Now that Arrested Development's fourth season has been out for months, you've certainly had time to watch the fifteen episodes, right? So spoilers are no longer a problem? Not that it matters too much, as the greatest recurrent themes about the characters came out long before the Netflix resurrection of the comedy.
Someone on the internet has come up with a fake game called Bluth Fighter and joking about Boyfights, the series of tapes that George Sr. did of his sons as children. It's only a short clip and just a few characters can be seen, but the likenesses are great, the mannerisms are spot-on, and the jokes are themed well. GOB does magic and uses a segway, Tobias is covered in blue paint and has a Carl Weathers tag-out, and even Tony Wonder being a playable character. I never really got into fighting games, though my brother and I did enjoy a WCW arcade game years ago.
What do you think? Would you play this game if it was real? Buy it?
We try out so many new pilots each season that some series fall through the cracks and are not discovered until later. For instance, longtime readers know that we didn't begin covering The Big Bang Theory until the start of the sixth season, Two and a Half Men until the ninth season, and The Middle in the third season (after dabbling throughout the prior year, starting with the second episode of the second season). Since May and the end of the past network season, I have tried a bunch of in-progress shows, ranging from Parks and Recreation to Psych. Only one has stuck, and I have absolutely fallen in love with it!
USA's White Collar.
Eric Ogden/USA Network
It all started one night over the summer when my husband and I had no plans. Neither of us wanted to watch an episode of the shows we were currently Netflixing (like the new season of Arrested Development), and we were in search of a new drama (having just wrapped Friday Night Lights), so we went through the "recommended" series. White Collar was the only one we came across in ten minutes that neither of us objected to, so we tried it out. I was instantly hooked with the Catch Me If You Can similarity, and Matt Bomer being easy on the eyes didn't hurt. Peter and Mozzie's characters also seemed very intriguing, and before you knew it, we were on the third season, binge-watching a few episodes each evening. I actually really started loving the show after the Kate storyline was wrapped and the focus of the drama was so straightforward. Yes, it is a bit of a procedural, with a crime-of-the-week premise, but the crimes are fascinating to me! Similarly, I think that the ongoing arcs have had great writing and skillful acting, and that's why I keep going back for me.
So, surprise! When White Collar returns on Thursday, October 17th at 9pm, we'll be watching. Look for our first recap with remarks on the 18th!
This truly is a fun one that you might have seen already, as it seemed to have gone viral... just like everything else related to Arrested Development in the past couple of months. Many people are on the countdown, and the final hours are now ticking until the new batch of fourteen episodes are made available via Netflix Streaming. If you are amongst the fans, you might like to take a look at this site, which tracks the recurring jokes throughout the first three seasons. You can sort by joke or by episode, and I can see this tactic being useful if you need to catch up on a few things or if you play some version of the Arrested Development drinking game and want to see which episodes might make your bladder burst. You can also hover over the yellow circles to get more information. Here, take a look at an example of how it works - I selected "Chicken Dance" as the joke and am hovering over the additional info for S02E10:
There seems to be no definitive word regarding whether the creator will update this with the jokes from the fourth season, but let's all hope so! Now, go have fun!
Here we go, the sequel to our Top 10 Television Democrats! No pairs today, so it's truly ten characters listed below, including one who is very new this season but she's so staunch that we couldn't make the list without her!
all images pulled from wikisand IMDB
10. Lucille Bluth, Arrested Development. Out of touch with the
economic problems surrounding her, Lucille doesn't believe that it's
her responsibility to take care of anyone she doesn't have to. She also
has no concept of economics or poverty, believing that the poor must
certainly be able to afford food, bananas are only like ten dollars.
Humorously, she won't respond to to questions she doesn't understand,
has a Bush/Cheney 2000 sweater, and the internet has created a Mitt Romney/Lucille Bluth tumblr, (and a Lucille Bluth/Mitt Romney one) if you need some laughs about her conservatism.
9. Ned Flanders, The Simpsons. It's not difficult to see that Homer's neighbor is a pretty conservative guy... in fact, he might top the list for Springfield. He has said that he wished they "lived in a place more like the America of yesteryear that only exists in the brains of us Republicans," solidifying his stance against change and the desire to turn back the clock, as many see Republicans to believe. When his son, Todd, asks him what taxes pay for, Ned explains that the go toward "policemen, trees, sunshine. And let's not forget the folks who just don't feel like working," another quote showing his anti-handout grounding. It's difficult to get beyond that because his Christian outlook begins to mingle with his political affiliation.
