The first season of the
television comedy series ''
Arrested Development'' aired between November 2, 2003 and June 6, 2004, on
Fox
Foxes are small to medium-sized, omnivorous mammals belonging to several genera of the family Canidae. They have a flattened skull, upright, triangular ears, a pointed, slightly upturned snout, and a long bushy tail (or ''brush'').
Twelv ...
in the United States. It consisted of 22 episodes, each running approximately 22 minutes in length. The first season was released on DVD in region 1 on October 19, 2004, in region 2 on March 21, 2005 and in region 4 on February 23, 2005.
The show's storyline centers on the Bluth family, a formerly wealthy, habitually dysfunctional family and is presented in a continuous format, incorporating hand-held camera work, narration, archival photos and historical footage.
Cast
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Jason Bateman
Jason Kent Bateman (born January 14, 1969) is an American actor, director and producer known for his roles of Michael Bluth in the Fox Broadcasting Company, Fox/Netflix sitcom ''Arrested Development (TV series), Arrested Development'' and of Mart ...
as
Michael Bluth
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Portia de Rossi as Lindsay Bluth-Fünke
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Will Arnett as Gob Bluth
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Michael Cera as George Michael Bluth
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Alia Shawkat as Maeby Fünke
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Tony Hale as Buster Bluth
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David Cross as Tobias Fünke
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Jeffrey Tambor as George and Oscar Bluth
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Jessica Walter as Lucille Bluth
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Ron Howard as Narrator (uncredited)
Episodes
The episode list below is ordered the same as on the season 1 DVD collection and not in their original broadcast order.
Reception
Critical reception
In its first season, ''Arrested Development'' was met with widespread critical acclaim. On
Rotten Tomatoes, the season has an approval rating of 100% with an average score of 10 out of 10 based on 24 reviews. The website's critical consensus reads, "''Arrested Development'' puts an ambitiously complex, brilliantly fast-paced spin on dysfunctional family comedy, anchored by the efforts of a tremendously talented ensemble." On the review aggregator website
Metacritic, the first season scored 89 out of 100, based on 24 reviews, indicating "Universal acclaim".
Awards and nominations
In 2004, the first season received seven
Emmy Award
The Emmy Awards, or Emmys, are an extensive range of awards for artistic and technical merit for the American and international television industry. A number of annual Emmy Award ceremonies are held throughout the calendar year, each with the ...
nominations, and earned five wins: Outstanding Comedy Series, Outstanding Directing and Writing for a Comedy Series for the pilot episode written by
Mitchell Hurwitz
Mitchell Donald "Mitch" Hurwitz (born May 29, 1963) is an American television writer, producer, and actor. He is best known as the creator of the television sitcom ''Arrested Development'' as well as the co-creator of ''The Ellen Show''. He is a ...
and directed by brothers
Anthony and Joe Russo, Outstanding Casting for a Comedy Series, and Outstanding Single-Camera Picture Editing for a Comedy Series.
Jeffrey Tambor was nominated that year for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series.
Home media
The first season was released on DVD in region 1 on October 19, 2004, in region 2 on March 21, 2005 and in region 4 on February 23, 2005. Special features on the sets include the unaired and uncensored full-length pilot episode; commentary by creator Mitchell Hurwitz and cast members on the extended pilot, "Beef Consommé" and "Let Them Eat Cake"; deleted and extended scenes; "Breaking Ground: Behind the Scenes of ''Arrested Development''" featurette; The Museum of Television & Radio: Q&A with Creator Mitchell Hurwitz and the cast of ''Arrested Development''; TV Land – "''Arrested Development'': The Making of a Future Classic"; TV Land Awards — The Future Classic Award; Ron Howard Sneak Peek at Season 2; ''Arrested Development'' Promo – "Blind"; Easter Egg — Tobias Outtake.
References
External links
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{{EmmyAward ComedySeries 2001–2025
2003 American television seasons
2004 American television seasons