Jeffrey Tambor, Gary Cole Try on "Good Behavior" for Rob Thomas

My spider sense was tingling this morning as I perused the latest casting listings.

Imagine my surprise when I had a full on geek attack upon noticing that, just days after Baby Buster landed recurring roles on both Chuck and Samantha Who, George Bluth Sr. himself was just cast in one of the few midseason pilots that I am eagerly anticipating.

Apparently, it pays to be an Arrested Development vets these days. Jeffrey Tambor was cast in Rob Thomas' ABC dramedy pilot Good Behavior (based on the Kiwi series Outrageous Fortune), where he'll guest star as Hy, Jackie West (Catherine O'Hara)'s sleazy partner at a low-end pawn shop. I cannot wait to see Tambor and O'Hara face off against one another and hope that he'll stick around in a recurring capacity should the pilot get ordered to series.

Also joining the cast of Good Behavior: Desperate Housewives' Gary Cole, who will play Jackie's no-good husband who is sentenced to five years in prison, leading Jackie to push her family onto the straight and narrow path of decent members of society.

I have been super-excited about this pilot since I first read Thomas' brilliant script (back when Renee Russo was circling the role of Jackie West) and the above casting, paired with Catherine O'Hara and Mae Whitman (yay, Arrested Development mini-reunion!), and my love for Rob Thomas' work, make me hope that Good Behavior gets ordered to series post-haste.

Stay tuned.

What's On Tonight

8 pm: CSI: Crime Scene Investigation (CBS); My Name is Earl/Last Comic Standing (NBC; 8:30-10 pm); Smallville (CW); So You Think You Dance (FOX; 8-10 pm)

9 pm: CSI: Crime Scene Investigation (CBS); Supernatural (CW)

10 pm: Swingtown (CBS); Fear Itself (NBC)

What I'll Be Watching

10 pm: Swingtown.

I wasn't crazy when I first saw the pilot to the 1970s-set drama last year but they've had a lot of time to retool so I will give it a second chance. On tonight's series premiere ("Pilot"), Susan and Bruce Miller move their kids into an upscale Chicago suburb and fall into the lure of an open marriage when they meet their sexy new neighbors.

Hale Storm: Buster Bluth Hired at Buy More

I can't help but get excited when an Arrested Development alum drops by a current television series, so imagine my pleasant surprise when said alum joins the cast of one of my favorite series.

It seems like it's been forever (well, January, in fact) since we've even mentioned NBC's action/comedy series Chuck, which I've missed terribly since the series wrapped its freshman year way ahead of the normal timetable due to the writers strike.

While the series will relaunch on NBC this fall (complete with, one hopes, a massive marketing and promotional campaign that ties into a DVD box set of the first 13 episodes of Chuck), there is one notable cast addition for the sophomore season: Arrested Development's Buster Bluth himself, Tony Hale.

Hale, who has turned up on other series since Arrested Development (most notably as a co-star on the short-lived Andy Barker, P.I.), will recur on Chuck next season as Emmett, the new assistant manager at the Buy More (filling the position vacated by Harry Tang) whose skills as an efficiency expert make him a dangerous workplace adversary for Chuck and Morgan. Hired by corporate to whip the Buy More into shape, he ends up staying on permanently when he sees just how badly the outlet is being run and figures they need a helping, er, hand.

I've missed seeing Chuck squirm at work and I hope that Hale's Emmett can be the one to turn the screws a little on our Mr. Bartowski, who's gotten a little too complacent under Big Mike's thumb.

And if that's not enough Hale for you, he'll also join the cast of another sophomore series: ABC's Samantha Who? There, Hale will play Samantha's new doctor, Andy Adams, in a recurring capacity.

Let's see: Jessica Walter on CW's 90210; Hale on NBC's Chuck; Jason Bateman, Will Arnett, and Henry Winkler on FOX's Sit Down, Shut Up? (Even Portia DeRossi and Alia Shawkat have pilots under consideration for midseason and David Cross just shot one at HBO.) This might just be the best time for Arrested Development vets on television since those rumors of a Bluth movie first surfaced...

What's On Tonight

8 pm: NCIS (CBS; 8); Most Outrageous Moments/Most Outrageous Moments (NBC); Beauty & the Geek (CW); According to Jim/According to Jim (ABC); Moment of Truth (FOX)

9 pm: 48 Hours Mystery (CBS); Law & Order: Special Victims Unit (NBC); Reaper (CW); Samantha Who?/Samantha Who? (ABC); Hell's Kitchen (FOX)

10 pm: Without a Trace (CBS); Law & Order: Special Victims Unit (NBC); Boston Legal (ABC)

What I'll Be Watching

8-10 pm: Britcoms on BBC America.

