The World Needs More Ninjas

Or whomever invented the concept of libraries that allow me to watch the entire first season of Arrested Development on DVD free of charge. This show is the funniest sitcom on TV by like two orders of magnitude. Dare I say it’s the only one of which I’m aware that actually makes me laugh out loud.

If Seinfeld was the first sitcom to refine the concept of having all the main characters be superficial and rather unlikable, then Arrested Development takes it to a whole new level. Since people seem to love lists, I present the ten reasons why this show is hilarious (and the best sitcom since Seinfeld):

1. Tobias has to wear cut-offs all the time since he suffers from a rare disease (that afflicts two members of the German parliament!) making him a never nude.
2. Gob (pronounced like Job in the Bible), the aspiring magician doing all his magic shows with The Final Countdown blaring in the background.
3. Gob riding everywhere on a Segway. Segways are just funny.
4. Tobias, while suffering depression from his failing acting career, accidentally joins the Blue Man Group while looking for a support group.
5. Henry Winkler (a.k.a. the Fonz), the most incompetent lawyer known to man doesn’t want to read the plea bargain because it’s “too thick”.
6. Ben Stiller as the great magician, Tony Wonder, who randomly coughs stuff up as part of his show and created the Use Your Allusion DVDs since Guns and Roses already had rights to Use Your Illusion
7. George Michael reviving the Jerky Boys phone gags.
8. Lindsay and Tobias deciding to have an open marriage and then neither is able to get a date.
9. The family has to use a stair car for airplanes to get around town.
10. Gob failing in his magic trick to escape from prison because he can’t find a private bathroom to pass the key he swallowed.

Admittedly, the show is an acquired taste because it’s so different that the I Love Raymond mold of sitcoms. But, watch about three episodes and you’ll love it. And, lucky for you, the third season starts September 19th on Fox and the second season is out on DVD on October 11. Of course, you can always check your local library for the season one DVDs