8. Cindy Sanders, Freaks and Geeks. Cindy is the head of the
Young Republicans club at McKinley High, and receives the honor of
introducing Vice President George H. W. Bush when he comes for an
assembly. Cindy stops dating Todd partly because he is a Democrat, and
she annoys Sam with her political rants to the point where he becomes
disinterested in her. One of her key conservative lines may be, "poor people shouldn't get handouts; they should get jobs."
7. Jane Forrest, The New Normal. A new character this year,
Jane is very proud of her Republican upbringing and beliefs. She forced
her daughter to keep her baby at age 18, because she needed to face the
responsibility of her actions. She also stole Goldie's ballot in 2008
and is shocked when Goldie might not vote Republican in 2012. She's very against the "definition of marriage" changing, so when Shania has a pretend wedding to classmate Wilbur, Jane organizes a protest with some of the girls at the school whose parents have Romney stickers on their cars. Not bad for a character who has only been in six episodes so far!
6. Howard Cunningham, Happy Days. Late in the second
season, "The Not Making of the President" (which can be seen on Bing)
has Howard as an Eisenhower
supporter. That's not much, but when Richie decides to campaign for
Adlai Stevenson because a girl he likes is the President of the Junior
Democrats, Howard is upset that Richie isn't respecting his opinion.
He's also upset that other people are putting Stevenson bumper stickers
on his car, but he flips his lid when Richie makes a speech for a
Democrat when the Cunningham family is a long line of Republicans. When
Fonzie is also shown to support Ike in the 1956 election, Howard is
intrigued, though he later admits that he respects Richie for thinking
for himself. When Marion admits to voting for Stevenson, however, Howard
again erupts!
5. Carlton Banks, The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air. He doesn't miss an opportunity to remind people that he's a Republican. He thinks that wealthy people should be left alone and not have to pay higher taxes, that everyone should look out for their own interests, and that laws should have strict interpretations. He's not big on environmental protection like his sister, Hilary, and thinks that environment in which you're raised shouldn't affect your outcome too much - everyone knows right from wrong and has the ability to work hard. He follows that party line pretty hard...
4. Stan Smith, American Dad. Stan is a very impulsive guy,
latching onto and then abandoning beliefs as they fit his situation,
though he doesn't sway from being a card-carrying member of the NRA.
He's pro-surveillance (of course, he works for the CIA), patriotic to
the bitter end, and opposed homosexuality and gay marriage for the first
season of the show. He's offended when he's not chosen to give a speech
at the Republican National Convention, and is an authoritarian to the
point where he'll brainwash his family into obeying him. He quotes
Reagan, considers George Bush to be a hero, and opposes abortion. Am I
missing any glaring Republican traits?
3. Charles Winchester from M*A*S*H. He's an
uber-conservative. What's interesting, though, is that rather than
adoring Republicans, he just really hates Democrats, like Franklin
Delano Roosevelt and Harry S Truman. Charles is so conservative that he
says things like "a lot of people dribble soup on their chins and vote
for Democrats," that he'd rather "share his toothbrush with a Democrat"
than ask to borrow Margaret's record player, and "he's so conservative
that he'd make McCarthy look like a New Dealer.
2. Alex P. Keaton, Family Ties. In contrast to his "hippie"
parents, Alex is a staunch Republican, idolizing Nixon (both framed on
his wall and appearing on his lunchbox!) and voting for
Reagan and George H. W. Bush during the run of the show. Alex has a keen
interest in economics, belongs to the Young Republicans, and dreams
about the Declaration of Independence being written. A good chunk of the
entire series features Alex being conservative in one way or another,
actually. 1. Archie Bunker, All in the Family. As the only Republican in his household (Edith voted for Carter in 1976 and Mike donated to the McGovern campaign, just for the tip of the iceberg), Archie maintains a conservative stance on many things, causing regular tension with his family. Though he is also seen as an extreme bigot, his Republican perspectives led him to support Nixon and Reagan, and oppose peace protestors and civil rights movement organizers. Additionally, when his neighbor, George Jefferson, runs for a local office on the Republican ticket, Archie supports him, regardless of his George's African-American heritage.
Here, take a look at him rail the Democrats.
Some honorable mentions include Matt Camden on 7th Heaven, Spinner Mason on Degrassi: The Next Generation, Charlotte on Sex and the City, and Leon Carp on Roseanne. Who is missing?
