TVSquad

Does it seem like every other month there's some talk about the proposed Arrested Development movie? Perhaps that's because it's an idea that simply won't go away until the film is actually in theaters and fans of the Emmy-winning Fox series will finally be satisfied. Well, satisfaction may be just around the corner. The Arrested Development movie is really developing now. Creator Mitchell Hurwitz is at work on the screenplay -- working with co-executive producer James Vallely -- and the Bluths are creeping closer to big screen reality.

I don't know how many of you caught the G.I. Joe movie this past weekend that is based on the cartoon and toy franchise of the 80's. I didn't, but even without seeing it, I think this sketch from Funny or Die called The Ballad of G.I.Joe is far better. Even the costumes are more accurate (if a little, but not much, cheesier).

Of course, there are quite a few television and movie celebrities making up the cast: Tony Hale, Olivia Wilde (pictured as the Baroness), Alan Tudyk and Julianne Moore, to name a few. And whatever you do, stick around for the end of the song to see a special guest star that SHOULD have been in the movie.

I remember watching the cartoon while I was a young lad, and it seems obvious that the creators of this cute sketch knew the show, possibly even more than the people who made the movie. Video is after the jump.

Lead characters are extremely important for TV series, as they are the basis of the shows' storylines. However, to make said lead characters shine and make the storylines interesting, supporting characters must be introduced. Sometimes, those characters have a major impact on a series and even end up becoming leads. Just see how Ben Linus on Lost was set to appear in a few episodes, but ended up being so helpful to the storyline and loved (or hated) by the fans that he became an integral part of the series and is now a major player on the show.

That compelled me to make a list of new supporting characters who helped make their series better this season. Since my list only has 10 items and because I don't watch all current TV series, I will have missed tons of supporting characters, so feel free to add to the list by commenting below. However, note that I restricted my list to supporting characters that were introduced THIS season. So the Ben Linuses of the TV world are not on the list.

It looks like the remake of the television min-series V has cast its new evil alien leader, apparently named Anna. Former space-hooker Morena Baccarin (okay, she only played a space-hooker on the TV series Firefly) will be playing that particular role. She even bares a passing resemblance to Jane Badler, who originally played a similar role (when the character name was Diana) back in the 1980's.

Baccarin was great on Firefly. I loved the interplay between her and Nathan Fillion as Captain Reynolds. This just gives her something else to talk about when she goes around the sci fi convention circuit.

The Hollywood Reporter article also mentions a some other casting in the coming season, including Tony Hale (formerly of Arrested Development) in a new series called Cop House and Eliza Coupe an ABC remake of the British series No Heroics. So, of the three, Tony Hale is the only one not appearing in a remake. Good for him!

(S01E02) Last week we were introduced to T and Buck, and this week we got to meet Alice. While T may be the most outrageous, and Buck the strangest, this first impression suggests that Alice is the most dangerous of Tara's alters. Along with learning about Alice, and her future plans, it was also a big night for guest spots. Tony Hale, Patton Oswalt, and Nathan Corddry were all along for the ride.

(S02E05) I knew it! Others have thought video games were nothing but mind-numbing entertainment that produced a generation of nerds, dweebs, and creators of Red Bull. But they were more...much more. They were keys to, pardon the phrase, weapons of mass destruction. What dual roles have other video games had during their history? Space Invaders as the guide map for the invasion of Iraq? Pac-Man the secret plan to solve America's energy crisis? And...and...what about Grand Theft Auto? Okay, that's really mind-numbing entertainment. But, that's beside the point!

This is just further proof that you need to take your children's video game consoles and toss them into the deepest pit in the farthest land. Well, except for the Wii, because you can exercise and play games at the same time. Brilliant! And, hey, if your kids ask you where they should put their missile launch codes, tell them to place them in a shoe box under their beds. Just the way you did when you were their age.

Now you know, and knowing is half the battle. Let's get on with this week's review.

A lot of hilarious, yet terrible, things run in the Bluth family--huge mistakes, catchphrases, and unconventional modes of transportation. In honor of TV Squad's Arrested Development week, let's take a look at some of the qualities that make the Bluths unique.

Drinking and Drug Problems - Lucille's drinking problem is world-famous, but the other Bluths have been known to use alcohol and drugs on occasion. Lindsay had some issues with Zanatab back when she was part of "The Solution," and Buster can't get enough juice. G.O.B. frequently used roofies (known to him as forget-me-nows) on other people during his magic career. In the clip below, the Bluth siblings and Tobias got drunk to prepare themselves for an intervention. Michael only lets loose when he's drunk, and it's a wonderful thing to see. I love that he's wearing a Franklin wig.

Do not adjust your web browser. You are now entering the Retro Squad, where we are reviewing past episodes of classic TV shows.

I will admit, I was super late to the Arrested Development game. It had been canceled and I'm pretty sure everything was on DVD. Actually, I remember the first time I watched an episode, it was on G4. There was that guy from Teen Wolf Too and he was talking to David Cross, who was painted like a Smurf for some reason. And then he did some things that didn't really make sense, and I laughed nervously because I was worried I had become too stupid to keep up with sitcoms. I gave up after another ten minutes of confusion and switched over to Flavor of Love or something equally brain-numbing to make myself feel better.

