So this is going to be kind of a weird post for me. Back when Arrested Development first started- it was hard to find anything even sort of like it... and there were some good shows- like 30 Rock for example- that I would say "Yes if you like Arrested Development, you'll like this show." And I do LOVE 30 Rock... it might be my third favorite show of all time... BUT I don't necessarily compare it to Arrested Development anymore because... I just think they're wayyyy too different. In fact: I might do a post on "What to Watch if You Can't Get Enough Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt" sometime after I review the first part of that show's (rumored) final season... so that will kind of be more 30-rock focused... Anyway back to now where I'm having a little bit of a tough time coming up with shows to recommend... but I'm going to try to come up with a good list...so yeah.
1) The Office
This is maybe the most obvious comparison on the list... The Office came out around the same time as Arrested Development and it was done in the same sort of Mockumentary style as Arrested Development... Arrested Development was kind of the first to do this on American television and The Office sort of followed that. I didn't really love the pilot episode... and I still don't really. The more I've watched the first season and the last couple seasons without Steve Carell the more I liked them too. This was definitely one of the only true things at the time of Arrested Development that I could say "Yes- this is sooo much like Arrested Development." And it's good! I still watch this show all the time! It's on Comedy Central on Sundays and Monday nights... it's just a great show. It holds up!
2) It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia
So this is another one on around the same time as Arrested Development... and I think at that time it was more of a "This is the only thing a little bit like Arrested Development so you should watch this if you watch Arrested Development" but honestly... this one is kind of one I'd recommend if you like Season 4 in particular. The Bluths always do bad things in the first 3 seasons of the show but in the 4th season they were pretty much bad people... and this reminded me mostly of Always Sunny... so I feel like I need to include this one too!
3) Archer
If you really love Lucille, you'll probably love Jessica Walter on Archer since she plays a fairly similar role with Mallory Archer. I would argue Mallory might have a better work ethic and she might be a better mother than Lucille... but she's voiced by Jessica Walter, she looks just like her and they have similar personality traits.
4) Trial and Error
Here's a show you might not have heard about... but Trial and Error is a great show that really reminds me of Arrested Development and Parks and Recreation.The first season was so funny, I think the second season looks really great and funny also. It had a similar documentary style... but it was kind of a dark humor and I think this season of Arrested Development will end up a little bit like Trial and Error with Buster's Trial. I think they originally wanted it to be a show that was sort of like a truecrime show about Buster... it hasn't really gotten there yet and I feel like maybe Trial and Error is why they decided not to do that... at least so far. I still think both are good shows and I think this is one you might like if you like Arrested Development!
5) Modern Family
I feel like this isn't the most obvious answer... but in Season 2 there was one episode of Modern Family that was A LOT like the first 3 seasons of Arrested Development... and I think a lot of the episodes kind of are. Modern Family is also good on continuity the way Arrested Development was and there are a lot of callbacks in the episodes... not as many as Arrested Development and I don't think there are really as many as in the first season... but it's still a good show that if you like a dysfunctional family show... this is a good one!
6) Community
Another pretty obvious comparison for Arrested Development. Mitch Hurwitz- the creator of Arrested Development is actually friends with Dan Harmon and he was on my favorite episode of Community... which is App Development and Condiments... and I didn't know but he was in the 6th season too... so I'm excited to watch that too! The Russo Brothers are also involved in both of these shows... as well as The Avengers: Infinity War! And while the two of these shows were on- they both had a really loyal fan base but they didn't get the Viewers that they needed... so it was a constant battle... but they are both amazing shows that are essentials... and if you like one you should watch the other. Especially because Mitch Hurwitz is on Community and Dan Harmon is on Arrested Development. So fun crossovers there!
7) AP Bio
This is a new show that I think was almost cancelled this year... but it was thankfully saved for a second season. I thought this show was really funny and I think if you like Community and Always sunny you'll probably like this show... but a lot of the humor is sort of dry and it does kind of remind me of Arrested Development... this one might be a stretch but I really want you guys to watch it... so it's on the list. Seemed more fitting than Good Girls... which I bumped off the list but I guess it's an honorable mention because it has Mae Whitman in it... so yeah!
8) Bojack Horseman
This is a Netflix show I love- not exactly like Arrested Development- but if you like Will Arnett... this is one of his best roles... so definitely watch it... but know it's a lot sadder than Arrested Development... so yeah!
9) Alone Together
This is a newer show and I wanted to try to keep a good mix of shows you can still watch on this list. Again- very dry humor... characters that are kind of bad people... and the situations are similar to things you would see on Arrested Development... that's something I haven't been mentioning and that was my #1 point when I was making this list... but the situations of this show, AP Bio, and Modern Family are very much like situations you would see the Bluth's handling thing... and I actually think that Esther and Benji are possibly the most Bluth like of any characters.
10) Superstore
This is just one of those shows that you need to record and watch multiple times... because it's so funny but every episode has several jokes that you don't really see unless you watch it again... and those are some of the funniest moments of the show. The Halloween episode "Sal's Dead" is by far one of the funniest episodes of anything that has ever been on television... and they always show quick cutaways of people in the store doing crazy things... and I just noticed some of these the last time I watched it. Like there was one where a kid put a BUNCH of candy in his shopping cart and the kid was laughing the whole time... it was just really funny and cute and every episode has those great moments that you might not see the first time... and that's what everyone kind of loved about Arrested Development originally. It's pretty great. Superstore also reminds me of Arrested Development because they have a bigger cast and a lot of characters... but it works. Doesn't happen for every show- but I think it works well for Superstore and Arrested Development especially!
