- The Record Archives
- Volume CXVIII, No. XXII - December 1, 2005 -
FOX made a mistake by cancelling Arrested Development
Staff writer
By Joe Pokorney
Guest columnist
If anyone is missing a bathtub full of grain alcohol, they might find it at the FOX Network headquarters.
Of course, just like their new Monday night lineup, it would be empty and not funny at all.
Last week, FOX executives, displaying the same shrewd logic that led to hit reality shows like "Americas Trashiest Weddings" and "Who Wants to Marry My Dad?", decided to cancel "Arrested Development," television's best comedy. What were they thinking?
Is it possible that they could have made this choice under chemical influence?
To borrow a line from the show they destroyed, those are the questions I don't want to answer.
Intelligent and character driven, "Arrested Development" apparently confused the masses by avoiding the decades-old jokes that have been borrowed, repackaged and spit out by sitcoms from "Leave it to Beaver" to "Dharma and Greg."
Instead, it relied on brilliant writing and talented actors.
Those that gave the show a chance were rewarded with a unique depth of humor rarely found on TV.
I don't understand.
Fox finally gets its hands on a quality comedy that isn't animated, and then lets it die in its arms.
Sort of like the Vikings getting to the Super Bowl then deciding to skip it for round two on the party boat.
Maybe FOX didn't want shows like Prison Break to get outshone by Arrested's critical success.
Why else would they cancel a show that won 5 out of the network's 10 Emmy's in 2004, including best comedy series?
Yes, you read that correctly.
Half their Emmy's and it gets the big ugly ax.
But, to be fair, not all the blame rests on them.
By not tuning in, American TV watchers let an all-time classic slip through their fingers.
It's too bad that we can't embrace something that's a little bit different, sometimes that takes a bit of thought.
Still, FOX should recognize the show's high quality and give it more room to grow and find an audience.
Instead, this is my guess of what happened:
JIM FROM SIOUX CITY (watching Arrested): "What is this? I don't get it. Turn it back to "World's Ugliest Babies."
FOX EXECUTIVE A: "Alright then, the people have spoken."
FOX EXECUTIVE B: "Hey, where's my drink?"
In all seriousness, though, the entire situation is a gloomy example of how shallow companies can be in their quest for dollars.
Being the best isn't enough anymore. And that's a shame.
This is the opinion of Joe Pokorney, a junior economics major at SJU. Contact him at jjpokorney@csbsju.edu.