I don't know about you but by Tuesday night, I'm usually in need of some comedy in my life. Why not stick around on Tuesday nights for BBC America's new comedy lineup, consisting of classic episodes of Coupling, new comedy Not Going Out, and Absolutely Fabulous? You'll thank me in the morning.

Former Bluth Foil Mae Whitman Tries on "Good Behavior"

Her?

In an inspired bit of casting, ABC has snagged Mae Whitman for drama pilot Good Behavior. Written and executive produced by Rob Thomas (Veronica Mars) and based on Kiwi series Outrageous Fortune, the plot revolves around the Wests, a Las Vegas family of thieves and low-lifes who are forced by their headstrong mother to become model members of society after their patriarch lands in prison with a five-year sentence. (For a more detailed look, here's my rundown of Thomas' hysterical pilot script.)

Whitman, best known perhaps for her star turn as George-Michael's devout girlfriend Ann Veal (a.k.a. Egg, Yam, and Ann-Hog) on Arrested Development, will star in Good Behavior's pilot as 16-year-old Roxy West, a plucky teen who creates a business out of selling the hall passes and excuse slips she has blackmailed from her high school's principal.

It's a role that Thomas would have undoubtedly cast Kristin Bell in a few years ago and I think Whitman will be absolutely perfect in this part. Those of us who saw her performance as Jamie Sommers' deaf sister in the original pilot of Bionic Woman know that Whitman can definitely pull off that chip on my shoulder the size of the Ritz sort of teen angst with ease and I think she'll be a good fit with the quirky comedy and soap antics of Good Behavior.

Also cast in the pilot: Patrick Adams (Lost, Friday Night Lights), who will play diametrically-opposite twins Van and Haden West (and, yes, their names' similarity to Van Halen is very, very intentional); one of whom is a sleezy lowlife and the other a successful lawyer who has tried to stay out of the family's, er, "business."

Still no news if Rene Russo has been cast in the critical role of West family matriarch Jackie. Fingers crossed that ABC does manage to lure Russo to television with this dynamic role... and that Good Behavior lands a series order.

Stay tuned.

"Arrested Development" Vets to Voice Mitch Hurwitz's "Sit Down, Shut Up!"

Is it too good to be true: a mini Arrested Development reunion?

Well, sort of.

Former Arrested Development cast members Jason Bateman, Will Arnett, and Henry Winkler will lend their voices to FOX's animated comedy pilot Sit Down, Shut Up! from creator Mitch Hurwitz.

The project, based on a live-action Australian comedy series, revolves around the staffers of a high school who are more preoccupied with their own dramas and issues than those of their students. Also joining the cast: Cheri Oteri, Nick Kroll, Will Forte, Tom Kenny, Regina King, and Maria Bamford.

While it's not quite the Arrested Development news I've been hoping for (say it with me: feature film, feature film), I'll take what I can get, especially if we can find a way to get Bateman and Arnett in a scene together, even if they're just animated...

Scary Mother-Blankers: A Look at TV's Meanest Moms

Sure, there are more than a few television mothers who are forces for good: paragons of maternal instincts, positive role-models whose children are well-behaved and look up to them or misunderstood martyrs who are just plain unappreciated.

But let's be honest: the TV mothers that are the most memorable tend to play their roles in a no-wire-hangers Joan Crawford kind of way. These moms, sometimes as eeevil as can be, are usually a hell of a lot more fun than their Pollyanna counterparts.

So who made my list of TV's most memorable meanie moms? Let's take a look.

Name: Julie Cooper (The O.C.)
Actress: Melinda Clarke
Likes: Power, money, powerful men with money, decorating large mansions, blackmail, her daughter's cast-off boyfriends, manipulating everyone around her, Newport Living.
Dislikes: Ryan Atwood, downsizing, no-fault divorces, getting jilted, being blackmailed, Chino.
Acts of Treachery and Wanton Evil: Sleeping with daughter Marisa's high school sweetheart Luke, nearly murdering husband Caleb, persisting in calling Kirsten "Kiki," divorcing Jimmy after discovering his financial problems, discarding husbands like used Kleenex, turning a blind eye to Marissa's blatant alcoholism, sending younger daughter Kaitlin away to school and then promptly forgetting all about her.
Joan Crawford-O-Meter: 8. This Real Housewife of Orange County is as nasty a mutha as they come.

