The best line from tonight's (12/19/05) episode of Arrested Development involved a reference that, I would guess, none but small minority of the show's audience will catch. During the scene where Michael Bluth is recruiting a group of painters to help 'act' in an elaborate scheme to scare his father, one of the painters says "Fernando was in the Groundlings" to which Fernando replies, "just classes."

The line refers to the celebrated Los Angeles-based imrpov troupe whose alumni include Phil Hartman, Lisa Kudrow and Paul Ruebens (his Pee-Wee Herman character was created there). It's not the most obscure reference in the world, but it definitely has an inside comedy feel (particularly the "just classes" follow up). Unlike most shows on television, content to cast with the same old two dimensional sitcom actors, AD has recruited heavily from the hypertalented world of improv, particularly for the smaller roles. This 'risky' casting is but one of the aspects that make AD the best show on network television (for 3 more episodes, anyway).

It seems to me that the writers, aware that the thin ice they were on with FOX has now completely collapsed, are out to have as much fun as they can. The writing is as fresh and intelligent as ever, and Michell Hurwitz is not taking his foot off the accelerator.

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