192 Fun Facts About Arrested Development

Lucille names her adopted Korean son "Annyong" after mistaking the Korean word for what as his name?

Annyong is the Korean word for hello, which Lucille took for his name. The season 3 finale reveals his real name is Hel-loh, along with the grudge he has nursed against the family.

Which Happy Days alumnus plays Barry Zuckerkorn, the Bluth family's incompetent lawyer in Arrested Development?

Henry Winkler, Happy Days' Fonzie, plays Barry Zuckerkorn; the show nods to Fonzie's famous stunt when Barry literally hops over a shark lying on a dock.

In a series of escalating dares, Gob marries a woman he has just met, played by which comedian?

Amy Poehler was married at the time to the actor who plays Gob; her character is never given a name and is credited simply as his wife.

In Arrested Development, which Bluth property had cash hidden in its walls, discovered only after it burned down?

The banana stand was what George Sr. meant by 'there's always money in the banana stand'; Michael let George Michael burn it down before realising he meant it literally.

Which Bluth-matriarch rival at Balboa Towers, played by Liza Minnelli, dates Buster?

The family calls her "Lucille 2"; Buster ends up dating her after bidding on the wrong Lucille at a country club auction.

Who serves as the omniscient narrator for the TV series "Arrested Development"?

Ron Howard, also an executive producer, narrated the pilot so well that his voice was kept, and he later turns up on screen as a fictionalized version of himself.

A typo on Michael Bluth's birth certificate, uncovered in season three, gives his first name as what?

Nichael is the name on the certificate Michael finds in a secret room of the model home, and it makes him fear he is the 'N. Bluth' on a witness list, being set up to go to prison.

Which of these catchphrases belongs to G.O.B. Bluth?

"Come on!" is G.O.B.'s bark of indignation, as when he rants at underpaid staff about the price of his suits; "Her?" is Michael's line and "Hey, brother" is Buster's greeting.

In Arrested Development's pilot, Tobias boards a van of garishly dressed protesters after taking them for what?

Pirates: Tobias climbs into the van with them, and the detour changes his life: by the end of the day he tells the family he has decided to become an actor.

Which spirit is matriarch Lucille Bluth's drink of choice?

Vodka is Lucille's staple: told it is only breakfast time when she orders "a vodka rocks", she simply adds, "And a piece of toast."

Which family member works the frozen-dessert stand and proudly styles himself "Mister Manager"?

George Michael earns the title when his father puts him in charge of the family's frozen-dessert stand, with his cousin Maeby hired to help.

Which Arrested Development character is a self-diagnosed "never-nude", unable to be completely naked?

Tobias Fünke is a self-diagnosed "never-nude", and the condition costs him a film part when he cannot bring himself to do its shower scene.

In Arrested Development, what do the Bluths end up driving around town?

An airport stair car: when the company jet has to go, the Bluths keep the truck of boarding stairs that came with it, and it stays the family car for the rest of the series.

In Arrested Development, what is the name of G.O.B.'s puppet, which voices his more inappropriate thoughts?

Franklin Delano Bluth is the puppet Gob brought in to liven up his magic act; the pair even record an album together, "Franklin Comes Alive".

Which rival developer, played by Ed Begley Jr., owns the company competing with the Bluths?

Stan Sitwell has alopecia, so he appears in a series of slipping wigs and stick-on eyebrows; Lucille, reaching for the word, calls him an "alpaca".

Which 'Arrested Development' character frequently exclaims 'I've made a huge mistake'?

Gob Bluth first says it after talking his way into prison for an escape stunt and finding his cell has no private toilet; it becomes his refrain whenever a scheme backfires.

In Arrested Development, what is the name of the Bluth Company's long-stalled housing development?

Sudden Valley is still unbuilt when the original run ends; when Michael finally completes it in season four, the houses stand empty.

While still in high school, Maeby cons her way into what job?

Movie studio executive: in season 2 Maeby bluffs her way into an executive job at Tantamount Studios under Mort Meyers, and keeps it until the studio learns in season 3 that she is only sixteen.

In Arrested Development, Buster Bluth loses his left hand to which animal the first time he dares swim in the ocean?

A seal, a 'loose seal' punning on Lucille, takes the hand, and Buster spends the rest of the series with a hook or prosthetic.

Who created Arrested Development?

Mitchell Hurwitz, a former Golden Girls writer, was asked in 2002 to develop a sitcom about a dysfunctional family and built it around a rich clan brought low by an accounting scandal.

George Sr. invented which faulty kitchen gadget, banned in numerous countries for burning its users?

The Cornballer, a home cornball maker, was outlawed after it burned its users, so George Sr. went on selling it in Mexico; Michael still burns himself on the family's own.

