Pilot (Arrested Development)

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"Pilot"
Arrested Development episode
Part of the Bluth family smiling for a photo.
Episode no.Season 1
Episode 1
Directed byAnthony Russo
Joe Russo
Written byMitchell Hurwitz
Production code1AJD79
Original air dateNovember 2, 2003 (2003-11-02)
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"Pilot" is the first episode of the American television

George Sr. is about to announce his retirement when he is arrested for using his company's funds for personal expenses. It was written by series creator and executive producer Mitchell Hurwitz and was directed by Anthony and Joe Russo. An uncensored, extended version of the episode was released as a special feature on the DVD home release.[1]

Plot

For ten years,

Lucille
, that the company checkbook is closing.

At the banana stand, George Michael's cousin

Buster, her youngest son, to find a channel to the ocean on the maps. Buster, despite his cartography
lessons, can only offer certainty that the blue part of the map is land before a panic attack sets in. The SEC hauls George Bluth away, leaving the family in turmoil.

At the police station, Tobias joins up with the family and tells them he discovered that the men on the other boat with him were in fact actors from the local theater. Believing that a path has been shown to him, Tobias informs the family that he has decided to become an actor. Michael then informs the family that their dad is being kept in jail, and the SEC is putting a halt on the company's expense account. Lucille decides to put Buster in charge. This is too much for Michael, who accepts a job in Arizona with a rival development company. When Buster discovers his academic pursuits didn't prepare him for running a big company, the family turns to Michael, begging for his help. Michael rejects their imposition, but Lindsay says he should visit their father before leaving. Michael does indeed visit his father in jail, asking why he wasn't put in charge. George informs him that he put Lucille in charge because he believes they cannot arrest a husband and wife for the same crime. Michael tells him that is not true, and George curses the advice of his attorneys. At the model home, Lindsay is trying to steal some belongings that she can grab and sell when she comes across George Michael. He opens up his heart, saying he wishes the family could see each other more often, and when Michael sees this, he decides to stay in California and try to save the family business.

On the next Arrested Development...

Having to share a room with his cousin Maeby, George Michael begins to feel awkward. Gob interviews for a job with the rival development company Michael interviewed for earlier, and at the county jail, George Sr. tells Michael that he's "having the time of [his] life."

Development

Discussion that led to the creation of the series began in the summer of 2002.

Enron and Adelphia, Hurwitz suggested a story about a "riches to rags" family. Howard and Imagine were immediately interested in using this idea, and signed Hurwitz on to write the show. The idea was pitched and sold in the fall of 2002. Over the next few months, Hurwitz developed the characters and plot to the series. The pilot script was submitted in January 2003, and filmed in March 2003. It was submitted in late April, and added to the Fox fall schedule in May.[2]

Tony Hale, who plays Buster, recalled that "we didn't really improv that much, because we knew [Mitchell Hurwitz] had a specific way he wanted it done".[3]

Casting

The most difficult part for casting the series involved finding people who would be believable as a family.

video tapes and flown in to audition for Fox. Jason Bateman and Portia de Rossi both read and auditioned for the network and were immediately chosen. The character of Gob was the most challenging to cast. When Will Arnett auditioned, he depicted the character with a "macho" streak different from expectations; he was chosen immediately. The characters of Tobias and George Sr. were originally going to have minor roles, but David Cross's and Jeffrey Tambor's portrayals mixed well with the rest of the characters, and they were given more significant parts.[2] Ron Howard, the executive producer, provided the narration for the initial pilot but meshed so well with the tone of the program that the decision was made to stick with his voice. Howard also aided in the casting of "Lucille 2"; the producers told him that their dream actress for the role would be Liza Minnelli but assumed nobody of her stature would take the part. However, she agreed when Ron Howard asked her himself, because they were old friends; she had been his babysitter when he was a child and she was a teen.[4]

Reception

Critical reception

Andy Richter Controls The Universe.[6] Matt Roush of TV Guide said that the Pilot demonstrated it was "sophisticated and invigorating in its barbed wit and freewheeling blackouts and flashbacks" and praised the lack of a laugh track.[7] Robert Bianco of USA Today wrote a largely positive review, exalting the performances of the entire ensemble cast, but called Bateman the standout. He, did, however, feel the series went too far outside the norm with the cousin storyline between George-Michael and Maeby, referring to it as "alarming".[8] The A.V. Club writer Noel Murray wrote that the series premiere used its time well, saying that "between the on-screen titles, the narration, the quick insert shots, the brief flashbacks, and the rapid-fire dialogue, creator Mitchell Hurwitz and his team of writers, directors, and editors impart massive amounts of information in a short span of time."[9]

Accolades

The pilot was honored at the

56th Annual Primetime Emmy Awards. Mitchell Hurwitz won Outstanding Writing for a Comedy Series for writing the pilot episode. During his acceptance speech, Hurwitz joked, "This is such a huge honor and, I fear, a giant mistake." Joe and Anthony Russo also won Outstanding Directing for a Comedy Series for their directorial work on this episode.[10]

References

  1. ^ "Arrested Development: Season One". DVD Talk. October 13, 2004. Retrieved February 20, 2016.
  2. ^ a b c "Interview: Katie O'Connell". November 24, 2005. Archived from the original on June 4, 2011.
  3. ^ Miller, Liz (May 19, 2018). "'Arrested Development' Season 5 Premiere: Why the Cast Trusts the Creator, and the Night's Most Awkward Moment". IndieWire. Retrieved May 19, 2018.
  4. ^ (2004-08-20). "Friends in high places", Evening Standard, p. 13.
  5. ^ Stanley, Alessandra (October 31, 2003). "All in the (Rich, Dysfunctional) Family". New York Times. Retrieved March 18, 2012.
  6. ^ Goodman, Tim (October 31, 2003). "Latest Fox comedy 'Arrested Development' is so funny it's doomed". San Francisco Chronicle. Retrieved March 18, 2012.
  7. ^ Roush, Matt (November 3, 2003). "Relative-ly Hilarious". TV Guide. Archived from the original on 2014-04-07. Retrieved March 18, 2012.
  8. ^ Bianco, Robert (October 30, 2003). "'Development': Not Your Father's Family Sitcom, Thankfully". USA Today. Archived from the original on 2010-05-04. Retrieved March 18, 2012.
  9. ^ Murray, Noel (June 1, 2011). "Arrested Development - "Extended Pilot/Top Banana"". The A.V. Club. Retrieved March 18, 2012.
  10. ^ Schneider, Michael (September 19, 2004). "'Sopranos' hits a high note". Variety. Retrieved March 18, 2012.

External links