Cast & Plot Updates: Jamie Chung will be joining the cast of Once Upon a Time - as Mulan. Other characters to be featured next season include Jack (and the Beanstalk), Sleeping Beauty, and Captain Hook.
Carly Rae Jepsen will perform on the Monday, October 8th season premiere of 90210.
Barry Watson (Matt from 7th Heaven) will play a love interest for Blake Lively's character on Gossip Girl.
Game of Thrones is getting quite a few cast additions,
including Diana Rigg, Mackenzie Crook, Clive Russell, Nathalie
Emannuel, Kerry Ingram, Paul Kaye, Thomas Brodie-Sangster, Ellie
Kendrick, Richard Dormer, Kristofer Hivju, Phillip McGinley, Tara
Fitzgerald, Tobaias Manzies, and Anton Lesser.
Joel McHale will play a con man on Sons of Anarchy.
American Dad will have a bunch of guest voices in the future, including Nathan Filion, Jon Hamm, Rupert Grint, and Sarah Michelle Gellar.
Shows in Development & Other Fun Stuff:
Fan of Arrested Development? There's an art show in LA based on the series, running now through July 21st. If nothing else, click the link to check out the slideshow!
TNT has ordered a pilot for The Last Ship,
executive-produced by Michael Bay. It is based on William Brinkley's
novel and focuses on "a global catastrophe" that has resulted in the
only survivors being aboard a naval destroyer.
USA has given summer start dates to many of its shows. Check out Royal Pains and Necessary Roughness returning on Wednesday, June 6th, Burn Notice and Suits coming Thursday, June 14th, and White Collar and Covert Affairs on Tuesday, July 10th.
When Arrested Development debuts its fourth season next year, all ten episodes will premiere on the same day via Netflix streaming. There have also been talks about possible fifth and sixth seasons as well. Oh, and Bob Loblaw is also scheduled to return as well.
Amber Tamblyn will be on the House finale, May 21st, reprising her role as Martha Masters. There are also rumors of Kal Penn returning as Kutner for the finale.
Have you even had time to miss Rosie O'Donnell yet? She's going to be back on television soon, joining Star Jones and Donny Deutsch on Today's "The Professionals" panel in the 8am hour. Shows in Development & Other Fun Stuff: NBC's 13 Mockingbird Lane (which I think is just going to be called "The New Munsters" by everyone) now has some artwork available, and they've mentioned that the costumes are going to be "almost the Real Housewives of Transylvania" and will feature animal textures. Lily's wardrobe "comes from nature," for instance.
If you want to catch Girls or Veep and don't subscribe to HBO, you can catch the pilots for free until the middle of May on HBO.com, DailyMotion, YouTube, TV.com, and some Free-On-Demand platforms.
Is Smash not enough Marilyn Monroe for you? If so, you're in luck - Finding Marilyn will feature twelve women vying for a chance to become "the next great American icon."
BET has ordered four new shows, including Generation Wayans (Craig & Damien + four nephews), House Husbands (based on the skit from the BET Awards), The Mathis Project (criminal docu-reality series), and Don't Sleep with TJ Holmes (late-night).
Disney hasDog with a Blog coming to the small screen - "a family sitcom from the pet's point-of-view" where parents buy step-siblings a dog "to encourage them to get along." Turns out, the dog can talk... AND BLOG. Interesting, huh?
NBC will have a new matchmaking show this winter, called Ready for Love, which will use Facebook to get things started.
Go On, the NBC comedy starring Matthew Perry, has a series order. Perry plays a sportscaster who is in mandatory group therapy.
If you use Chrome, you can add the "My Episode Guide" extension to track when your favorite shows have new episodes coming up.
Nothing too lengthy today. Not long ago, I saw this link on facebook. I couldn't believe how neat this was. It's not the most detailed depiction on the planet, but it's pretty amazing stuff. If you are a fan of the short-changed Arrested Development, you've got to go take a look. Below is a teaser....
- NBC has pushed the season premiere of Chuck and the series premiere of Grimm back a week; they will now start October 28th.
- CBS's Rules of Engagement will start on Saturday the 15th now, a week later than previously planned.
- That 90s block on TeenNick? It's moving to 10pm instead of midnight, and Hey Dude and Stick Stickly are being added.
Cast & Plot Updates:
- Melinda McGraw has been cast as one of Gibbs' ex-wives on NCIS.
