Seth MacFarlane must have photos of Rupert Murdoch AND Ron Howard...

I implore the few people who read this, even those who do not watch TV, or "claim" they don't (we know you secretly do!) to at least pop their name on this petition to see that Arrested Development will be back for a third season.

Just hear me out for a moment before you click away groaning "Oi, another petition! Go read a book, kid!"

Fox has been horribly mishandling what is hands down the best comedy on TV, which I admit isn't saying much considering the current crop of comedies on TV, so I will go even further to say it's the best TV comedy to come along in years. Probably since Seinfeld. (Curb Your Enthusiasm is on HBO, so it doesn't technically count - but it's still damn funny, too!)
Ignoring the fact that the show gets pretty much rave reviews across the board, Fox hardly gives it any ad time (during the Super Bowl, I saw ONE commercial for it , AFTER the game, while "24" and "American Idol" got more than I could count!). It won the Emmy for Best Comedy Series IN IT'S FIRST YEAR! I dare you to go back and watch some of the biggest comedies of the last decade and try watching their first season eps. Seinfeld, Friends, Will & Grace, even the Simpsons all had very awkward first years until they really found the characters. This show got it done within a few episodes. This is a series that has shown that Jason Bateman can be funny, that David Cross has been seriously underappreciated since "Mr. Show", and that even Portia De Rossi can be more than just Ellen's rented arm candy (love you, Portia!). Christ, this series has even shown the best and funniest sides of Henry Winkler and freakin' Liza Minelli!! Top it off with some deadpan narration by Ron Howard, and you've got the best ensemble on TV.

I think part of the problem is how intelligent the writing is. I can admit it probably isn't to everyone's taste. It's like trying to expect everyone to "get" Wes Anderson's films. Some people just aren't going to appreciate how clever and witty the writing can be, or that the humor can be subtle and suggested - not just dick and fart jokes. Yet that is the kind of humor Fox is attempting to replace it with - the new cartoon American Dad, from the guy who created Family Guy. I watched the preview ep that was on after the Super Bowl - it's essentially the same show as Family Guy, just replace Stewie and Brian with an alien who sounds like Paul Lynde and a goldfish with a German accent. One joke has the dad becoming excited because he has a plan, pausing without saying a word for a few seconds, and then saying, "Oh, sorry. I thought I had to fart." Another "gag" has the alien falling off a chair at the kitchen table for apparently no reason whatsoever. And they DWELLED on it, too!
I enjoyed "Family Guy", but this show just seems to be pandering to the lowest common denominator.

That's essentially the cause of my anger, that they cut this season's episode order for Arrested Development down to 18 episodes so "American Dad" could premiere early, since it did so gosh-darn well after the Super Bowl. Well, yeah, no shit it's going to have good ratings, you gave it the biggest and best lead-in program of the whole year!!

I've signed these petitions before. It did help to get "Freaks & Geeks" (another show that sadly got the ax before it's time - Thanks NBC!) out on probably the best DVD set ever. So I'm asking you, brothers, dig deep, sign the petition, and watch Arrested Development the next few Sundays @ 8:30...and then promptly STOP watching that time slot the moment American Dad starts airing.