Brothers Anthony and Joe Russo Direct the Good and Bad of TV Sitcoms
Arrested Development Worth Watching
Charles Mullin
I couldn’t think of a better time to review one of my all-time favorite comedies than now as a movie based on the show is in the works along with Community, another television show release by the same directors. Arrested Development is centered on the Bluths, a largely dysfunctional family who go from enormously successful to the laughingstock of the nation when George Michael, Sr. (Jeffrey Tambor), the patriarch of the family, is arrested for financial fraud in his housing construction company. What follows is what many critics call the smartest comedy of all time.
Filmed like a documentary and written with the intention of parodying every possible thing, the show tags along with Michael (Jason Bateman) as he tries to revive the Bluth Company business and his family at the same time. It might be wise to give this a try.
Community a Stereotypical Comedy without Plot
Lisa Vaspollo
Staff Reporter
Community, a new sitcom that airs on NBC, is not one I would recommend adding to your Thursday night lineup. Not only is the show not very realistic for a community college setting, it’s also stereotypical. You have a main character making trouble for himself named Jeff Winger (played by Joel McHale from The Soup), the jock, a blonde, the nerd, and a pervert (played by Chevy Chase). While I don’t believe that the casting is all that bad, the plot does not give meaning to the show.
The main character tries to set up a study group for his Spanish class just so he can impress the girl, Britta. The show tries to parody pop culture, making a reference to the popular band, Radiohead, and taking on a Breakfast Club-esque setting. Even though some critics believe that this new comedy has potential, as a college student (although not attending a community college) it does not portray any aspect of college life nor does it do so in a comical way. If you would like to check out the show and create your own opinion, it airs Thursday nights after The Office on NBC.