Netflix has made a surprising U-turn to keep Arrested Development on the streaming platform, and it is a promising win for the streamer’s future. Arrested Development is a 2003 sitcom that ran until 2019, following the once wealthy Bluth family, who lost all their money after George Bluth Sr. gets arrested for fraud. Jason Bateman leads the cast as Michael Bluth and the seasons follow the dysfunctional family trying to get back on their feet, each in their own unique way. Originally airing on Fox before its cancelation, Arrested Development returned to Netflix for seasons 4 and 5 and has become an audience favorite, including introducing a whole new fan base to the show.
Netflix announced that Arrested Development would be leaving the streamin platform much to the disappointment of audiences. This also came after news that beloved sitcoms New Girl, The Office, and Parks and Recreation were all leaving the streaming service which left audiences without a lot of their comfort shows. However, Netflix made a surprising decision to keep Arrested Development and, after some renegotiation, they made a last-minute deal to keep Arrested Development until at least 2026.
Netflix Renewing Arrested Development Last Minute Shows Promise
Netflix renewing Arrested Development shows promise as not many thought they would fight to keep the show on its platform, despite co-producing the final two seasons. Also, Arrested Development is one of Netflix’s older comedies which did not lead to much hope for a rights renewal, especially since many of its other popular comedies, including Friends, were taken off. But, the fact Netflix has fought to keep Arrested Development shows that Netflix would be willing to do the same in similar scenarios.
Additionally, Netflix’s last-minute decision to keep Arrested Development shows that they are listening to their audiences which is even more promising. After a string of favorite comedies were removed and the decisions were met with backlash, this shows Netflix do have intentions of providing their audiences with some familiar favorites. Plus, plenty of their original shows are being canceled after one season, despite the audiences’ outcry, so Netflix now listening to audiences could have a positive impact on their original shows too.
Why Netflix Is Right To Keep Arrested Development
Netflix have plenty of reasons to keep Arrested Development, and not just because of the fundamental reason that audiences love the show. Arrested Development is a rewatchable comedy and audiences can be expected to repeat the whole show from beginning to end, pick out their favorite seasons, or even just random episodes because it is easy watching, yet still engaging. Arrested Development are a good subgenre choice to keep on the streaming platform generally as it will deter audiences from unsubscribing from Netflix as they want easy access to their favorite shows.
Plus, with Netflix’s habit of canceling their original shows after one season, audiences are becoming cautious of starting new content out of worry they will start a show that is suddenly canceled in the middle of a plot line. This is also going to deter audiences from staying subscribed to Netflix so keeping Arrested Development, with five full seasons and a complete story, is much more appealing to audiences. Hopefully, Netflix’s decision to keep Arrested Development will spur similar decisions for other shows, either way, it is a promising decision for Netflix’s future.