Shows in Development & Other Fun Stuff:
- Oxygen green-lights The Next Big Thing, Brooklyn Crew, Tanisha Gets Married, all working titles. The first will follow Trapper Felides as he trains performers to break into show business. The second looks at a group of girls and the events that tore them apart. The last focuses on Tanisha Thomas' wedding planning process. [Oxygen Media Press Release]
- It's been all over the internet for the past few days... Arrested Development may be back for a short (9-10 episode) season and a movie.
- Because of host costly The Simpsons is to make, it may not have a bright future. The voice actors need to take a serious pay cut if the show will return next year.
Hulu made the second season of Arrested Developmentavailable online. Now, I just finished the second season a week ago, but if you've never seen it, now's as good a time as any.
Huge got canceled. I'm sad, as I really liked that show. Ratings had steadily declined. However, there is an online petition to try to save it. Similarly, I hear that 19 Kids and Counting isn't doing well, so they may be nearing their end, too. Unless an announcement of #20 spikes things again...
The Senate passed a bill to force commercials to be quieter. As in, not louder than the show they are interrupting. It was unanimous. The House has already passed a similar bill (there are minor differences). This could be a law soon... and I have mixed feelings on it.
Um, it's October. But, plans for May sweeps are already underway. FOX plans to have all three Seth MacFarlane shows (Family Guy, American Dad, and The Cleveland Show) have a giant crossover as a hurricane hits all three. Yes, you read right... it's hitting Washington, DC, Stoolbend, VA, and Quahog, RI.
All sorts of new things are going on with GoogleTV.
This isn't real-time news, but it's new to me: Shredder, the bad guy from the late-80s-early-90s cartoon Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles was voiced by James Avery... aka Uncle Phil from The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air. Crazy.
As if the show wasn't popular enough, Modern Family is considering doing a musical episode.
I don't watch these shows, but premiere dates for White Collar (Tuesday, January 18th, 10pm) and Royal Pains (Thursday, January 20th, 9pm) are up.
Now here's a funny one. My husband and I never really knew anything about Arrested Development. And I mean nothing. Not sure what years it ran, what network, who was in it, what it was about, even if it was a comedy or a drama (or heck, it might have been a reality show for all we knew). But, shortly after we moved back to Florida (for a whopping two weeks, but that's a separate story), one of our friends told us all about it, as he had recently gotten into it (and was working his way through the series).
So, after watching the first season and most of the second so far, I can report that it's most definitely a comedy. It's absolutely hilarious. It's very atypical. There are a lot of flashbacks, a lot of (absolutely necessary) narration, and a lot of unresolved stories. In case you also know nothing about the show, it's basically about a family who has gone from riches to rags. Granddad has gone to jail for embezzlement, and most of the family is ignorant of the fact that the money is actually gone. Grandma still lives in a lush apartment with her youngest adult child (a perpetual graduate student), while the rest of the family (the other three kids, one of their spouses, and two grandkids) resides in a model home that the family owned. Storylines revolve around dealing with granddad in jail and the middle son trying to run the company (and the family), the granddaughter rebelling, the grandson having a crush on the granddaughter, and everyone else being unsuccessful at actually working for a living.
Okay, it's bizarre, I know. But, it's a real knee-slapper. And, the drinking game for this show started before I had ever saw an episode - two of our friends had to make suggestions about what would be included. We've altered them somewhat since then, and what we currently use is reproduced below.
Take ONE drink:
- whenever they're at the banana stand
- whenever there's a flashback
- whenever someone is visiting the jail
- whenever Tobias is wearing cut-offs
- whenever Lindsay flirts
- whenever Michael refers to Ann by anything other than her name (like egg, "her," Annhog, etc)
- whenever George Michael alludes to having a crush on Maeby
- whenever Maeby says "marry me"
- whenever Lucille pokes at Lindsay's appearance
- whenever Oscar tries to point out that he's Buster's father
- whenever Gob attempts to do a magic trick
- whenever Buster talks about or is drinking juice
- whenever we see the staircar or the segway
- whenever we see a newspaper clipping
Taken TWO Drinks:
- whenever someone says "I've made a HUGE mistake"
- whenever someone says "No Touching!"
- whenever we hear an air horn
- whenever the house is falling apart
- whenever we hear the name, "Steve Holt!"
Topics:
Amy K. Bredemeyer,
Arrested Development,
Fun Friday,
gaming
This isn't real-time news, but it's new to me: Shredder, the bad guy from the late-80s-early-90s cartoon Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles was voiced by James Avery... aka Uncle Phil from The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air. Crazy.