Arrested Development

The Emmy Award-winning comedy series Arrested Development revolves around Michael Bluth (Jason Bateman), the “normal” one in a family of crazies, who is forced to stay in Orange County and run the family real estate business after his father, George Bluth Sr. (Jeffrey Tambor), is sent to prison for shifty accounting practices.

While George Sr. spent the last year in the slammer discovering his newfound Judaism and recording inspirational tapes, Michael spent it picking up the pieces and trying to teach his offbeat family how to live without an endless expense account. All the while Michael has also been trying to do right by his 14-year-old son, George Michael (Michael Cera), an earnest kid who works diligently at the family’s frozen banana stand.

The Bluths are led by manipulative matriarch Lucille Bluth (Jessica Walter), a socialite who is as icy as her martinis. Then there’s the oldest son, Gob (Will Arnett), a womanizer and struggling magician (sorry, “illusionist”) whose biggest trick will be to make a real job appear. The youngest brother is Buster (Tony Hale), a neurotic professional grad student and glorified mama’s boy (he spent 11 months in the womb).

The Bluth siblings are rounded out by cause-obsessed sister Lindsay (Portia de Rossi), who is married to the hapless Tobias (David Cross), a doctor-turned-actor who might get more work if he wasn’t a self-proclaimed “never-nude.” Lindsay and Tobias are the ultra-permissive parents of Maeby (Alia Shawkat), a 14-year-old who loves finding unique ways to rebel against their overindulgence.

The show has featured guest appearances by numerous stars, including Julia Louis-Dreyfus, Liza Minnelli, Zack Braff, Heather Graham and Ben Stiller. The series has received 11 Emmy nominations, including Outstanding Lead Actor in a Comedy Series for Jason Bateman, Outstanding Supporting Actor for Jeffrey Tambor and Outstanding Supporting Actress for Jessica Walter.

In 2004, the show received five Emmy Awards for Outstanding Comedy Series, Writing, Directing, Casting and Editing. Earlier this year, Jason Bateman won a Golden Globe for Outstanding Actor in a Leading Role – Musical or Comedy, and the show was nominated for Outstanding Musical or Comedy Series two years in a row. Last season, the cast was also nominated for a SAG Award for Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Comedy Series. The show also took home the TCA Award for Outstanding Achievement in Comedy two years in a row, was named an AFI Program of the Year and received the Critics’ Choice Award for Best Comedy, among other accolades.