Arrested Development: Season 2 (2004-05)

I ended my review of the first season of Arrested Development in December 2009 by saying I hoped that the second season would fill the comedy gap left by Miranda. Since then I've watched the second series of Miranda and a whole lot of other things, and eventually got round to watching and then finishing Arrested Development: season 2. It's every bit as high energy hilarious as the first season, with brilliant self-referential humour, pratfalls, recurring gags and a very game cast. 

This was the season I saw on BBC2 so much of it was familiar too me, but it never failed to make me laugh out loud. Watching Scott Pilgrim again shortly after finishing this was amusing too, as it features both George Michael (Michael Cera) and Anne (Mae Whitman), together again! I learnt to appreciate Alia Shawkat's Maebe more too - she's easily forgotten in a cast of extravagant characters like Tobias (David Cross), but her humour is equally as stinging and well crafted. 

Liza Minelli, Henry Winkler and Julia Louis-Dreyfus return to provide excellent comedy support and share time with other random cameos and roles from the likes of Ben Stiller and Zach Braff. The deleted scenes and outtakes on the DVDs are as good as the show itself and it'll be a sad day when we eventually get round to watching and finishing the 3rd and final season. I hope another series of Miranda hasn't been and gone before that happens!