Name: Lucille Bluth (Arrested Development)
Actress: Jessica Walters
Likes: Gin, keeping Buster under her thumb, adopting Korean children, abusing Lindsay, abusing Lupe, soup, yachts, the amorous attentions of her husband's twin brother Oscar, being zipped up.
Dislikes: Lucille Ostero, Klimpy's restaurants, her driver's license picture, au pairs, her children forgetting her birthday, pool food.
Acts of Treachery and Wanton Evil: Adopting Annyong to make Buster jealous, forcing that same son to take part each year in Motherboy competitions, attempting to run over someone she thought was eldest son GOB and then pinning the ensuing accident on Michael.
Joan Crawford-O-Meter: 7. Her mother's milk of kindness dried up long ago.

Name: Lois Henrickson (Big Love)
Actress: Grace Zabriskie
Likes: Being where the action is, fur coats, smirking, turning her sons against each other, turning her sons against her husband, turning her husband against her sons, the smell of laundered money.
Dislikes: Hubby Frank, being neglected by her family, sister wives, smiling, pumping gas.
Acts of Treachery and Wanton Evil: Committing daughter-in-law Wanda to the "booby trap," turning to granddaughter Sarah for help only to rat her out to her parents, attempting to coerce Wanda into shooting the district attorney, admitting on several occasions that she wishes she had strangled son Bill during infancy.
Joan Crawford-O-Meter: 8. Extra points for also playing hellishly scary mom to Laura Palmer on Twin Peaks.

Name: Lianne Mars (Veronica Mars)
Actress: Corinne Bohrer
Likes: Booze, booze, and more booze. Also: extramarital affairs, unicorn music boxes, grand theft, dive bars, sneaking vodka into water bottles, Jake Kane.
Dislikes: Celeste Kane, standing by her man, people taking surveillance shots of her daughter, rehab.
Acts of Treachery and Wanton Evil: Sleeping with both hubby Keith and high school sweetheart Jake Kane so that the parentage of baby Veronica was in question, running away without so much as a by-your-leave, using Veronica's college fund to enter rehab and then dropping out before completing treatment, running away with a $50,000 check intended for Veronica.
Joan Crawford-O-Meter: 7. A music box is no replacement for a mommy.

Name: Emily Gilmore (Gilmore Girls)
Actress: Kelly Bishop
Likes: Cocktail hour, Friday night dinners, her beloved DAR, pearls, guilt trips, trips to Europe, Chilton Academy, redecorating the pool house, anything and everything that granddaughter Rory does.
Dislikes: Unwed mothers, subpar servants, Pennilyn Lott, hospital pillows, the state of Lorelai's life, mushed banana on toast.
Acts of Treachery and Wanton Evil: Blackmailing daughter Lorelai into Friday night dinners in exchange for Rory's tuition, repeatedly springing blind dates on Lorelai, backpedaling on the issue of Rory dropping out of Yale, attempting to break up Lorelai and Luke and push Lorelai and Christopher together, firing every maid she's ever employed.
Joan Crawford-O-Meter: 4. Despite her overbearing ways, she really does want what's best for Lorelai and Rory.

Name: Atia of the Julii (Rome)
Actress: Polly Walker
Likes: Torturing her enemies, status, gossip, sex, self-preservation, manipulating others into doing her bidding, ritually bathing in the blood of animals.
Dislikes: Servilia, honesty, weakness, charity, the taste of ashes and iron, Marc Antony marrying her daughter, her children committing incest, not being the center of attention, that "pigspawn trollop" Cleopatra.
Acts of Treachery and Wanton Evil: Paying to have humiliating graffiti of Servilia and Caesar appear on streets around Rome, hiring Titus Pullo to take son Octavian to a brothel, ordering Timon to publicly strip and beat Servilia and later ordering her kidnapping and brutal torture.
Joan Crawford-O-Meter: 10. Not since Livia Soprano has there been a worse Roman matriarch; Atia virtually wrote an ancient text on bad parenting.

What other villainous matriarchs do you think should have made it on this list? Which one of these malevolent mothers is truly the wickedest of them all? You decide.

George-Michael Bluth, Meet Innertube

I guess there's no need to cue that melancholy Charlie Brown music.

CBS' Innertube has signed a deal with Arrested Development's Michael Cera (George-Michael, we miss ye!) to create and produce an original short-form series for the broadband service.

First up for Cera is The Good Life, which he will write, produce and star in. Innertube has ordered at least eight installments of the scripted series and has retained an option for further episodes; it's the first scripted series at Innertube to be ordered with a talent deal in place.

