It was recently reported that the beloved Jason Bateman-starring comedy series Arrested Development was at risk of being removed from Netflix. The US series was set to leave the streaming platform on March 15th as its licensing term approached its end. However, thanks to a new deal, we’ll be seeing a lot more of the Bluth family.
The new licensing deal signed with the rights owners, Disney’s 20th Century Fox, means all five seasons of the show, including the three that Netflix didn’t finance, will remain on the platform.
According to Vulture, in the new deal, Netflix has opted for exclusive streaming rights to the series. Therefore, the show’s first three seasons will not be available to watch on Hulu when its current contract ends later this year.
The new deal also gives Disney the right to sell the entire TV rights for all five seasons of Arrested Development. This means the show could end up on network television, just as Netflix’s animated comedy BoJack Horseman did in 2018.
Losing Arrested Development would have been a tough blow for Netflix. After Fox cancelled the series in 2006, it found a new home on the streaming service and became exceedingly popular on the platform through its formative years.
Arrested Development also became one of the streaming giant’s first original series after the company and Fox commissioned a third season in 2011.
