Widower Michael Bluth has been working for his father's development
company since he was a teenager manning the family's frozen banana
stand, and he and his son George Michael have gone so far as to move
into one of the company's model homes. So when his father George Sr.
throws his retirement party on the family yacht, Michael expects that
he will be announced as his father's successor. Instead, Michael gets
two surprises: His mother is the new President, and his father is under
investigation by the SEC. So Michael has to hold his wildly
dysfunctional family together.
Michael Bluth denounces his family after George Sr. escapes to
Mexico with his secretary Kitty. But when Michael announces plans to
move to Phoenix, Barry informs him that he cannot leave California or
he will face prosecution for his father's crimes. While Michael
scrambles to find the company checkbook, Lucille signs Buster up for
the Army, and Lindsay and Tobias institute an open marriage.
(2003 - 2006) - Jason Bateman, Portia de Rossi, Will Arnett, Michael Cera
Genre: Comedy
CAST
Jason Bateman ... Michael Bluth
Portia de Rossi ... Lindsay Bluth Funke
Will Arnett ... George "Gob" Bluth II
Michael Cera ... George-Michael Bluth
Alia Shawkat ... Mae "Maeby" Funke
Tony Hale ... Byron "Buster" Bluth
David Cross ... Tobias Funke
Jeffrey Tambor ... George Bluth Sr.
Jessica Walter ... Lucille Bluth
Ron Howard ... Narrator
Henry Winkler ... Barry Zuckerkorn
John F. Beard ... Himself
Mae Whitman ... Ann Veal
B.W. Gonzalez ... Lupe
Justin Lee ... Annyong Bluth
Liza Minnelli ... Lucille Austero
Judy Greer ... Kitty Sanchez
Justin Grant Wade ... Steve Holt
Charlie Hartsock ... Ted
Jeff Garlin ... Mort Meyers
Michael Paul Chan ... Judge Lionel Ping
Michael Bartel ... Young Michael
Patricia Velasquez ... Marta Estrella
Amy Poehler ... Bride of Gob
Mo Collins ... Starla
Jay Johnston ... Officer Taylor
John Michael Higgins ... Wayne Jarvis
Ed Begley Jr. ... Stan Sitwell
Bronwen Masters ... Adelaide
Charlize Theron ... Rita
Dave Thomas ... Trevor
Bob Einstein ... Larry
James Lipton ... Warden Stefan Gentles
Ian Roberts ... The Literal Doctor
Julia Louis-Dreyfus ... Maggie Lizer
Stacey Grenrock-Woods ... Trisha Thoon
Scott Baio ... Bob Loblaw
Sam Pancake ... James Alan Spangler
Jerry Minor ... Officer Carter
David Reynolds ... White Power Bill
Carl Weathers ... Himself
Regi Davis ... Guard
Jason Aaron Tinero ... Young Buster
Danielle Cipolla ... Young Maeby
Bruno Oliver ... Guard
J.J. Wall ... Uncle Paul
Ben Stiller ... Tony Wonder
Jonathan Schmock ... Lionel
Christian Lavery ... Young George-Michael
Leonor Varela ... Marta Estrella
Malik Yoba ... Ice
Dick Van Patten ... Cal Cullen
Jane Lynch ... Cindi Lightballoon
Dave Attell ... Himself
Rob Corddry ... Moses Taylor
Michael Blieden ... Agent Cummings
Rocky McMurray ... Warden James Buck
Christine Taylor ... Sally Sitwell
Dan Horton ... Marcus
Alden Villaverde ... Little Justice
Abraham Higginbotham ... Gary
Becky Thyre ... Loretta
Robb Skyler ... Accountant
Maggie Rowe ... Juror #4
Zach Braff ... Phillip Litt
Richard Belzer ... Detective John Munch
Steve Ryan ... J. Walter Weatherman
Ross Gibby ... Doctor
Bradley Stryker ... Man
Angela Russo ... Teacher
Jim Cramer ... Himself
Jack McBrayer ... Country Club Waiter
William Hung ... Himself
Bob Glouberman ... Doctor
Caitlin Sedio ... Teen Lindsay
Matt Price ... Agent Freeling
Jamie Kennedy ... Himself
Andy Richter ... Himself
Nathalia Ramos ... Hope Loblaw
Sarah Scott ... 'Beautiful' Kitty
Created by:
Mitchell Hurwitz
Writing credits:
Mitchell Hurwitz
James Vallely
Barbara Feldman
Chuck Martin
Richard Rosenstock
Brad Copeland
John Levenstein
Abraham Higginbotham
Richard Day
Chuck Tatham
Courtney Lilly
Ron Weiner
Opening theme: "Arrested Development "
Written by: David Schwartz
Original music by:
David Schwartz
Cinematography by:
Greg Harrington
James Hawkinson
Language: English
Country: United States
Directed by:
Joe Russo
Paul Feig
Anthony Russo
Lee Shallat Chemel
Jay Chandrasekhar