In The Good Life, Cera will star with Clark Duke as would-be television producers who are so enamoured of the project they're shopping that they're totally blind to the fact that the project is going nowhere fast.

Hmmm, a self-referential project filled to the brim with self-absorbed, oblivious characters. I could almost pretend it's Arrested Development we're talking about, but I don't want to depress myself this early in the day.

Bluths to Get "Arrested" on the Big Screen?

Arrested Development's Alia Shawkat (Maeby Funke) has told TV Guide that a feature film adaptation of Arrested Development is in the works.

In an interview about her upcoming Lifetime Original Movie, Not Like Everybody Else (premiering tonight at 9 pm ET/PT), Shawkat said, "Mitch actually recently told us that there is a good possibility for a movie, and that he's talking to Ron Howard about it."

(So there's hope yet for Arrested fans to see some continuing adventures of the Bluth Family.)

As for that other burning question: Will Shawkat and fellow Arrested alum Michael Cera (George Michael Bluth) be returning to Veronica Mars?

According to Shawkat: "The creator [Rob Thomas] was a huge fan of Arrested, and he told us that he would love to have us back. But I know that Michael is busy and I'm in Vancouver right now, and we haven't officially been approached about anything. But it was fun to do."

Rob Thomas, if you're listening, there's a whole slew of still-grieving Bluth fans who would love it if Veronica Mars could sooth the loss of Maeby and George Michael. Well, at least until that Arrested Development movie gets going...

So, as Gob Bluth would say, "Come on!"

"Arrested" DVD to Be Released, After All

It turns out that rather than make a huge mistake, Fox will release the Bluth family from their imposed jail sentence after all... at least on DVD.

TV Shows on DVD announced today that Fox Home Entertainment will release the third season of Arrested Development, the sadly cancelled cult comedy, on DVD on August 29th, a full two months after its original planned release date (June 13th).

The release will be a two-disc box set containing all of Season Three's thirteen episodes and as- yet-unnamed extras. TVShowsonDVD.com had the following information about the release:

"In this Emmy-winning comedy's hilarious third season, Michael Bluth finally realizes that it's his Uncle Oscar serving time in prison, not his father. Reluctant to spring Oscar due to the effect it may have on the family business, Michael decides the only fair thing to do is to find his father and place him under house arrest. Yet once found, George Sr. insists he was tricked into working with the Iraqis, leaving Michael no choice but to investigate his father's outrageous claim. But it isn't until Michael and Buster go to Iraq on a rescue mission to save Gob that the depth of the devious plot is revealed--and Michael learns which family member is the real brains behind all the madness."

While the reports of Arrested Development's demise have, unfortunately, been confirmed, fans of the brilliant-yet-cancelled comedy series can at least relive their third season memories on DVD. That or send some bow tie-wearing carnivorous seals to the Fox lot...

Post Mortem: My Favorite Episodes of "Arrested Development"

I am still mourning the loss of Arrested Development, sadly and unceremoniously killed by FOX... and by the departure of creator Mitch Hurwitz, which did in any chance of an eleventh hour rescue from deus ex machina cable net Showtime. But, though the pain is deep, I can't help reminiscing about the good times I shared with Arrested Development's irrepressible Bluth clan, times in which I was laughing so hard that many around me thought I was drunk.

To that end, here are my picks--in no particular order--for my favorite episodes of AD. While there are only five (well, sort of... six) episodes I selected to discuss, there are honestly at least a dozen episodes that could have qualified for my best of Arrested list. So without further ado...

"Pier Pressure"

Truly one of the classic episodes of Arrested Development that helped further define the show (one other being the truly superlative second episode "Top Banana"). "Pier Pressure" is otherwise known as the episode in which Buster tries to obtain medical marijuana to cure the awful vertigo suffered by his girlfriend Lucille 2 (Liza Minnelli), and pays George Michael to get it for him from Gob. But when Michael thinks George Michael is using drugs, he decides to teach him an elaborate lesson. Features the memorable phrase, "I was going to smoke the marijuana like a cigarette," the first appearance of both the Hot Cops (stripper friends of Gob who dress up like cops) and J. Walter Weatherman (Steve Ryan), George Bluth Sr.'s one-armed go-to man for lesson-teaching.

