History Trivia / Arresteddevelopment

** When the non-linear story-telling for Season 4 was poorly received, Mitch Hurwitz edited things into a more linear fashion and capped episodes at 21 minutes like on Fox. After spending several years relegated to the "Trailers and more" section of the show which one woud've gone out of their way to watch, the original version ended up unlisted entirely and is no longer available to stream.
** Narrowly averted globally after the news that Netflix would be removing the show, including the exclusive Season 4 Remix and Season 5, in early 2023. In March 2023 Netflix users [[https://www.reddit.com/r/arresteddevelopment/comments/11qic9v/it_seems_arrested_development_wont_be_removed/ reported]] that the mention of the show "leaving soon" had been removed.

** As mentioned above, the original idea for Creator/CarlWeathers' role was a parody of the ''Franchise/{{Rocky}}'' franchise, including a gag where he and Tobias would have reenacted the infamous homoerotic beach scene from ''Film/{{Rocky III}}'' during a training montage. However, Weathers felt ''Rocky'' jokes were plated, and instead suggested he play himself [[AdamWesting as an eccentric cheapskate]].

** The original idea for Creator/CarlWeathers' appearance AsHimself was a parody of his role in the ''Franchise/{{Rocky}}'' franchise, including a gag where he and Tobias would've reenacted the infamous homoerotic beach scene from ''Film/{{Rocky III}}'' during a training montage. However, Weathers made it clear that he wasn't interested in doing ''Rocky'' jokes, which he felt were played out, and instead suggested that he be depicted [[AdamWesting as an eccentric cheapskate]]. Hurwitz himself later admitted that Weathers' suggestion wound up being much funnier.

** Despite the confirmation that the show would stay, it eventually got unlisted in its entirety even in some of the countries which weren't originally subject to NoExportForYou (e.g. France as of 2024), leaving the classic series and the original Season 4 only available on used [=DVDs=], and the Season 4 Recut and Season 5 only available via VPN or, well, piracy.

** Despite the confirmation that the show would stay, the show eventually got unlisted in its entirety even in some of the countries which weren't originally subject to NoExportForYou (e.g. France as of 2024), leaving the classic series and the original Season 4 only available on used [=DVDs=], and the Season 4 Recut and Season 5 only available via VPN or, well, piracy.

* KeepCirculatingTheTapes: When the non-linear story-telling for Season 4 was poorly received, Mitch Hurwitz edited things into a more linear fashion and capped episodes at 21 minutes like on Fox. The original version is no longer available to stream.

* ActorInspiredElement: When asked to come onto the show, Creator/CarlWeathers requested that he portray a cheap, sleazy version of himself, as he wasn't interested in simply acting out as a ''Rocky'' parody, and wanted to demonstrate his comedic chops. Mitch Hurwitz later commented that [[SerendpityWritesThePlot this idea ended up being much better than what they had originally planned]] (which was, yes, a ''Rocky'' parody, but which Hurwitz was too embarrassed to bring up after Weathers' suggestion).

* ActorInspiredElement: When asked to come onto the show, Creator/CarlWeathers requested that he portray a cheap, sleazy version of himself, as he wasn't interested in simply acting out as a ''Rocky'' parody, and wanted to demonstrate his comedic chops.

* ActorInspiredElement: When asked to come onto the show, Creator/CarlWeathers that he portray a cheap, sleazy version of himself, as he wasn't interested in simply acting out as a ''Rocky'' parody, and wanted to demonstrate his comedic chops.

* LoopingLines: For some reason, this show features some of the most obvious looping on television. This is often in addition to splicing in line deliveries from different takes and camera angles into the middle of a line delivery. The show tries to hide it by cutting to a shot of the person listening, with only the back of the speaker's head visible. However, it's always obvious when the vocal tone and sound quality suddenly shifts in the middle of a line, and when the LipLock of a person not facing the camera doesn't match at all.

** Young Michael and Young Gob are played by two different actors between the flashbacks with J Walter Weatherman, and in the scenes from the "Boyfights" movies. This is especially noticeable in Season 3 episode "Making A Stand", which contains scenes of both. The kids in the J Walter Weatherman flashbacks appear to actually be a different race (Buster included, which makes Lindsey stand out even more as a clearly white, blonde-haired blue-eyed child among her three dark-haired dark-skinned brothers), whereas the kids in the "Boyfights" segment are more clearly Caucasian and show more clear resemblance to Will Arnett and Jason Bateman.

