Episodes: 22
Run: November 2, 2003-June 6, 2004
Broadcasted on Fox Network
Created by Mitchell Hurwitz
Starring:
Jason Bateman as Michael Bluth
Portia de Rossi as Lindsay Bluth Fünke
Will Arnett as George Oscar "G.O.B." Bluth II
Michael Cera as George Michael Bluth
Alia Shawkat as Maeby Fünke
Tony Hale as Byron "Buster" Bluth
David Cross as Tobias Fünke
Jeffrey Tambor as Geogre Bluth, Sr. and Oscar Bluth
Jessica Walter as Lucille Bluth
Ron Howard as The Narrator

Guest stars for Season 1:
Henry Winkler as Barry Zuckerkorn
John Beard as Himself
Patrice Oneal as T-Bone
Richard Simmons as Himself
Justin Grant Wade as Steve Holt
Leonor Varela as Marta Estrella
Liza Minnelli as Lucille Austero
Clint Howard as Johnny Bark
Judy Greer as Kitty Sanchez
Bob Odenkirk as Dr. Gunty
BW Gonzales as Lupe
Patricia Velasquez as Marta Estrella
John Michael Higgins as Wayne Jarvis
Steve Ryan as J. Walter Weatherman
Carl Weathers as Himself
Heather Graham as Miss Baerly
Justin Lee as Annyong
James Lipton as Warden Gentiles
Amy Poehler as Wife of Gob
Julia Louis-Dreyfus as Maggie Lizer
Jane Lynch as Cindi Lightballoon
Kevin McDonald as Detective Streudler
Ian Roberts as Dr. Fishman

George Bluth Sr., patriarch of the Bluth family, is the founder and former CEO of the Bluth Company, which markets and builds mini-mansions, among other activities. George Sr. is arrested by the Securities and Exchange Commission for defrauding investors and gross spending of the company's money for "personal expenses". His wife Lucille becomes CEO, and immediately names as the new president her youngest son Buster, who proves ill equipped. Seeing no other options, the family turns to Michael, the middle son, and twin to the Bluths' only girl, Lindsay, giving him control of the company. To keep the family together, Michael convinces his son and sister's family to live together in a Bluth model home.

Throughout the first season, different characters struggle to change their identities. Buster works to escape from his mother's control through brotherly bonding and love interests such as Lucille Austero. George Michael nurses a forbidden crush on his cousin Maeby, while continually trying to meet his father's expectations. Lindsay's husband Tobias, a psychiatrist who has lost his medical license, searches for work as an actor, with the aid of Carl Weathers. Michael falls in love with his older brother Gob's neglected girlfriend Marta, and is torn between being with her and putting "family first". After he quarrels with Gob, Marta realizes that they do not share the same family values, and she leaves them both. To spite Buster, Lucille adopts a Korean son whom she calls 'Annyong' after she mistakes the Korean word for 'hello' as his name. Through an escalating series of dares, Gob gets married to a woman he just met, played by real life wife Amy Poehler, but cannot get an annulment because he refuses to admit that he did not consummate the marriage. Kitty, George Sr.'s former assistant, tries to blackmail the company. She is caught in the Bluth family yacht's explosion, as used in one of Gob's magic acts, but survives. After previous failed attempts, and a brief religious stint in Judaism, George Sr. finally escapes from prison by faking a heart attack. It is also revealed that George committed "light treason" by using the company to build mini-palaces for Saddam Hussein in Iraq. (Source for plot Wikipedia.org)



Now this is the greatest television series I have ever seen and the funniest. Now I do love many other TV show of all kind, except reality TV which is bullshit, but I love this show so much. The writing on this show was so fantastic, smart, witty, and funny. Mitchell Hurwitz and Ron Howard helped to make this show really wonderful. Every critic loved this show and I thought hey I'll check it out. That night I laughed my ass off and couldn't believe how great this show was. Each Sunday I'd watch it. Then again that's because I like the Fox Sunday Night line up. One of the only few good things left on that network. The actins was a great work to watch and with Jason Bateman leading this fine group of actors was fun to watch. Each character on the show had their own brand of weirdness that seemed to work and the narration done by excutive producer Ron Howard was good as well. Without the narration anyone who watched the show would've gotten lost in the story. The show won many, many awards even getting an upset win at the 2004 Emmy Awards by winning Outstanding Comedy Series. As well as other Emmy Awards, many Writer's Guild Awards, Television Critics Association Awards, the 2004 TV Land Future Classic Award, and many other awards. There was just one problem. Fox didn't know how to fucking promote the god damn show. It did have good ratings but really not good enough. The show was renewed for a second season. "Arrested Development" will always be my favorite TV show ever. Now what happens in Season Two? Tune in to my blog and find out!

Special features: the unaired, full length pilot episode, commentary by creator Mitchell Hurwitz and other members of the cast on three episodes, deleted and extended scenes, a soundtrack by David Schwarz, and various behind-the-scenes featurettes.

The special features are pretty standard but really good. Mainly the unaird extended pilot and the episode commentaries.

Star rating: 4 stars/4
Grade rating: A-

Next review: Arrested Development, Season Two