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Movies & TV

16th Feb 2023

Netflix are removing one of the best sitcoms ever from their library

Rory Cashin

arrested development

“I’ve made a huge mistake.” – Netflix, probably.

Back in March 2022, Netflix lost the rights to Marvel shows such as Daredevil, Jessica Jones and Luke Cage, which is how those shows winded up back on Disney+ a few months back. Jump to almost exactly a year later, and Netflix are about to lose the rights to another hit series, warning customers that all five seasons of Arrested Development will be gone from the library as of Tuesday, 14 March.

The first three seasons of Arrested Development aired on Fox in the States between 2003 and 2006, before being made available on Netflix, who then co-produced original seasons, with Season 4 arriving in 2013 and Season 5 in 2018, both of which scored significantly less impressive reviews upon release.

While the exact future of Arrested Development still remains unclear, Variety reports that there may yet still be a last minute deal sorted between Netflix and the show’s original creators Imagine Entertainment. Especially since Netflix didn’t just host the already completed show (like the deal it has with Friends), but actually added new seasons to the series itself.

If the show does indeed lapse on the licensing agreement, chances are that due to the fact it originally aired on Fox – which is now owned by Disney – that this show, just like the Marvel shows mentioned above, will also end up on Disney+. Watch this space…

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