Afternoon Baseball

Blogcritics.org

A nice examination of the reasons behind why this always ratings-starved show has already lost about 2 million viewers from last season (Monday's episode vs. last season's average).


Thoughts on the show and its critics/nonviewers

I think one issue not brought up may be time slots. I was one of the many who thought Sunday nights after "The Simpsons" last year was great. However, looking back, I think what happened was that there was animated shows on for an hour or two, then "Arrested Development," then more animated shows. Many people watch the entire block of animated shows, and may have just decided, what is this live-action show doing in the middle? I'll skip that.

In the comments, you'll also find this tidbit:

"But I (and evidently a lot of other people) don't think AD is a good show, or
that it is funny, and all you AD fanatics will maybe someday accept the fact
that you are in a very small minority with a sense of humor not shared by many
others."

One problem with that comment, unfortunately, is that the creators behind the show have made cheesy, "standard" comedies and done well with those. So they obviously have a normal sense of humor. Ron Howard is the narrator and an executive producer, and he's changed television history with "The Andy Griffith Show" and "Happy Days." So he obviously knows mainstream humor.
Plus, the same people who are praising "AD" also love "Newsradio," "Seinfeld," "Frasier," "Family Guy," "The Simpsons" and lots of other shows that were critically acclaimed, ratings producers, or both.
So, while it's possible this show's supporters could be dead-wrong (a la all the Emmys for "3rd Rock From The Sun," a terrible show), odds are "Arrested Development" will soon succumb to a combination of bad luck, bad timing, and America, as a whole save for late-night television, not wanting to have comedy that they have to pay attention to in order to understand.

Look on the bright side, though. Every 10 or 15 years, you get a whole "retro" movement that's really the result of the sheep that are the masses trying to play off all the idiotic things they wore, listened to, decorated with, or owned as cool, when they never really were (and still aren't). When that happens with the early '00s, this show is one thing that you won't have to apologize for.