THE future of “Arrested Development” – the highly acclaimed but low-rated comedy that is sweating out renewal – was still very much in doubt yesterday after Sunday night’s season finale failed to draw a big crowd.
The show’s producers and hard-core fans were counting on a big boost to carry the show into a third season.
In fact, the show – which runs tongue-in-cheek previews of upcoming episodes – included previews of next season’s shows.
But Sunday’s finale was seen by about only 5.9 million viewers, roughly the same size audience that has been tuning in all season long – and down from last year’s ratings by about 5 percent.
Network officials said ratings among 18- to 49-year-olds – the demographic prized among advertisers – were bigger than they’d been in months.
But no word yet whether it will be enough to save the show.
The series follows the ups and mostly downs of Michael Bluth (Jason Bateman), a widower who is forced to keep his large, spoiled and dysfunctional family together after his father (Jeffrey Tambor) is arrested for shifty accounting practices at the family-owned business.
The company’s assets are frozen and each member of the already eccentric clan go nuts.