Which Arrested Development character is the only one to appear in every episode of the show?

Michael appears in all 84 episodes, which is fitting for the son who keeps threatening to leave his family for good.

Tobias Fünke was once chief resident of psychiatry at a hospital in which New England city?

Boston: Tobias was chief resident at Massachusetts General Hospital; by the pilot the Fünkes are back in California, where Lindsay has spent a month in a hotel on the Bluth Company's money.

In Arrested Development, which one-armed former employee did George Sr. use in staged accidents to teach his children lessons?

J. Walter Weatherman's prosthetic arm flies off at the end of each flashback, followed by 'and that's why you always...' and whatever rule George Sr. was pushing.

In which Southern California city is Arrested Development set?

Newport Beach, in Orange County, is the Bluths' home, though the show itself was shot mostly in Culver City and Marina del Rey, with a Culver City studio lot as its base.

Which streaming service revived Arrested Development with a fourth season in May 2013?

Netflix released all 15 new episodes on the same day; the cast were so rarely free together that some scenes were shot with stand-ins and green screens.

Which role was hardest to cast until Will Arnett's audition won it on the spot?

Gob was the hardest role to fill; Will Arnett's audition landed it on the spot, playing Gob 'like a guy who thought of himself as the chosen son' despite clearly being the least favorite.

Where is the long-absent Annyong found hiding in season three of Arrested Development?

Inside Lucille's penthouse walls: George Sr., crawling through the vents, finds Annyong running a secret surveillance post there and gathering evidence against the family.

Why did Liza Minnelli agree to play Lucille 2 when the narrator himself asked her?

She had been his babysitter as a teenager: Liza Minnelli babysat a young Ron Howard; producers assumed a star of her stature would pass until their old friend Howard asked her directly.

Which cable network was rumored in 2006 to be picking up Arrested Development before its creator declined?

Showtime was the rumoured rescuer, and the show joked about it: told that HBO would not want them, George Sr. replies, "Well, I think it's Showtime." Its creator chose to end the run instead.

Which actor plays the Bluths' teenage grandson in Arrested Development?

Michael Cera was a teenager himself when the show began; when it returned in 2013 he worked in the writers' room as well as in front of the camera.

Each episode of Arrested Development's fourth season centres on a single what?

Family member: each episode follows one Bluth because the cast were rarely free at the same time, and what happens in one is often explained only by a later one.

What is the real first name of Buster Bluth?

Byron is the given name of the Bluths' youngest son, nicknamed Buster; coddled by Lucille, he grows up over-schooled, nervous and prone to panic attacks.

Arrested Development's failed magician, eldest of the Bluth brothers, has a nickname pronounced like which Biblical figure?

Job: the initials of George Oscar Bluth II are pronounced to rhyme with "robe", so people who read them as written keep getting his name wrong.

What does Arrested Development's third-season finale reveal about Lindsay, long believed to be Michael's twin?

She was adopted by the Bluths, who took her in mainly to stop a business rival from adopting her; it also means George Michael and Maeby are not blood relatives.

Who plays Bob Loblaw, the lawyer who eventually replaces Barry Zuckerkorn?

Scott Baio, Happy Days' Chachi, plays the replacement; Loblaw says it is not the first time he has been brought in to replace Barry, and that he can "skew younger".

Which real Hollywood star plays a frugal, parodic version of himself who mentors Tobias?

Carl Weathers, Rocky's Apollo Creed, plays a penny-pinching version of himself who nominally coaches Tobias on acting but mostly on thrift: 'Baby, you've got a stew going!'

Who plays Ann Veal in every appearance after her first?

Mae Whitman took over as Ann Veal from season two, after Alessandra Torresani's single appearance; the switch suits a girlfriend so forgettable that Michael greets every mention of her with "Her?"

Which Oscar-winning actress plays Rita Leeds, Michael's British love interest in season three?

Charlize Theron plays Rita, whom Michael, like the audience, is led to suspect of being a mole for a shadowy British group out to frame his father.

Who plays Kitty Sanchez, George Sr.'s manipulative assistant and lover?

Judy Greer plays Kitty, who turns from George Sr.'s assistant into the family's blackmailer, threatening to hand damning evidence to investigators unless her demands are met.

Who plays Maggie Lizer, the compulsive-liar attorney who dates Michael, in Arrested Development?

Julia Louis-Dreyfus plays Maggie, who fakes blindness to win over juries; Michael spends the night with her before learning she is the prosecutor in his father's case.

Which actor plays Tony Wonder, the rival magician who bakes himself into a loaf of bread?

Ben Stiller plays Tony Wonder, the goateed magician Gob considers his greatest rival; Tony returns in season four, where he and Gob end up romantically entangled.

