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Season 1 – Arrested Development

Play trailer Poster for Season 1 – Arrested Development Nov 2003 Comedy Play Trailer Watchlist
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100% Tomatometer 24 Reviews 95% Popcornmeter 500+ Ratings
Michael Bluth finds himself forced to stay in Orange County and run the family real estate business after his father, George Bluth Sr., is sent to prison for committing white-collar crime. He tries to juggle the wants and needs of his spoiled and eccentric family while being a good role model for his teenage son, George Michael.
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Arrested Development — Season 1

Arrested Development — Season 1

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Critics Consensus

Arrested Development puts an ambitiously complex, brilliantly fast-paced spin on dysfunctional family comedy, anchored by the efforts of a tremendously talented ensemble.

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Critics Reviews

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Nancy Banks-Smith Guardian 02/26/2020
Arrested Development is not laugh-out-loud funny but it's definitely fun. Go to Full Review Kenny Herzog Rolling Stone 05/10/2018
Mitch Hurwitz's celebrated dysfunctional meta-sitcom left no witty wordplay unexploited or linguistic acrobatic unperformed. Go to Full Review Christopher Orr The Atlantic 05/10/2018
For all its edge and originality, "Arrested Development" has echoes of some of the best television past. Go to Full Review Alex Diedrick Uproxx 11/11/2021
Fortunately, you won't have any reservations about sticking with the Bluths, especially since the first three seasons - and their intricate, carefully plotted jokes - reward multiple viewings. Go to Full Review Bruce R. Miller Sioux City Journal 01/14/2020
A
It's the funniest comedy of the year. Go to Full Review Rob Owen Pittsburgh Post-Gazette 05/04/2019
Easily the most bizarre, inventive sitcom of the fall season, Fox's Arrested Development wrings laughs from the strange, the uncomfortable and the inappropriate. It's not your typical sitcom, but it is a welcome addition to the prime-time landscape. Go to Full Review Read all reviews

Audience Reviews

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James W. @jameswilliams 2d Absolutely incredible show. The rewatch value is so high. Writing is unbelievable. Characters are well thought out. This is elite comedy television! See more Mr. K. @MrKloud7 Apr 19 Watching this season for probably the 10th time over the past 15 years and still finding new things. The entire show is a stress test in every type of humor: puns, situational, tongue in cheek, physical, running jokes, etc. Dense, fast, and often dry: you need to be smart and aware to keep up. If you're easily offended, this may not be for you: while not overly vulgar, no demographic or topic is off limits. See more Emma P @Emmywemmy Jan 4 I can't stand this show! The cast and script are annoying as hell. George Michael doesn't half grate! No ta. See more Zachary K. @ZacharyKing Oct 31 With a rocky pilot episode, Arrested Development managed to persevere and create one of the most innovative comedy shows ever, with blink and you'll miss it punchlines to jokes that were set up 10 episodes ago. This is a show that requires your full attention, which will be a turn off for a lot of people, but it you stick with it, you will not regret it. 10/10 See more Jakey B @RT00961171 05/29/2025 Mixing workplace and family sit-com together with a relentless fast pace where so much happens per episode, this isn't a background sit-com, the writing is more complex and needs attention and that is what makes it fantastic. It's characters aren't always likable and in many ways that makes them more interesting. An excellent and hilarious first season that immediately has you hooked. 9.5/10 See more Henrique D @HenriqueCRVG 05/04/2025 Made me wanna sleep. Incredibly boring, not a single laugh. See more Read all reviews
Arrested Development — Season 1

