20 Great TV Shows That Everybody Turned Against

16. Arrested Development

Stranger Things Vecna
Netflix

Despite Arrested Development's impeccable performances, airtight scripts, and meme-fuelling gags, Mitchell Hurwitz's sitcom struggled with ratings, leading to it getting axed after the third season.

Ironically, Arrested Development became more popular when it was taken off the air, leading to a revival eight years later. Unfortunately, the fourth season didn't sit right. Most of the ensemble were busy with their careers, making it difficult to book them on the same day. Even though the Bluths' dysfunctional dynamic was the cornerstone of Arrested Development, the family members rarely shared the screen, leading to limited banter.

The fifth season got the gang back together, but doubled down on overcomplicated plots, excessive narration, and self-referential jokes that felt tired rather than clever. Worse still, some storylines relied on pointless twists and retcons that discarded years of established lore, like how Lindsay is revealed to be Lucille's half-sister instead of her daughter in the penultimate episode.

Although it's understandable why Arrested Development veterans weren't ready to say goodbye to the Bluth family after only three seasons, a sudden cancellation was better than a mediocre revival.

Contributor

James Egan has been with Whatculture for five years and prominently works on Horror, Film, and Video Games. He's written over 80 books including 1000 Facts about Horror Movies Vol. 1-3 1000 Facts about The Greatest Films Ever Made Vol. 1-3 1000 Facts about Video Games Vol. 1-3 1000 Facts About James Bond 1000 Facts About TV Shows