Greg Mottola
John Fortenberry
Peter Lauer
Robert Berlinger
Lev L. Spiro
Produced by:
Mitchell Hurwitz
Diane Mercer
Brian Grazer
Ron Howard
David Nevins
Brad Copeland
Barbara Feldman
John Levenstein
Chuck Martin
Richard Rosenstock
James Vallely
John Amodeo
David Shafer
Victor Hsu
Jennifer Crittenden
Dean Lorey
Tom Saunders
Maria Semple
Chuck Tatham
Ron Weiner
Richard Day
Tiffany Sipantzi Moore
Number of seasons: 3
Original channel:
FOX
Imagine Entertainment
20th Century Fox Television
The Hurwitz Company
Imagine Television
Awards:
American Cinema Editors, USA, Eddie, Best Edited Half-Hour Series for Television, 2006
Art Directors Guild, Excellence in Production Design Award Television - Multi-Camera Television Series, 2004
Casting Society of America, USA, Artios, Best Casting for TV, Comedy Episodic, 2004
Emmy Awards, Nominated, Outstanding Comedy Series, 2006
Emmy Awards, Nominated, Outstanding Single-Camera Picture Editing for a Comedy Series, 2006
Emmy Awards, Outstanding Writing for a Comedy Series, 2005
Emmy Awards, Outstanding Casting for a Comedy Series, 2004
Emmy Awards, Outstanding Comedy Series, 2004
Emmy Awards, Outstanding Directing for a Comedy Series, 2004
Emmy Awards, Outstanding Single-Camera Picture Editing for a Comedy Series, 2004
Emmy Awards, Outstanding Writing for a Comedy Series, 2004
Golden Globes, USA, Golden Globe, Best Performance by an Actor in a Television Series - Musical or Comedy, 2005
Satellite Awards, Outstanding Actor in a Series, Comedy or Musical, 2005
TV Land Awards, Future Classic Award, 2004
Television Critics Association Awards, Outstanding Achievement in Comedy, 2005
Trivia
Episodes end with scenes appearing "on the next Arrested Development". These scenes usually don't appear in the next episode, but are part of the series' continuity.
The nickname "Gob" is based on his initials (George Oscar Bluth).
Two actresses played Marta during the season. In the first two episodes ("Bringing Up Buster" and "Key Decisions"), she was played by Leonor Varela. But in the next few episodes she was in, she was played by Patricia Velasquez.
The song that plays whenever GOB performs on stage is "The Final Countdown" by Europe.
The show is shot as a documentary, so character's swearing is bleeped out. However, the producers must find ways to obscure the mouths of the characters who are swearing so that their mouths don't have to be blurred out. This is often accomplished by cutting to a shot of another character reacting to the swearing, or by blocking the mouths with objects. Sometimes the characters resort to just covering their mouths with their hands.
In the pilot both the model house and Lucille's houses were completely different. Tobias also had different glasses, Buster had longer hair and George-Michael had darker skin.
The websites featured on the show are real. You can go to www.imoscar.com, www.never-nude.com, www.freeannyong.com, www.imnoscar.com, and www.barrygood.biz.
Tobias' "nevernude" condition is a real psychological affliction known as gymnophobia, the fear of nude bodies.
When a photo is shown of Rita (Charlize Theron) from before her plastic surgery, it is actually a film still from _Monster_(2003)_, for which Theron famously gained 30 pounds and underwent extensive special effects makeup regimens to make her look rougher and less advantaged.
Michael Bluth, a widower with a 13-year-old son, named George-Michael, is forced to keep his large and dysfunctional family together after his father is arrested for shifty accounting practices at the family-owned conglomerate and the Bluth family assets are frozen, making each member of the eccentric family panic. Michael's snobbish mother, Lucille, finds herself living alone in a penthouse without the financial means to maintain it, while Michael's two brothers, GOB and Buster, and his sister Lindsay with her husband Tobias and her daughter Mae also find themselves having to recreate their lifestyles to fit their new financial status.