TVSquad

As I was surfing the world wide web over the weekend, I stumbled on a fun clip on the Entertainment Weekly website featuring actor Will Arnett. The caption describing the clip said "Will Arnett - Part 1. How to get the Arrested Development movie made."

Even if according to U.K.'s The Times, Jason Bateman confirmed that the rumored Arrested Development movie is definitely happening, I'm not getting my hopes up too quick and I'm ready to try anything and almost everything to ensure that the Bluths appear in a movie (be it on the big screen, a DVD or a special TV movie). That being said, I clicked on the play button to listen to what Arnett had to suggest.

Jason Bateman is keeping himself busy. Hot off his pilot directing debut with Do Not Disturb, he has signed a deal with 20th Century Fox for a first-look at the new series. Obviously, he doesn't hold a grudge from the network's shoddy treatment of Arrested Development.

The new series will be developed under the banner of Bateman's company, F+A Productions. Do Not Disturb stars Jerry O'Connell and it was the only live-action comedy pilot Fox picked up as a new series for next season.

"He did an excellent job on the pilot visually, brought great energy and enthusiasm to it and, as an actor, he really understands how to talk to and motivate actors," said Gary Newman, 20th TV co-chairman. Bateman is also scheduled to lend his voice to the Fox animated series Sit Down, Shut Up which is scheduled to begin in the fall.

Jason Bateman has come a long way since Silver Spoons. I'm still eagerly waiting for the new season of It's Your Move.

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.

This week TV Squad has been paying tribute to Arrested Development with special Retro Squad pieces. I decided that I would highlight my favorite character from the show, GOB. After watching several episodes of Arrested Development, I realized that I couldn't just narrow it down to the five greatest moments. I would have to do a list for each season.

You've already seen Five greatest GOB moments (season one) and Five greatest GOB moments (season two). After the jump, I have my favorite moments from season three.

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

(S01E02) Many people will tell you that they got sucked into Arrested Development by its pilot. I wasn't. For some reason, I didn't watch the pilot when it first aired. But that's just fine, because the second episode, "Top Banana," was a perfect representation of everything AD ended up being. Throwaway jokes. Quick cut-aways and flashbacks. Subtle catchphrase generation. A "lesson of the week" couched in vicious barbs between members of the Bluth family. Oh, and two words that I'll never forget: "No touching!"

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.

This week TV Squad has been paying tribute to Arrested Development with special Retro Squad pieces. I decided that I would highlight my favorite character from the show, GOB. After watching several episodes of Arrested Development, I realized that I couldn't just narrow it down to the five greatest moments. I would have to do a list for each season.

You've already seen Five greatest GOB moments (season one). After the jump, I have my favorite moments from season two.

Give Justine Bateman credit: She could have been typecast after playing the dippy, fashion-obsessed Mallory Keaton on Family Ties, but she's been able to build a nice career for herself over the last twenty years by playing interesting supporting roles in movies like The TV Set and series like Desperate Housewives. But she's also been -- just like 75% of the people in Hollywood -- an aspiring writer, struggling to get her scripts produced (and you think having connections helps ... she knows Michael J. Fox and her brother is Jason Bateman, and she still couldn't get her scripts produced).

But now she can add "sitcom writer" to her credits; she just wrote an episode of The Disney Channel's hit Wizards of Waverly Place, according to the New York Daily News. Apparently, she's a friend of executive producer Peter Murrieta, and she got to know some of the show's writers during the writers' strike. So, when the strike ended, she was invited to write an episode for the show.

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

(S02E01) Here's the rundown. Michael and his son leave for Phoenix. Well, not really. Michael needs money so he ends up going back to his old life at the model home in order to track down the company check book.

While Michael tries to do something productive, the rest of the siblings are into the usual mischief. When she and Tobias decide to explore an open relationship, Lindsay falls for a real estate agent. Tobias readies himself to join the Blue Man Group, excited at this new acting opportunity. GOB, who has been put in charge of the company, finds the contracts with Saddam Hussein but inadvertently gives them to his father who is dressed up like Oscar, George Sr.'s twin brother. Buster reconnects with Uncle Oscar but gets enlisted in the army by Lucille.

And at the end of the day, the Bluths realize they all need each other. If they didn't, it wouldn't be Arrested Development.

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.

Ok, it is after midnight here in the Jet City, and as I sit down to bang this post out on my beloved Model M it would appear that my tasty glass of juice is half empty. Maybe I'm just not in the right frame of mind to spin this news in a positive direction that will lead to a 2009 full of Dollhouse win.

Tucked away in a report on various network goings on over at Hollywood Reporter is a little line that says "Dollhouse is expected to launch mid-season." This is me shaking my fist in the general direction of Fox and screaming "Khaaaaan!" Just, because. Doesn't this seem like a road that has been traveled before? It's one that usually leads to a pretty disappointing destination. We haven't seen the finished fall schedule yet, but I would wager that most of us could easily find three or four hours where the network would be better served by inserting Dollhouse. Highlights of what the networks have planned are available after the jump.

Fox has made the call, and it's a big "see ya later" for Kelsey Grammer and Patricia Heaton. But their loss is someone else's gain. The pilot for the Jason Bateman directed comedy series The Inn has been picked up for a 13-week commitment, while Back to You has been axed. The Brad Garrett-Joely Fisher sitcom, Til Death, meanwhile, has been given another year.

Bateman, who starred in Arrested Development -- the Emmy-award winning comedy that the network dumped unceremoniously because of low ratings -- was behind the camera for The Inn pilot. The show, which is about the haves and have-nots in a fancy, five-star New York City hotel, has a promising cast of funny folks including Niecy Nash (Reno 911!), Jerry O'Connell (who looks like Jason's twin), and the really hilarious Jesse Tyler Ferguson (remember him on The Class -- he was so funny!).

It's an Arrested Development reunion! Well, not quite. But Jason Bateman, Will Arnett and Henry Winkler will be lending their voices for a new Fox animated series called Sit Down, Shut Up.

The show centers around staff members at a high school where the student needs become secondary. It is based on an live-action Australian series. Also joining the voice cast are Cheri Oteri, Will Forte, Regina King, Nick Kroll, Tom Kenny and Maria Bamford.

It's a common strategy of television shows to bring together two or more cast members from previous successful series and call it a "reunion." I've seen Lost In Space reunions on Babylon 5 and Dukes of Hazzard reunions on Smallville.

Arrested Development has its own cult following, which I do not count myself among. I enjoyed episodes of the show, but don't go out of my way to see it or own it on DVD. However, given AD's following, it may mean more viewers for Sit Down, Shut Up.

Hollywood people are strange folk. In the normal world people who are sacked by the company they worked for wouldn't normally return to it in another capacity, especially if they were treated poorly during their employment. Yet, for some reason, when actors are let go from a network because of a show cancellation they tend to go back for more punishment.

Take Jason Bateman as an example. After his critically-acclaimed and fan-favorite comedy Arrested Development was unceremoniously canceled by FOX in 2006 you would think that he wouldn't step anywhere near the network. In fact, you would think that he would jump to another network and make it big just to rub it in FOX's face. Yet, there is news that he is directing a comedy pilot for them. Go figure.

Now that the Arrested Development movie is pretty much a done deal, fans are dreaming of what the big screen event should include. FilmSchoolRejects listed eight things the Arested Development movie must include, such as the stair car, Lucille 2, and the banana stand. Being the AD fan that I am (I've seen every episode at least 5 times if not more), I've decided to come up with my own list. A girl can dream, no?