The One Where They Build A House [HD]

*****+ for the funniest show on television!
Normally I hate it when people (including myself) write reviews for DVDs that haven't even come out yet. But I'm so excited for the 2nd season of Arrested Development to come out on DVD that I'm going to write one anyway! (Don't worry, I'll come back and update the review once I actually get the DVD.)

This is, in my opinion, the funniest show on television. My favorite thing about this show is how it is a "comedy for smart people." If you like dumb and "easy" humor, then there is probably still some stuff in here that you'll enjoy... BUT if you like clever/witty humor, you'll LOVE this show. The more you watch it, the more jokes you'll understand and the more funny the jokes will be. There are even jokes foreshadowing other jokes several episodes down the road (e.g. Buster's "I never thought I'd miss a hand so much" when looking at his old hand chair in "Amigos"). There's no way you could ever catch everything on your first viewing, and that's why the DVDs are so...

Rush right out and get yourself Arrested!
Over the past few years there has been much talk about the supposed death of the sitcom on network television. And if those preparing to mourn the genre consider Friends or its ilk to be the standard-bearer, than perhaps they are right.

But maybe, just maybe, with Arrested Development we are seeing the future of the situation comedy... and if that's the case, things are looking up!

Arrested Development isn't your standard "set up a punch line, deliver punch-line, listen to the studio audience roar" show. In fact, rarely is there a set up or punchline, but rather keenly written and expertly delivered dialogue. And rather than the standard "Joey and Phoebe get stuck in an elevator while Rachel and Monica plan Thanksgiving dinner" storylines, Arrested lets each episode unfold in an intricate and intriguing manner with humor that ranges from subtle to sublime.

The basic premise? We're spending time with the Bluth family, who, to borrow a phrase, put the...

A second incredible season for the best comedy on TV this century
Warning: Some spoilers below

After a debut season that saw ARRESTED DEVELOPMENT win the Emmy for Best Comedy and just generally demonstrate that it was the most original new American comedy series in years, the show continued with a brilliant second season, more awards and critical acclaim, but still astonishingly few viewers. Fans of the show wonder why everyone isn't watching it. It has one of the most brilliant ensemble casts in memory, vastly higher production values of virtually all other American comedies (most are filmed before live audiences and minimal sets, which means few camera set ups, relatively inexpensive sets, and all around lowered costs), and brilliant writing that is genuinely funny. I don't ever remember laughing at an episode of FRIENDS or EVERYBODY LOVE RAYMOND or countless other American sit coms that elicit smiles at most. ARRESTED DEVELOPMENT is one of the few truly funny shows American TV has produced. Typically, as I write this review the...

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