"My Mother the Car"

In this episode, also from the show's first season, Michael loses his short-term memory after he is involved a car accident with his mother Lucille, who frames him for the accident (she was trying to run over someone on a Segway whom she thought was Gob, who had failed to show up--again--at her second surprise party). In a noir-ish twist, Lucille keeps Michael drugged and secluded in her apartment so that he cannot remember what actually happened during the accident. Meanwhile, George Michael and Maeby try to sneak in to see an R-rated foreign film called "Les Cousins Dangereux," an erotic story about kissin' cousins. Gee, just like George Michael and Maeby! Features the first appearance of "Les Cousins Dangereux" and Lindsay's SLUT t-shirt (she wears it to visits her father in prison), gold krugerrands, and Lucille's appearance on World's Worst Drivers.

"Altar Egos"& "Justice is Blind"

The two-part Season One episode which could also function as a PSA about the perils of lying. Using the alias of Cherith Cutestory, Michael has a one-night stand with blind attorney Maggie Lizer (Julia Louis-Dreyfus)... who isn't really blind and who is also the prosecutor in the Bluth case. Meanwhile, Maeby pretends to be her fake twin sister Surely Funke who is infected with a made-up disease while George Sr.'s admirer, Cindy Lightballoon (Jane Lynch), turns out to be an undercover agent who has actually fallen for him. Oh, and Gob gets married on a dare to an unknown woman (Gob's wife, heh) played by his real-life wife (Amy Poehler). It's an episode that features both Julia Louis-Dreyfus and Amy Poehler's first appearances, Maeby's alter ego, and a classic Lucille-ism ("It looks like you're tweaking her nipples through a chain-link fence.") Filled with deceit, several alter egos, and a slew of hilarious double-crosses, this is one of Arrested's finest moments.

"Good Grief"

An early Season Two episode and hands-down one of my favorites. With George Sr. on the run from the law, Lucille hires Ice, a bounty hunter/party planner to find her missing husband, who is actually much, much closer than they think (he's hiding in a Saddam-style spider hole on the property). Meanwhile, Michael tries to mend George Michael's relationship with his completely forgettable girlfriend Ann (Mae Whitman), Gob tries to pull off an elaborate illusion at his father's fake funeral, and Maeby--looking to emancipate herself--attempts to set Lindsay up with Ice. Features Buster in a tight stripper's army uniform, the return of Lindsay's SLUT t-shirt, an elaborate Charlie Brown reference (after being dumped by Ann, George Michael walks home with head slunk low as the theme from A Charlie Brown Christmas plays... and passes by a dog sleeping atop a red doghouse), and a classic Arrested Development quote from Michael ("The mere fact that you call making love "pop pop" tells me you're not ready").

"Motherboy XXX"

Another outrageous and hilarious Season Two episode. After Buster loses a hand in a freak accident involving a carnivorous seal set lose by Gob, Lucille kidnaps grandson George Michael for a mother-son dance, a tradition she has shared for decades with Buster. But when Michael and Buster discover what Lucille has done, they launch Operation: Hot Mother and set off to rescue George Michael from having to zip up Lucille in her Cher costume. Meanwhile, Tobias portrays George Sr. in a TV movie about the Bluths, directed by Tobias' former acting teacher Carl Weathers and Gob reunites with his estranged wife (played again by real-life wife Amy Poehler) who is now in the military and will go to any lengths--even seducing Gob--to avoid annulling their marriage. Features the return of Gob's Wife and Carl Weathers, the sight of Henry Winkler (as sleazy family lawyer Barry Zuckerkorn) literally jumping a shark, Dave Attell playing Tobias (and wearing Tobias' trademark cut-offs) in the fictionalized Scandalmakers version of the Bluth story, and Buster crashing through a skylight after trying to use his hook as part of a zipline... in an attempt to free a Sonny Bono-disguised George Michael. Honestly, you can't make this stuff up.

So, what are your favorite Arrested Development moments?

What's On Tonight

8 pm: The Amazing Race (CBS); Deal or No Deal (NBC); One Tree Hill (WB); George Lopez/Freddie (ABC); The Loop/American Idol (FOX; 8:39-9:30 pm); America's Next Top Model (UPN)

9 pm: Criminal Minds (CBS); Heist (NBC); The Bedford Diaries (WB); Lost (ABC); American Idol (8:30-9:30)/Unan1mous (FOX); Veronica Mars (UPN)

10 pm: CSI: New York (CBS); Law & Order (NBC); The Evidence (ABC)

What I'll Be Watching

8 pm: The Amazing Race.