* HostilityOnTheSet: Creator/JeffreyTambor had a "blowup" with Creator/JessicaWalter. Walter said in a ''New York Times'' cast interview that Tambor had verbally harassed her. "He never crossed the line on our show with any, you know, sexual whatever. Verbally, yes, he harassed me, but he did apologize...In like almost 60 years of working, I've never had anybody yell at me like that on a set."

** "Marry me!" (Pause) "That's weird on so many levels."

* RealitySubtext: A number of examples. Besides several ActorAllusion(s), there's the fact that Portia de Rossi is a lesbian and her character on the show is married to TransparentCloset resident Tobias (while David Cross, ironically enough, is straight). There's also frequent references to the show's declining ratings coupled with BitingTheHandHumor toward Fox. The episode "S.O.B.s" is one of the more blatant examples. Finally, the character Nellie, whom Michael [[spoiler:apparently erroneously]] believes is his long-lost sister, is played by Creator/JasonBateman's sister Justine.

* TheWikiRule: The [[http://arresteddevelopment.wikia.com/wiki/Main_Page Arrested Development Wiki]].

* TalkingToHimself: Jeffrey Tambor whenever George Sr. and Oscar are in a scene together. This is even lampshaded in a season 4 episode when George encounters Oscar at the country club:
--> '''George:''' I'll just sit across from you [[LeaningOnTheFourthWall so it doesn't look bad]].

--> '''George Sr.:''' Well, I think it's {{Showtime}}- ... we have to have a show during dinner.

* TroubledProduction: Creator/DavidCross has come out and said Season 5 had one of these as the actors had limited time on set and had to be called back in whenever the writers came up with a new joke. Because of these problems, he does not see a Season 6 in the making any time soon. Furthermore, the passing of Creator/JessicaWalter in 2021 may have closed the book on any sort of Season 6.

* AuthorsSavingThrow:
** As a result of Michael's long standing UnintentionallyUnsympathetic status, the writers got the hint and made him a blatant {{Jerkass}} as seasons went on, as well as giving the UnintentionallySympathetic Gob a bit more of sympathy.
** Pretty much everything about the Season 5 announcement screams, "Yeah, we'll try and keep the Bluths together more." The season 4 remix opening even changes to state such:
--->'''Narrator''': Now the story of what happens when the one man who was holding his family together finally let go. And the separate journey that eventually gave them no choice but to come back together.
** The main criticism of Season Four was that the cast have separate long-winded adventures, barely interact with each other, and the AnachronicOrder has the story make no sense until the last third of the season where they finally explain a lot of [[BrickJoke hanging jokes and plot points]]. A ReCut of the entire season called "Fateful Consequences" attempts to assemble the season into a more chronological order, placing more emphasis on developing 2 or 3 plotlines in each episode while also being quicker to reveal certain twists (Lindsay and Tobias both going to India for a retreat is covered in the same episode, rather than revealing Tobias was also in India two episodes later). This, in addition to shorter episode runtime but more episodes total, makes it more in line with the style of the earlier seasons.
** The genuinely shocking and dramatic last seconds of Season 4 are very much diluted by Season 5's reveal of the aftermath, which is awkward and a little sad, but nowhere near as destructive as the abrupt presentation of the scene had implied.

* DuelingShows:
** The show takes many shots at ''Series/TheOC'', another show taking place in Orange County, California. For example, someone says, "Obsessive Compulsive Disorder, or... The OC Disorder." This always prompts the response from Michael, "Don't call it that," which mirrors general antipathy from actual Orange County residents against the term.
** After ''Arrested'' lost its Monday night primetime slot, they had an episode called "Series/PrisonBreak-[[Recap/ArrestedDevelopmentS3E7PrisonBreakIn in]]".
** A couple of episodes were named in the IdiosyncraticEpisodeNaming of ''Series/{{Friends}}''.

* TroubledProduction: Creator/DavidCross has come out and said Season 5 had one of these as the actors had limited time on set and had to be called back in whenever the writers came up with a new joke. Because of these problems, he does not see a Season 6 in the making any time soon.