16ARRESTED DEVELOPMENT

Aired: 2003-2006

Mitchell Hurwitz offered a glimpse into his take on the family sitcom when he spoke of his own parents' refusal to "quietly disappear into their middle age." This, Hurwitz went on, "made the act of emotionally emancipating from them much more challenging." Hurwitz channeled the dynamic of intra-familial emotional chaos into the nouveau riche Bluths. The peppy venality and plain weirdness of the show's nine central characters helped earn Arrested Development an Emmy for Best Comedy, a passionate fan base, but never enough viewers for Fox to justify more than a limited run. Hurwitz credited executive producer Ron Howard for the documentary-like filmmaking style, shot on digital video that enabled the production to work faster and the writers to think bigger and crazier.