Still can't quite get used to the idea that Amazing Race is now Wednesdays at 8 pm. There's something that feels off about that. On tonight's episode ("Herculean Effort for Some Herculean Dudes"), teams each receive part of Da Vinci's famed "Vitruvian Man'' and must locate the rest in order to receive their clue. Oh and this week finds the gang in Greece, where they compete in Olympic-style games, including some mud-wrestling. I was going to make a comment about Jeremy and Eric after last week's photo op reveal, but no, I must resist the urge to do so.

9 pm: Lost.

Looks like this might be the last new episode of Lost before May sweeps (I know for certain it's not on next week, as ABC has slotted a two-hour Alias episode as it returns to the network). On tonight's episode ("S.O.S."), Jack and Kate rekindle their almost relationship, while husband and wife Bernard and Rose spar over Bernard's plan to create an S.O.S. signal. You tell him, Rose. And while you're at it, don't give him that Apollo chocolate bar you saved for him.

(Oh, and tonight's episode is another super-sized one, clocking in at about 64 minutes, so set your TiVo accordingly.)

10 pm: What Not to Wear on BBC America.

Those feisty fashion dames Trinny and Susannah are back on BBC America with a fresh batch of episodes of the original UK What Not to Wear (I loathe the US version). Makeover experts and authors Trinny Woodall and Susannah Constantine are notorious for their "cruel to be kind" approach to the transformation process, but in contrast to previous seasons, nowadays the women they makeover are no longer unsuspecting victims but rather women who compete for the opportunity. What Not to Wear is funny, often frustrating, and always eye-opening and has the distinction of being the only fashion show I can watch.

Plus, Trinny and Susannah just kick ass.

10 pm: Top Chef on Bravo.

On tonight's episode ("Guess Who's Coming to Dinner") of the Bravo cooking competition, Queer Eye for the Straight Guy's cooking guru Ted Allen challenges the contestants to create an inexpensive appetizer for a dinner party. Me, I am still trying to figure out why Stephen wore a suit and tie to sell street food in the Mission district last week.

I Heart "Veronica Mars": The "Arrested Development" Edition

As if I didn't love Veronica Mars enough. Rob Thomas, writer John Enbom, and the entire Veronica crew not only turned in a simply fantastic episode last night ("The Rapes of Graff"), but also managed to snag Arrested Development's Alia Shawkat (Maeby Funke) and Michael Cera (George-Michael Bluth) in guest starring roles. Which was especially comforting to me coming on the heels of yesterday's official announcement from 20th Century Fox Television that production would not be resuming on a fourth season of Arrested Development.

So it was a particular pleasure then to see Arrested's kissing cousins George-Michael and Maeby on Veronica Mars last night. Michael Cera was wonderful as affable-yet-bumbling Hearst College tour guide Dean and it was fabulous to see Alia Shawkat in a dramatic turn as rape victim Stacy. Theories abound on whether or not she actually shaved off her magnificent mane, but I can't see Shawkat allowing herself to be sheared; it had to be a hairpiece. And didn't you just love when she tossed the frat boy's hair into the ceiling fan? A classic moment that showcased's Shawkat's trademark sassiness.

(My only problem with last night's episode, and correct me if I am wrong, is the fact that Veronica didn't seem to solve the mystery of the rape; she managed to clear Troy of any charges but the episode didn't address the fact that there is still a serial rapist running around Hearst College. Veronica usually doesn't leave any loose ends dangling about.)

Besides for the AD mini-reunion, last night's episode also featured the return of Veronica's no-good drug-dealer ex-boyfriend Troy Vandergraff (Aaron Ashmore) from Season One and seemed to set up a possible framework for Season Three of the series (should it make it onto the CW's fall schedule, which I pray for nightly). While I can see Veronica and Wallace (Percy Daggs) attending Neptune's local college (thank god they didn't call it UC Neptune) next year, getting Logan (Jason Dohring) there might be a little more difficult. Even with his dad, killer Aaron Echolls (Harry Hamlin) in jail and his home destroyed by bikers, it's hard to imagine rich boy Logan (or Dick Casablancas) slumming it in Neptune. But throw in Logan, Troy (he can take the place of Teddy Dunn's Duncan), and Michael Cera's Dean character (and please, for the love of all things holy, bring in the always wonderful Tina Majorino--Mac--as a permanent castmember) and I forsee a smooth transition from high-school to college for both Veronica and Veronica Mars.

So until Arrested's Tobias (David Cross) shows up as a lecturer at Hurst College next season (just kidding there), I can relax a bit after the unfortunate news of Arrested's demise.And because I am such a good sport, to make up for that unflattering photo of Michael Cera and Alia Shawkat (above), below is one that shows them in a better light.