Do not adjust your web browser. You are now entering the Retro Squad, where we are reviewing past episodes of classic TV shows.

(S01E01) Some shows come out of the gate with such a power that you can't help but stand up and take notice. For the far too few of us who happened to catch Arrested Development when it premiered, it quickly established that it was going to be something a little different than the other comedy fare on the television. The trend at the time was moving toward the single camera format, that's almost become the norm for comedies nowadays (The Office, My Name is Earl, hell NBC's entire Thursday night lineup).

There was a time when audiences were less receptive to this kind of television. It was funny, but minus a laugh track. So while shows like The King of Queens, Everybody Loves Raymond and even According to Jim had this comfortable format with the basic house set and laughter to cue us into the funny bits, AD was something a bit more challenging. Perhaps it was just a few years ahead of its time, or perhaps it was on the wrong network (FOX), or perhaps it was just too smart for its own good.

According to The Hollywood Reporter, Tony Hale, who played Buster on Arrested Development, has signed on to two second-year series to play recurring roles. On Chuck, Hale will play Emmett, an efficiency expert sent in by Buy More who stays on as the store's assistant manager after he sees how poorly the store is being run (which is going to happen when one of your techs and one of your salespeople work for government agencies). On Samantha Who?, Hale will play Samantha's new doctor, Andy Adams.

I'm pretty sure neither role will be as funny as Hale's turn as Buster, the hook-handed soldier / mama's boy that was always one of my favorite AD characters. But, hey, an actor's gotta work, and Hale picked two pretty good shows to work on. By the way, right at the top of Hale's IMDb profile are some of the sweetest words I've read all month: "Arrested Development (2009) (announced) .... Byron 'Buster' Bluth"

[via Pop Candy]

Last November, Brett told you that Michael Cera (Arrested Development) would be starring in a new Web series with his pal, actor Clark Duke. The series would be called The Good Life, and it would be available for viewing on the CBS innertube broadband site.

Well, two things have changed, apparently: the new series is now called Clark and Michael, and it's not on innertube, it's at ClarkAnd Michael.com, so go check it out.

Oh, come on!

NBC has canceled Andy Barker, P.I. After airing only four episodes, the network sent the remaining two episodes to Saturdays and Scrubs will air in its place starting this Thursday night (that was already the plan, it's just happening earlier).

This is so depressing. Did anybody see the chicken episode two weeks ago? I howled with laughter over that one. Admittedly, last week's episode wasn't that great. According to The Futon Critic, Barker had its lowest ratings last week with 1.8. I'd like to know what kind of numbers NBC had on its website, where it posted all six episodes of Andy Barker for free before it even premiered on the network.

I just knew that it wasn't going to survive because A) Andy Richter is cursed, B) People wouldn't get it, and C) NBC wasn't going to give it a chance. You have to watch closely to see past the main story of Andy, the naive CPA-turned private investigator and find the humor in the supporting characters. Tony Hale as a video store geek and Marshall Manesh as an Afghani restaurant owner had hilarious lines, but maybe they weren't obvious enough to people.

(S01E01) I can't help but be afraid for this new series. I think it's great. I think people who enjoy the subtle comedy of The Office and My Name is Earl will also think it's pretty great. ("subtle", by the way, compared to a sitcom where we're told when to laugh) But it's going to take a while for this one to catch on. I can only hope that NBC will give Andy Barker, P.I. a fighting chance the same way it held on to The Office while it found an audience.

For those of you looking forward to the grand return of Andy Richter and Tony Hale to television, wait no longer. NBC has posted the first six episodes of Andy Barker, P.I. (in their entirety) on its website. You have to watch advertisements for TurboTax to see them.

The half-hour comedy series is a mid-season pick-up for NBC. Richter stars as a CPA-turned private eye when he is mistaken for the detective who used to occupy his workspace. I only watched the pilot, but the jokes are very Conan O'Brien-- which is not surprising since he created, produced and wrote the show. Tony Hale (Arrested Development) plays a movie snob who owns a video store, but is bored so he joins Andy to solve mysteries. I laughed out loud a few times- mostly at Hale's comments about Sandra Bullock and Meet the Fockers.

In case you're old school and like to watch your television the way they did when you were a kid, Andy Barker, P.I. premieres on Thursday, March 15th on NBC at 9:30 pm.

Conventional wisdom has become official word. Andy Barker P.I., the half-hour comedy starring Andy Richter and produced by Conan O'Brien, will make its broadcast debut on Thursday, March 15th at 9:30 on NBC. That's 30 Rock's time slot, but they'll be back after a five week run of Andy. In addition to Andy Richter, the show stars Tony Hale - Buster of Arrested Development fame. Writer Jane Espenson, who announced the show's premiere date on her website, also revealed that Amy Sedaris will be stopping by for a guest stint.

I had a chance to sit down and read the Andy Barker pilot script last week, and I'm happy to report that this is charming, Richter-esque comedy. It's stylized, understated and a touch absurdist - the fancy word for goofy. It's firmly in the Lookwell school, the failed P.I. pilot produced by Conan O'Brien and Robert Smigel in the early 90s. You can check out Lookwell on YouTube while you wait for Andy Barker's March 15th debut.