When it comes to television, I have one weakness: Will Arnett’s voice. My addiction started the first time I saw him in “Arrested Development” and hasn’t stopped since. I could listen to him in anything.
And I do. Arnett joins a wonderful cast of actors who lend their voices to “Sit Down, Shut Up,” Mitchell Hurwitz’s failed attempt to replace his cult classic “Arrested Development.”
It’s an adequate series with clever plot lines and hilarious characters. And I don’t feel guilty because I watch it—I feel guilty because of the reasons why I watch it.
After watching the entire “Arrested Development” series on Hulu three times and regularly checking the film’s Internet Movie Database entry for the release date—it says 2011, so keep your fingers crossed—I saw no other choice for a next step in my path towards obsession.
For the most part, “Sit Down, Shut Up” fulfills my need for more “Arrested Development.” All returning actors play basically the same parts aside from their names and occupawtions. Arnett remains the insecure antagonist, Bateman is the dry-witted antihero, and Henry Winkler returns as a teacher who—surprise, surprise—doesn’t have a clue what he’s doing. It’s almost like watching season four of “Arrested Development” if it had been moved to an alternate universe.
The one main glitch is that the show is animated. The scripts may sound the same, but from the opening credits onward anyone can tell it’s a different series.
Still, I watch. So what if it’s slotted for Saturday nights, meaning the series is incredibly unpopular and probably has the lifespan of a goldfish?
If fantasizing about a more appealing show while I’m watching another is called cheating, then I guess I’m guilty. But when it comes to finding places where I can listen to Will Arnett’s voice, I could do a lot worse.
"Sit Down, Shut Up" airs Saturday nights at midnight on FOX.
—Lily Cedarbaum
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