We just finished watching the 2 hilarious Arrested Development episodes we had Tivoed from Sunday, having several “Did they just say that?” look-at-each-other moments in the process. I’m amazed by the shows writing every time I see it, and wasn’t disappointed.

I really wish FOX would reconsider their method of gauging how a show was “doing”, instead of just keeping to the line of traditional Neilson ratings reactions. With so many new methods of delivery I would say that traditional television ratings should matter less and less to broadcasting companies, with the consideration that are now more non-advertising revenue possibilities than just syndication. And the beauty of these new methods is that they wouldn’t even have to deal with advertising since the people who would consume digital distribution would probably not be willing to deal with advertising anyway. And then there’s also DVD sales to consider; some people just like to watch things in a block (great for long weekends).

Back to the episode, midway through they flashed www.saveourbluths.com across the screen, which appears to be a fan sponsored site dedicated to prolonging the shows runs. I’m going to try to do the letter thing but it’s tough for me to think they stuff actually gets read, though I do buy into their idea that letters get more attention than emails. I would really like to see a network step up and act as if the market was changing, which FOX was brave enough to try back in 86 by actually breaking into an oligopoly. There has had to be some one at that company with vision at one point, why can’t another step up?

While I would like to believe otherwise, if FOX goes through with canceling Arrested Development I think the show will be over, which would rob the word of a lot of future laughs. The best, though clichéd, example of this would be Seinfeld. That show enjoyed 9 years of airtime thanks to NBC’s decision to keep it on the air for the first 3 years, despite poor ratings. Some shows deserved to get cancelled, but others should be given more of a chance.

(Let me just give a shout out to the actors writers of How I Met Your Mother on CBS. Holla! But please, play down the Ted stuff and play up the Barney and Engaged Couple stuff. They’re WAY funnier)

There is the possibility that another network or cable operator will pick them up (which is cleverly written into the script), it seems unlikely. I would imagine that the show demands quite a lot of leeway when it comes to what goes into the show, and I don’t think networks will have the balls to try and write that out of a contract with Ron Howard and Henry Winkler. I mean we’re talking Ritchie and the Fonz, who have both gone on the greater careers in production and directing. It would be tough to say, looking at their portfolios, that they don’t know what the public wants to see.

Whatever the outcome, I’m pulling for the show. Ra ra.