'Arrested Development' In Cable Network, Internet Syndication

When shows are cancelled and taken off the air, it's not unusual for syndication to keep them going. However, in the case of the popular series, Arrested Development, syndication takes on a whole new meaning.

As Reuters reports, "In an unusual syndication arrangement, all 53 episodes of Fox's critically acclaimed comedy "Arrested Development" have been licensed simultaneously to Internet portal MSN, and cable channels HDNet and G4 for a three-year period starting in September."

The Fox Entertainment Group, who ran Arrested Development during its 53 episode run, has given basic cable syndication rights to Comcast's G4, and has given high-definition television access to Mark Cuban's HDNet. G4 starts their run of Arrested Development in October, with the show gaining a primetime timeslot. HDNet will start showing the series in September, giving the acclaimed series a back-to-back treatment on Wednesdays.

As the Los Angeles Times reports, the deal between News Corp. and MSN is something of a first. "The three-year deal marks the first time that a major Hollywood production studio has turned to the Internet for a bona-fide buyer of syndicated shows. Until now, studios have sold their reruns of shows such as "Seinfeld" or "Friends" to TV station groups and cable channels, reaping huge profits in the process." Arrested Development did not run for long enough to be covered by traditional syndication deals, meaning Fox had to get inventive and creative.

Fox News reports that there's another major reason why Arrested Development's Internet syndication is bucking the usual trends. "Shows have generally gone on sale through Apple Computer Inc.'s iTunes and other services for $1.99 an episode, though those are for full downloads. MSN will stream Arrested Development, meaning users will have to stay online while watching and possibly encounter pauses resulting from network congestion."

Arrested Development is a documentary-style comedy series about a habitually dysfunctional family from Orange County. The show was created by Mitchell Hurwitz (The Ellen Show, The John Larroquette Show) and executive produced by Hurwitz, Ron Howard, Brian Grazer and David Nevins. While the show never put up terrific numbers, the roughly 4 million fans it had were fiercely loyal to the show. During its three season run, Arrested Development grabbed six Emmys and a Golden Globe Award.

[Additional Sources: Reuters, Hollywood Reporter, Fox News, Los Angeles Times]