And I had STILL never heard of it. I also think Arrested Development was what boosted Michael Cera's career too. Jason Bateman is fantastic in it too. This show is so hillarious! I thought my dorm roommate was going to tell me to be quiet from laughing out loud so much, but instead she found it funny too!

This show was one of the funniest I have ever seen. I still count Seinfeld and MASH as my favortes but this is probably going to be right behind them. I am amazed at how well, how clever, this show was written. The first season of course has all the set up for the series, but also has that fresh feel of complete originality. I have never in my life seen a show like this, and I doubt I ever will. It is a complete shame most people never watched it. They really missed out. I really wish the show lasted more than three seasons. But maybe that adds to its appeal after all this time. This show really leaves you wanting more.

Ours is a sad world when Everybody Loves Raymond lasts for 10 seasons and Arrested Development lasts for 3. It is by far the best show of the decade. The narrative is constantly engrossing and rarely loses focus. The faux-reality angle always works as well. One factor that cost the show longevity is that there is no laugh track. Pretty sad that we can't like a comedy unless we are told when to laugh. The show flew over the heads of most Americans, and FOX didn't know how to market it. The 3 year run that Arrested Development had is one of the best in the history of TV.

I loved this show. It's much better watching them back-to-back on DVD then waiting for FOX to occasionally air an episode, so anyone who's just starting will really benefit. Unlike some other comedies, at no point does Arrested Development tackle a tough issue, rather the writers clearly just love setting up humorous moments (or calling back or forward to them) and making fun of anything and everything. There's no slapstick, low brow gags (unless there's a large setup to appreciate the irony), this actually feels like a smart comedy.

I didn't find out about this show until 3 years after it was off the air bad PR people made this show get canceled. If you like to laugh you will like Arrested Development. It's hilarious the characters are what make it so good and the writing talent of Hurwitz. If if you havent seen this buy it you won't regret it especially now that it is on sale what a deal.

This show was recommended to me, so I took a shot and bought it, and it was worth every penny I paid! Smart, funny, sometimes outrageous, sometimes subtle, Ron Howard and Brian Grazer's journey into TV raises the bar for TV sit com's. Focusing on the Bluth Family and how they had and lost it all, the show is shot in a unique documentary style unlike anything you normally would see on TV. If your comedy tastes run along shows like Curb Your Enthusiasm, Mr. Show or The Office, you will definitely enjoy this!