How can you say no to those faces? Come on, Rob Thomas, surprise us by adding them both to the Veronica Mars cast next season!

R.I.P. "Arrested Development"

For fans of Arrested Development, it looks like the fat lady just sang. Or at least the spokesperson for 20th Century Fox Television. The studio behind Arrested Development issued a statement earlier today that confirmed that the brilliant-but-not-yet-cancelled comedy about the exploits of a certain dysfunctional Orange County family would now unfortunately be referred to as merely brilliant-but-cancelled.

A 20th Century Fox Television spokesperson told Variety this morning that the studio had no plans to continue production on the show, which ignominiously ended its third-season run last month with a glorious two-hour death that unfortunately no one watched as it was on up against the opening ceremonies of the Olympics (shame on all of you!).

In an official statement printed by Variety, a studio spokesperson tried to cast some doubt that this was in fact the end of the road for the beseiged Bluth family:

"While there are no plans to resume production at this time, we know all too well from our experience with 'Family Guy'--another brilliant comedy which didn't find its audience in its first network run--that anything is possible. We'll always be a little hopeful that this is not quite the end for this amazing show."

Excuse me while I pause for disbelief. If you're going to can the show at least have the decency to say once and for all that it's the end and stop playing these mind games where fans hold out some hope that their beloved show might return in the future. (Yes, granted, creator Mitch Hurwitz mentioned the possibility of Arrested returning as a feature film, but, ladies and gentlemen, let's call that what it is: lip service.)

And the Family Guy comparison is wholly unmerited as well. It is an animated series. Getting the whole cast back together--and under contract--is a hell of a lot easier when they don't have to be in the same place at once... or even appear on camera.

All I can say is I appreciate all the hard work of the cast and crew over the last three difficult seasons and thank them for giving us a truly hilarious, genius show that proved that television comedy can be clever and heartfelt, wicked and self-aware. I wish everyone involved in AD all the best for the future. And if that future happens to include an "On the next Arrested Development..." at some point, that's great.

In the meantime, let's fire up the Arrested Development DVDs and remember the Bluths as we knew and loved them best. So long, Bluths, and thanks for all the laughs.

"Arrested Development" Deal D.O.A.?

Variety is reporting today that Arrested Development showrunner Mitch Hurwitz would not continue with the show, should a deal between studio 20th Century Fox and Showtime go through, putting a spanner in any potential deal to save the beleaguered comedy, which recently concluded its (truncated) three season run on Fox.

Showtime president Bob Greenblatt had said in the past that Hurwitz was a crucial part of any deal involving Arrested Development. If Hurwitz is no longer part of the package, then there's no possible way for any deal to go forward at Showtime.

The reason behind the split? According to Hurwitz, the decision was based on both financial and creative concerns. (Why, Mitch, why?) Hurwitz told Variety:

"The fans have been so ardent in their devotion and in return... I've given everything I can to the show in order to try to live up to their expectations. I finally reached a point where I felt I couldn't continue to deliver that on a weekly basis. Of course, if there was enough money in it, I would have happily abandoned the fans' need for quality. But as it turns out, there wasn't."

The one bright point amid this gloom: Hurwitz did hint that while Arrested Development be coming to an end in its current TV incarnation, he might be interested in reviving the show as a feature film down the line. (My feeling is that those chances are less likely than a Buster-Lucille II romantic reunion. Sadly, I just don't see it happening as a theatrical release.)

There has been no official comment from the studio confirming the death of Arrested Development. However, on this day which will henceforth be known to me as Black Tuesday, it's beginning to look like the writing is on the wall for the Bluth family. With Showtime, out of the mix, I don't know where else the studio can take the show, especially without the involvement of Mitch Hurwitz and lieutenant Jim Vallely (who said that he wouldn't do the show without Hurwitz). It's not looking good, people.

While I don't want to give up the fight, at this point, all I can say is: Rest in peace, my wacky, wonderful Bluths. We'll miss you.

Development of "Arrested Development" DVD is, er, Arrested

Like the Bluth family, it seems like fans of Arrested Development can't catch a break either. Just a day after a Hollywood Reporter article made it seem as though saying a deal had been reached between Showtime and Mitch Hurwitz would be a stretch, TVShowsonDVD.com is reporting that the third season DVD release of the beleaguered sitcom has been postponed.

While the Arrested Development DVD release hasn't been cancelled (thank you, 20th Century Fox, for that), the release of the third season has been pushed from its scheduled berth in June to an as-yet-undetermined date.

