It's still kind of hard to believe that Arrested Development is really coming back. While shows have returned from the dead before -- Family Guy, for instance -- AD's Netflix-assisted resurrection is undiscovered country. Netflix has already become the current version of the "Maybe a different channel will rescue it" chant thrown out by grieving fans of every canceled show. Now, over six years after AD's third season aired its finale, the show is set to premiere 10 new episodes on Netflix sometime in 2013. But not if you live outside the United States.
The bad news was broken by Steve Swasey, Netflix's vice president of Corporate Communications. According to Canada's National Post, Swasey said that " the return of Arrested Development exclusively on Netflix will be in the U.S. only." So if you're a non-U.S. AD fan who's been giddy since news of the fourth season broke, it sounds like you'll have to wait for the inevitable DVD release.
It seems strange to limit the show's return to American audiences, especially given how high-profile a "get" this is for Netflix. You'd think they would want the show available to every and any set of eyeballs they can get. The vagaries of international contracts are likely to blame, but still.
On the upside, the show will be premiering all 10 episodes at once when it hits Netflix next year, so assuming you can see it in the first place, you'll have the luxury of watching them all at your leisure. Assuming you can see it…
