New Developments

No other medium of entertainment teeters on a such a steep precipice of public regard as revered comedy shows. It's little wonder that Cleese & Booth put their foot down after two series of Fawlty Towers, or that Linehan and Mathews did the same after three series of Father Ted (the untimely death of its star notwithstanding). These shows were as close to perfect as comic writing can possibly get - and crucially, consistent in that quality - so the public begged for more; but the writers resisted, knowing full well that just one bad series or Christmas special could be enough to push it right off that cliff, smashing it on the cruel rocks which claimed The Simpsons or Only Fools & Horses.

With that in mind, returning to Arrested Development was always going to be a journey of trepidation. I've felt for years that the cracks were starting to show in the third (and hitherto final) series, and that cancellation probably saved it from a slow decline, preserving its early brilliance for posterity. And yet, sticking the new fourth series on and getting reacquainted with some of the best comic characters of the 21st century, I'm amazed that the writers were ever stretched for ideas in the first place. With some astute development (particularly in the cases of Michael becoming a more typically manipulative member of the family, and Lindsay ditching her superficial liberalism to become a satirical Sarah Palin/Michele Bachmann figure), coupled with the constant stream of witty and inventive wordplay, classic and all-new running jokes, and a generous helping of ostriches, it may not hit the heights of its greatest episodes, but it's still among the best comedy you'll see all year.