"Development" arrested in Season Three

Daniel Drezner has inspired me. Yes, it is OK to mourn the end of A.D. at the end of a short third season. Even though it's a safe bet that there is a cable option for this show, if the creators wish.

OK, as the SF Gate shows, it's really much more complex:

Q: Did Fox just really cancel "Arrested Development"? Say it ain't so!

A: Well, technically, it's not so. Fox will air the first 13 episodes, but it decided last week not to pick up the "back nine," as they say in the business. That's different from being canceled. (There was some confusion earlier as to whether Fox had ever promised a full 22 episodes to "AD." It hadn't. The network waited to see if the ratings were good before committing to the back nine. The ratings were not good, settling in at roughly 4 million viewers compared with about 6 million, on average, the last season. Either year you measure it, not good.

Now, when a network cuts, or doesn't extend, your season order, that's usually a terrible sign. That's usually death. But remember, "AD" was cut from 22 to 18 last year and still returned.

The BBC's story:

The show's third series has been cut from 22 to 13 episodes. A Fox spokesman said its future had not been decided.

He added the show would return in December. It has been replaced by repeats of popular drama Prison Break.

And IMDB's memorable quotes:

Steve Holt: I've made a huge mistake.
Gob: I know the feeling. I had you. I'm your father, Steve Holt! I can't hide from it any more.
Steve Holt: I won't forget this... Dad.
Gob: [swallows roofie] I will. I will.