While I can only keep pleading with Showtime to pick up the show for those 26 episodes (over two years)--and with creator Mitch Hurwitz to sign the deal--it seems as though dark clouds are gathering over the horizon for the show, which has in the past managed to escape death several times already. If that is the case, then all we AD fans have left are those treasured DVD releases. And with only thirteen episodes in the shortened Season Three, that's a bit of a cold comfort.

In the meantime, I'll keep making offerings to the Showtime gods...

Ten Reasons Why the "Arrested" Finale Rocked

Devotees of FOX's scandalously underrated comedy Arrested Development gathered around the box Friday night to watch the show's final four episodes, which effectively wrapped up some dangling plot threads from the last three seasons... while still leaving open the door for the show to possibly return (come on, Mitch and Showtime!). For me, the experience was definitely bittersweet. After waiting so long for any new episodes of Arrested, I devoured the two hours but couldn't quite fathom why FOX would unceremoniously dump the finale during the opening, er, ceremonies of the Olympics. (Haven't we Arrested fans been through enough already, FOX?) Meanwhile, I laughed, I cried, and I had to rewatch some parts over again several times because I was laughing and crying so hard.

If you've never watched the show, more's the pity as the following will probably make no sense whatsoever, but to those Arrested-addicts among us, these are ten reasons why the finale rocked:

10. Kissin' cousins George-Michael and Maeby get hitched.

9. The studio executive job that Maeby conned her way into in the second season is ruined when George-Michael invites all of her Hollywood friends (including R. Howard, P. Hilton, and Mickey Rooney) to her surprise 16th birthday party.

8. Justine Bateman plays a call girl in the employ of GOB's puppet Franklin.

7. Lindsay attempts to seduce Michael when she learns he isn't her brother... and then when Michael says he doesn't usually go for "older" women, she beats the hell out of him.

6. In order to get out of testifying at the Bluth family's mock trial, an anxiety-ridden Buster fakes a coma, to hilarious (and jaw-dropping) effect.

5. "Sorry it took so long," a C.I.A. agent escorting Michael, GOB, and Buster boys says of the traffic in Iraq. "The Cheney Expressway was backed up all the way to Halliburton Drive."

4. The swipe taken at My Name is Earl for hilariously mocking the hit NBC show's irritating talking magazine ads. In this case, the ads repeatedly tell the listener, "My Name is... Judge," referring to a fictional courtroom show starring Judge Reinhold as a, er, judge.

3. Ron Howard makes an appearance as himself, who--upon being pitched the rights to Maeby's story--decides that it really doesn't sound like a series after all... but perhaps a movie?

2. Long-suffering father and son team Michael and George-Michael seem to sail off into the sunset, leaving their family to deal with the mess they've created... only to discover that George, Sr. has once again managed to stow away.

And what Arrested fans have waited years for:

1. Annyong returns (finally!) to wreak his revenge upon Lucille and utters the now classic line, "My real name is 'Hello.'"

Can't Get "Arrested" in This Town

The (possibly) final four episodes of the supremely brilliant comedy Arrested Development are airing tonight, heaped together into a two-hour block. FOX has yanked viewers of this amazing show around for the last three seasons, changing timeslots, pulling it off the air for months at a time, airing the episodes out of order, etc. In other words: typical FOX modus operandi.

Hopefully tonight isn't the last outing of the Bluth family, a family so crazy and self-absorbed that it makes me value my own family that much more. According to USA Today, it's still possible that the show could find another home on ABC (less likely) or Showtime (more likely), as a companion piece to Weeds, but it's not looking good.

Until our prayers are answered (and there are many of us willing to follow the Bluth clan to cable), tonight’s final episodes, which introduce Justine Bateman as Nellie Bluth—a new, secret Bluth daughter—may be the last we see of their topsy-turvy world for a while.

One glitch that’s holding things up on a possible deal with Showtime is whether or not the show’s creator Mitch Hurwitz will stay on with the show.

According to USA Today, Hurwitz says he's interested, but exhausted from the show's labor-intensive editing and wants to take a break before making a move. "I'm really torn,” Hurwitz told USA Today. “It's a really important show to me, but on the other hand, maybe it has lived the life it needs to live. What weighs against it is it's a soul-crushing amount of work."

Come on, Mitch! If Arrested’s Bluths have taught us nothing, it’s that if the ship is going down, you might as well have a drunken, debauched time while it sinks. And hopefully tonight is no exception.

"Arrested Development" airs tonight (in yet another timeslot—possibly its final one) on FOX at 8:00 pm PST.