Netflix still 'hopeful' for more 'Arrested Development' seasons, even after CEO's comments
Netflix chief executive tells investors the revival may be too tough to pull off twice
"Arrested Development" stars Will Arnett and Jason Bateman in a scene from one of the upcoming Netflix episodes.
"Arrested Development" creator Mitch Hurwitz has made no secret of his desire to use the new Netflix season of his uncanceled comedy to drum up interest (and money) in making the long-discussed "Arrested" movie. So the idea that these might be the only new episodes ever isn't in and of itself a surprise.
What is a surprise is that the CEO of Netflix very bluntly told investors he didn't expect to make more than the episodes that will premiere in May.
As the Wall Street Journal reported, Netflix's Reed Hastings was speaking with investors and referred to the "Arrested" revival as a "one-off" and "non-repeatable" event for Netflix.
A Netflix spokesperson clarified those quotes as accurate, but suggested things weren't as cut-and-dried as Hastings was suggesting.
The discussion, the spokesperson said, spun out of Hastings discussing the difficulty in getting the entire cast from the FOX days assembled again, often having actors come in on their days off from their regular jobs. (As Hurwitz explained back at press tour, the new season will be structured differently, with each episode focusing on what each Bluth has been up to since the last FOX episode, with Jason Bateman as the only actor appearing in all of them, and with the episodes designed to be viewed in any order.)
"I think we all knew it was lightning in the bottle that we pulled it all together" for this batch of episodes, said the spokesperson, who added that Netflix's chief content officer Ted Sarandos has been the point person for the "Arrested" revival, and who hasn't yet given up hope of making more.
"We're hopeful there will be more seasons," the spokesperson said. "If anyone can pull it together, it's going to be Ted. But by no means is this the end of it. We're definitely planning to do more with them. We have first rights, so it's not like you'd see it anywhere else. We're absolutely hopeful there will be more
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Login or create a HitFix account Login SignupJohn
February 25, 2013 at 6:51PM EST Reply to CommentMaybe it can be like Sherlock, and we get more whenever they can maneuver the cast, at varying lengths of time?
Neil
February 25, 2013 at 7:07PM EST Reply to CommentSo it was impossible to get everyone together for a TV season, but it won't be for a movie?
TV is the natural medium for this idea. I think trying to do it as a movie would be a mistake.
Cade
February 25, 2013 at 10:05PM EST Reply to CommentHey Alan, did you ever review Arrested Development on an episode by episode basis? If not, could I nominate season 2 for your annual summer re-watch?
amg Yes, that would be fantastic!!
February 25, 2013 at 11:54PM ESTEven if it was just something discussed on the podcast--and not even episode by episode, but generally how it pulled off what it did so brilliantly. I would love to hear that discussion.
youngjt80 AV Club just finished a re watch if you're interested.
February 26, 2013 at 1:18PM ESTFistOSalmon
February 26, 2013 at 12:59AM EST Reply to CommentLook I love all these actors but be serious, how many of them are actually highly in demand, particularly at this point? It seems obvious that Cera was probably hardest to get scheduling wise but he seems to have plateaued, Arnett, Cross and Tambor all had shows that are no longer on the air. Bateman obviously loves doing it and has been up and down enough to know a good thing when he sees it. Hurwitz has had a few years to see how hard it is to catch lightning in a bottle with a series and if he had commitments for the future would probably ride AD as far as he can take it.
Block out a few months to shoot long enough in advance so the cast can schedule around it and pay them their standard quotes and it shouldn't be that much of an issue. Come back to it every 18 months to a year, everyone has a fun two month reunion, gets paid and has time to do whatever else they want. Christ, we should all be so lucky.
FistOSalmon "18 months to two years".
February 26, 2013 at 1:02AM ESTReno
February 26, 2013 at 9:29AM EST Reply to CommentMaybe Netflix should stop letting Hastings talk.
Dsl
February 26, 2013 at 1:38PM EST Reply to CommentNetflix doesn't have HBO, so I don't have Netflix. Netflix will have AD, so I'll have Netflix. Until they don't and then I won't.
It'll be interesting to see how many more there are like me. Also, I'm really curious to see whether or not Netflix will be able to handle the demand.
Robin It will be interesting to see what Netflix's numbers do. I feel like AD has been promoted more/better than House of Cards, perhaps because the sites I go to contain alot of AD fans. However, ratings for AD when it was on would suggest that while passionate, the AD fanbase is relatively small. I would think most of them would already have Netflix streaming service, so I don't think Netflix is going to get a huge bump in subscribers.
February 26, 2013 at 2:34PM ESTI of course could be very wrong :-)
DB Cooper They have 33 million streaming members and stream a billion hours of content every month. I think they'll be able to handle the incremental demand.
February 26, 2013 at 11:57PM ESTMichael
February 26, 2013 at 4:43PM EST Reply to CommentNetflix needs to release Arrested Development one at a time at a set time. It will help to generate buzz. House of Cards would have done much better as people would have gotten it trending on twitter.
PotatoSolution Not to be a jerk, but how can you determine if House of Cards could have done "better" when Netflix is not releasing viewing numbers of any kind?
February 26, 2013 at 8:25PM ESTMichael
February 27, 2013 at 3:46PM ESTJust a guess but having people wait on the next episode builds anticipation and buzz. Also when people are all watching The Walking Dead or another show and they are commenting on it at the same time the night it came out, it starts to trend on twitter. That causes more people to check the show out to see what all the buzz is about. Can you imagine how twitter would blow up with people talking about AD on the set night it comes out at the set time it premiers?
Lastly it would be better for Netflix because people wouldnt consume the product in an 5 hour stretch, they would have to stay a subscriber for the entire season.
Haik Mendelovich
February 26, 2013 at 9:55PM EST Reply to Comment*So* disheartening, especially before the first new ep is aired.
Next, Good Ole Reed will announce that this whole streaming video/mail thing isn't working and that Netflix will only rent from storefronts that they've bought from Blockbuster...