Arrested Development

A sharp sitcom that rewards re-watching, Arrested Development was a comedy ahead of its time. Capitalizing on self-referencing jokes, each episode draws viewers deeper into the demented world of the Bluth family and their unapologetically irreverent sense of humor. The series centers on the moral middle son, Michael (Jason Bateman). The most responsible of the Bluths, Michael is left to take care of the family and their real-estate business when his father, George Sr. (Jeffrey Tambor), is imprisoned for white-collar crimes. Michael tries to balance his drive to impress his criminally inclined father with his desire to properly raise his socially awkward son, George Michael (Michael Cera), amidst a dysfunctional family that includes a booze-swilling mother (Jessica Walter), an awkward misfit (Tony Hale), an egomaniacal magician (Will Arnett), a deeply selfish twin sister (Portia de Rossi), her oft blue—but never-nude—husband (David Cross), and their snarky daughter (Alia Shawkat), who is the object of George Michael's undying affections. It's a soap-opera premise with a satirical bent, balancing winking references to pop-culture icons with a blistering and iconoclastic wit. Given its biting humor, quotable bon mots, and madcap characters, this short-lived sitcom has earned well-deserved cult status.