“He thought it was an HBO show”: The Bizarre Reason Rupert Murdoch Canceled ‘Arrested Development’ Despite Loving it

Arrested Development is one of those brilliantly quirky shows that left us all asking, why did it end so soon? After just three seasons, Fox pulled the plug, even though the show was showered with critical love, its debut season bagged 5 Emmy wins out of 7 nominations!

Jason Bateman in Arrested Development [Credit: 20th Century Fox Television]

Although many people said many things, the real reason behind the cancellation was finally spilled by creator Mitch Hurwitz. Though Netflix gave the Bluths a second life in 2013 with a fourth season, the original run still felt tragically short. So, what went wrong? Here is a break down.

Real Reasons Arrested Development Was Canceled

Nailing a pilot episode is no easy feat for any TV show, especially an ensemble comedy. Everything rides on it, whether the show gets picked up or shelved. These shows depend heavily on cast chemistry, which is naturally hard to perfect when it’s the group’s first time working together. On top of that, the writers are still figuring out how to sync with the actors’ comedic timing. In short, it is tricky.

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But Mitch Hurwitz may have done the impossible by winning a 2004 Emmy for writing the Arrested Development pilot. So, with such a stellar start, why did Fox lose faith? In an LA Times interview, Hurwitz dished on the real reasons they were let go. He explained,

We were always on the verge of cancellation. I think it had been stated by Rupert Murdoch [the chairman and chief executive of what was then Fox’s parent company, News Corp.] that he actually liked the show but didn’t think it was a Fox show.

Arrested Development Pilot [Credit: 20th Century Fox Television]

He further explained,

He thought it was an HBO show. And what I liked about doing it on Fox … was attempting to do an HBO-type show for people just to watch for free. I liked the common-man part of that.

When people said Arrested Development was “too fast-paced and clever for the masses,” this is exactly what they meant. It wasn’t the kind of show you could half-watch while scrolling your phone, it felt more like a premium experience, one that demanded your full attention.

The series built its reputation on intricate running gags and clever callbacks, but those didn’t fully hit their stride until season 2. Ironically, Mitch Hurwitz loved the idea of making the show for a mainstream audience on Fox. He leaned into the challenge of creating something sharp, clever, and still (sort of) for the “everyman.” This made the show unforgettable, even if it left casual viewers scrambling to keep up.

Arrested Development’s Fatal Flaw Was It Was Way Ahead of Its Time

The cancellation of Arrested Development wasn’t due to one big issue but a mix of smaller hiccups. There was the recasting of Marta Estrella, a lawsuit from the band Arrested Development over the name, and steadily declining viewership. As ratings dropped, Fox slashed episode orders and shuffled the show between time slots, hoping to spark interest. Add in lackluster advertising efforts, and the odds were stacked against the Bluths from the start.

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But as the Cinderella song goes, You don’t know what you got till it’s gone. After it’s cancellation, its popularity soared, matching the critical acclaim it enjoyed during its original run.

Arrested Development Credits: Sam Urdank/Netflix

In hindsight, the show’s biggest flaw was simply being ahead of its time. Back in the early 2000s, comedy wanted to do more The Office-style mocumentaries, as it was then deemed the winning formula rather than experimenting, while Arrested Development was out here crafting long-running gags that demanded the audience’s time and attention.

Fast forward to today, and sitcoms feel free to play with narrative and joke formats, making Arrested Development feel like it was built for the modern sitcom era. So, one can easily say the Bluths were just a little too cutting-edge for their day.

All seasons of Arrested Development is streaming on Netflix.

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