My friend Kevin has written an impassioned letter to the executives at FOX regarding the pending cancellation of Arrested Development.
The letter has been posted on Kevin’s weblog and will be ignored by all but his most die-hard of fans.
I, however, have been swayed.
Arrested Development is not one of my favorite TV shows. It’s more complicated than I generally like my evening television to be and if I ever miss an episode or two, entire story arcs will have changed in ways that I can never reconcile with my previous world view of the show.
However, it is a good show. Better than most and deserving of the chance to build an audience like The Simpsons and Seinfeld did. I kid about not liking complicated plots because I am making fun of my own laziness. Too much TV is lazy.
There needs to be more shows on TV like Arrested Development, not fewer. People don’t like to be challenged, and the ratings show it, but in the end, people will always find their way to good television. It’s why there are a thousand cable stations making waves with programs like Monk and The Shield.
FOX will be hearing this same advice from people with a lot more influence and a lot more readers than me, so this is really just the venting of one more powerless madman. At least I feel better.