Bye!
-Shannon
1) The Office
This is maybe the most obvious comparison on the list... The Office came out around the same time as Arrested Development and it was done in the same sort of Mockumentary style as Arrested Development... Arrested Development was kind of the first to do this on American television and The Office sort of followed that. I didn't really love the pilot episode... and I still don't really. The more I've watched the first season and the last couple seasons without Steve Carell the more I liked them too. This was definitely one of the only true things at the time of Arrested Development that I could say "Yes- this is sooo much like Arrested Development." And it's good! I still watch this show all the time! It's on Comedy Central on Sundays and Monday nights... it's just a great show. It holds up!
2) It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia
So this is another one on around the same time as Arrested Development... and I think at that time it was more of a "This is the only thing a little bit like Arrested Development so you should watch this if you watch Arrested Development" but honestly... this one is kind of one I'd recommend if you like Season 4 in particular. The Bluths always do bad things in the first 3 seasons of the show but in the 4th season they were pretty much bad people... and this reminded me mostly of Always Sunny... so I feel like I need to include this one too!
3) Archer
If you really love Lucille, you'll probably love Jessica Walter on Archer since she plays a fairly similar role with Mallory Archer. I would argue Mallory might have a better work ethic and she might be a better mother than Lucille... but she's voiced by Jessica Walter, she looks just like her and they have similar personality traits.
Here's a show you might not have heard about... but Trial and Error is a great show that really reminds me of Arrested Development and Parks and Recreation.The first season was so funny, I think the second season looks really great and funny also. It had a similar documentary style... but it was kind of a dark humor and I think this season of Arrested Development will end up a little bit like Trial and Error with Buster's Trial. I think they originally wanted it to be a show that was sort of like a truecrime show about Buster... it hasn't really gotten there yet and I feel like maybe Trial and Error is why they decided not to do that... at least so far. I still think both are good shows and I think this is one you might like if you like Arrested Development!
5) Modern Family
I feel like this isn't the most obvious answer... but in Season 2 there was one episode of Modern Family that was A LOT like the first 3 seasons of Arrested Development... and I think a lot of the episodes kind of are. Modern Family is also good on continuity the way Arrested Development was and there are a lot of callbacks in the episodes... not as many as Arrested Development and I don't think there are really as many as in the first season... but it's still a good show that if you like a dysfunctional family show... this is a good one!
6) Community
Another pretty obvious comparison for Arrested Development. Mitch Hurwitz- the creator of Arrested Development is actually friends with Dan Harmon and he was on my favorite episode of Community... which is App Development and Condiments... and I didn't know but he was in the 6th season too... so I'm excited to watch that too! The Russo Brothers are also involved in both of these shows... as well as The Avengers: Infinity War! And while the two of these shows were on- they both had a really loyal fan base but they didn't get the Viewers that they needed... so it was a constant battle... but they are both amazing shows that are essentials... and if you like one you should watch the other. Especially because Mitch Hurwitz is on Community and Dan Harmon is on Arrested Development. So fun crossovers there!
7) AP Bio
This is a new show that I think was almost cancelled this year... but it was thankfully saved for a second season. I thought this show was really funny and I think if you like Community and Always sunny you'll probably like this show... but a lot of the humor is sort of dry and it does kind of remind me of Arrested Development... this one might be a stretch but I really want you guys to watch it... so it's on the list. Seemed more fitting than Good Girls... which I bumped off the list but I guess it's an honorable mention because it has Mae Whitman in it... so yeah!
8) Bojack Horseman
This is a Netflix show I love- not exactly like Arrested Development- but if you like Will Arnett... this is one of his best roles... so definitely watch it... but know it's a lot sadder than Arrested Development... so yeah!
9) Alone Together
This is a newer show and I wanted to try to keep a good mix of shows you can still watch on this list. Again- very dry humor... characters that are kind of bad people... and the situations are similar to things you would see on Arrested Development... that's something I haven't been mentioning and that was my #1 point when I was making this list... but the situations of this show, AP Bio, and Modern Family are very much like situations you would see the Bluth's handling thing... and I actually think that Esther and Benji are possibly the most Bluth like of any characters.
10) Superstore
This is just one of those shows that you need to record and watch multiple times... because it's so funny but every episode has several jokes that you don't really see unless you watch it again... and those are some of the funniest moments of the show. The Halloween episode "Sal's Dead" is by far one of the funniest episodes of anything that has ever been on television... and they always show quick cutaways of people in the store doing crazy things... and I just noticed some of these the last time I watched it. Like there was one where a kid put a BUNCH of candy in his shopping cart and the kid was laughing the whole time... it was just really funny and cute and every episode has those great moments that you might not see the first time... and that's what everyone kind of loved about Arrested Development originally. It's pretty great. Superstore also reminds me of Arrested Development because they have a bigger cast and a lot of characters... but it works. Doesn't happen for every show- but I think it works well for Superstore and Arrested Development especially!
Bye!
-Shannon
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