Netflix to debut new 'Arrested Development' episodes in May
Cult favorite TV show confirms that it will roll out 14 brand-new episodes on the video-streaming site this year.
"Arrested Development" fans rejoice -- there's more of the Bluths to come. Netflix confirmed today that 14 all-new episodes will air on the video-streaming site this coming May.
"Today at TCA [Television Critics Association] we confirmed that 'Arrested Development' will be 14 episodes and will premiere in May," a Netflix spokesperson told CNET.
The beloved TV show with a serious cult following was cut from network television in 2006 after three seasons. Despite winning several Emmy awards and one Golden Globe, the show failed to gain sufficient viewership and ratings during its run on television. However, it has apparently done well on the Web.
Rumors have floated that the show's creator, Mitchell Hurwitz, has been working on a feature-length film of the TV show. And, reportedly, Netflix's 14-episode debut is the wind-up to a movie. According to The Verge, Hurwitz said the new episodes are a "first act to what we eventually want to do, which is a big movie."
Jason Bateman, who plays the show's protagonist, said that the new episodes are "not Season 4," but rather should be treated as individual stand-alone shows, according to The Verge. Each episode is said to be a different length and have different characters -- only Bateman's character will appear in every episode.
Netflix began branching out into original content about a year ago with aims to become an HBO-like purveyor of television programming. Besides welcoming the new "Arrested Development" episodes, the streaming site has also aired an original show called "Lilyhammer" and is about to debut another series called "House of Cards."