My Rating

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Cast & Crew

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Jason Bateman

Michael Bluth

Portia de Rossi

Lindsay Funke

Michael Cera

George Michael Bluth

Alia Shawkat

Maeby Funke

Jessica Walter

Lucille Bluth

Will Arnett

George Oscar Bluth II

Episodes

Episode 1 Aired Nov 2, 2003 Pilot Michael Bluth's (Jason Bateman) eccentric family suffers a reversal of fortune. With Portia de Rossi, Jeffrey Tambor and David Cross. Details Episode 2 Aired Nov 9, 2003 Top Banana Michael searches for paperwork to keep the family business afloat; George-Michael manages the banana stand. Details Episode 3 Aired Nov 16, 2003 Bringing Up Buster George-Michael tries out for the school play to get closer to Maeby; Gob breaks up with his girlfriend and has nowhere to go. Details Episode 4 Aired Nov 23, 2003 Key Decisions Busy Gob asks Michael to escort his girlfriend to an awards show; Lucille runs into her rival (Liza Minnelli). Details Episode 5 Aired Nov 30, 2003 Charity Drive Gob and Lindsay accuse Michael of being cold and uncharitable; Lindsay volunteers herself at a bachelorette auction to raise money for charity. Details Episode 6 Aired Dec 7, 2003 Visiting Ours Michael tries to get information out of his father during a visit with him in prison; Lucille and George share a conjugal visit; Maeby's parents' relationship is on the rocks. Details Episode 7 Aired Dec 14, 2003 In God We Trust Lucille turns Michael and Lindsay against each other; George-Michael impresses Maeby with a manly costume he dons for a charity event; Buster's torrid affair with his mother's nemesis (Liza Minnelli) causes distress. Details Episode 8 Aired Dec 21, 2003 My Mother the Car As a birthday treat, Michael permits his mother to drive the Bluth truck; Buster and Lucille 2 go on their first date; George-Michael and Maeby try to sneak into an R-rated movie. Details Episode 9 Aired Jan 4, 2004 Storming the Castle When Michael devises a plan to break up Gob and Marta, he realizes he cannot go through with it; Lucille tries to come to terms with Buster's new romance; George Sr. finds religion while in solitary confinement. Details Episode 10 Aired Jan 11, 2004 Pier Pressure Lindsay tells Michael he has been pushing George-Michael too hard; Buster tries to score some marijuana for Lucille 2's vertigo; Maeby is punished for her bad grades. Details Episode 11 Aired Jan 25, 2004 Public Relations An attempt to change the Bluths' image by hiring a publicist goes awry when the publicist falls for Michael; Tobias decides to return to Boston. Details Episode 12 Aired Feb 8, 2004 Marta Complex After Michael makes an impassioned speech about love, Marta realizes she has feelings for him, and Lindsay realizes that she wants a divorce. Details Episode 13 Aired Feb 15, 2004 Beef Consomme Michael and Marta seek permission from Gob to elevate their relationship; Tobias faces his problem with nudity; George Sr. goes to his first hearing. Details Episode 14 Aired Mar 7, 2004 Shock & Aww Michael faces a problem when he falls for his son's ethics teacher (Heather Graham). Details Episode 15 Aired Mar 14, 2004 Staff Infection Michael forces the family to get jobs after finding out they have been receiving paychecks without working; Buster and Gob's brawl at a construction site turns into a disaster. Details Episode 16 Aired Mar 17, 2004 Altar Egos Michael has a one-night stand with an attorney who turns out to be assigned to his father's case; Gob gets married on a dare; an undercover Security and Exchange Commission agent falls for George Sr. Details Episode 17 Aired Mar 21, 2004 Justice Is Blind Michael must decide between his father and his relationship with Maggie (Julia Louis-Dreyfus), when she unknowingly gives him his father's case file; Lindsay fights to have the Ten Commandments removed from the courthouse lawn. Details Episode 18 Aired Mar 28, 2004 Missing Kitty Gob announces he will attempt his biggest trick ever and make a yacht disappear; Lindsay discovers her grandmother has died and Lucille pocketed her inheritance; Michael tries to fire Kitty. Details Episode 19 Aired Apr 4, 2004 Best Man for the GOB George Sr.'s attempt to blackmail his accountant during Gob's bachelor party goes awry; Michael takes George-Michael on a fishing trip. Details Episode 20 Aired Apr 11, 2004 Whistler's Mother When the Securities and Exchange Commission releases some of the family's funds, Michael fields numerous requests for money. Details Episode 21 Aired Apr 25, 2004 Not Without My Daughter Michael encourages Maeby to always tell the truth, then lies to the police about Kitty; Lindsay gets a job at a department store; Tobias gets a job as a security guard; Buster finally gets a chance to play soccer. Henry Winkler guest stars. Details Episode 22 Aired Jun 6, 2004 Let 'Em Eat Cake The family heads for the hospital when George Sr. has a heart attack, only to discover he is en route to Mexico with Kitty; a book Tobias wrote becomes a bestseller; Buster and Annyong compete for women. Details

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Arrested Development — Season 1

Arrested Development View more photos

Season Info

Director
Jay Chandrasekhar, Anthony Russo, Greg Mottola, Lee Shallat Chemel, Paul Feig, John Fortenberry, Joe Russo
Executive Producer
Ron Howard, Brian Grazer, David Nevins, Mitchell Hurwitz
Screenwriter
Mitchell Hurwitz, Jim Vallely, Chuck Martin, Brad Copeland, Barbie Feldman, Abraham Higginbotham, Courtney Lilly, Richard Rosenstock, John Levenstein
Network
Netflix
Rating
TV-PG (L|D|S)
Genre
Comedy
Original Language
English
Release Date
Nov 2, 2003