Which Glee star plays Cindi Lightballoon, the government mole who falls for George Sr.?

Jane Lynch, Glee's Sue Sylvester, plays Cindi Lightballoon, the undercover agent who poses as a fan of George Sr.'s prison-made Torah videos and turns out to be a genuine one.

Which actress plays Rebel Alley, the narrator's fictional daughter, in season four?

Isla Fisher plays Rebel Alley, whom Michael at first takes for the narrator's mistress rather than his daughter; both Michael and George Michael end up dating her.

Which government agency arrests George Sr. in the pilot for defrauding investors?

The SEC: Securities and Exchange Commission agents storm George Sr.'s yacht retirement party in the pilot and arrest him for defrauding investors, leaving Lucille to install Buster as figurehead president.

Buster's only qualification to run the family firm in Arrested Development is a class he took on what?

18th century agrarian business: the pilot makes that single course Buster's only credential, and Lucille installs him as company president anyway, to Michael's disbelief.

In Arrested Development, Gob's girlfriend Marta is famous for appearing on what kind of TV show?

A soap opera, the Spanish-language El Amor Prohibido, made Marta a star; the part itself changed hands after two episodes, when Patricia Velásquez took over from Leonor Varela.

How does George Sr. finally escape prison at the end of season one?

By faking a heart attack: in the season one finale 'Let 'Em Eat Cake' George Sr. feigns a heart attack and slips out of the hospital, leaving the family to hunt for him in Mexico.

George Sr.'s "light treason" in Arrested Development was building houses for which foreign leader?

Saddam Hussein: George Sr.'s 'light treason' was building model homes for Saddam in Iraq; season three reveals the CIA ordered and paid for them so it could plant wiretaps inside.

To which city does Michael plan to move with George Michael at the start of season two?

Phoenix, Arizona: Michael sets off to start a new life there in the season two opener, only to learn he cannot leave California while the family firm is under investigation.

Where does the fugitive George Sr. hide for much of season two of Arrested Development?

In the attic of the model home: George Michael finds his supposedly dead grandfather alive and smuggles him upstairs, where he looks on at his own wake.

In Arrested Development, where is George Sr. found hiding among the Blue Man Group in season three?

Reno, Nevada: early in season three Michael finds his father painted blue and hiding among the Blue Man Group in Reno, and brings him home to serve house arrest.

In Arrested Development, what does Tobias call himself when he poses as an English housekeeper?

Mrs. Featherbottom is Tobias's way back into the house after Lindsay throws him out, borrowed from the film Mrs. Doubtfire; the disguise fools no one, but the family plays along because she cleans for free.

In Arrested Development, which French film does a Hollywood studio remake, stirring George Michael's feelings?

Les Cousins Dangereux: the French film about cousins in love gets an American remake, and its subject hits home for George Michael; he and his own cousin finally kiss in the season two finale.

What is the name of the fictional British-themed district Michael visits in season three?

Wee Britain: Michael goes to the tiny British district for records on his father's case, is refused because he is American, and meets Rita in a pub across the street.

Which reality courtroom show must the Bluths join as a condition of Jan Eagleman's help?

Mock Trial with J. Reinhold: Judge Reinhold presides, with William Hung's Hung Jury as house band, and Michael gets the mock case thrown out by exposing a threat from the prosecutor.

Rather than testify at the family's deposition in Arrested Development, where does Gob go to perform?

A USO tour in Iraq: in 'Exit Strategy' Gob dodges the deposition by performing for the troops in Iraq, gets himself jailed there, and Michael and Buster fly out to retrieve him.

On which ship do the Bluths throw their shareholders' party in Arrested Development's third-season finale?

RMS Queen Mary: the party is held aboard the docked ocean liner, and when investigators arrive Lucille tries to escape by sailing the whole ship out to sea.

Which two comedians play Lucille and George Sr. in season-four flashbacks?

Kristen Wiig and Seth Rogen play the young Lucille and George Sr.; the same flashbacks cast the real-life son of the actor behind the family's lawyer as the lawyer's younger self.

Arrested Development's fourth season was re-edited in 2018 so that its story unfolds how?

In chronological order: the recut, titled Season 4 Remix: Fateful Consequences, reshuffled the original 15 long episodes into 22 shorter ones ahead of season five.

The fifth season revolves around the mystery of who killed whom?

Buster is the lead suspect and, in the end, confesses.

How many episodes did Fox cut season three down to from the planned 22?

13: Fox trimmed the third season's order from 22 to 13 episodes and burned off the final four in a single two-hour block on February 10, 2006.

Fox aired Arrested Development's last four original episodes in one night against which rival broadcast?

The 2006 Winter Olympics: having already cut the season from 22 episodes to 13, Fox aired the last four as a single two-hour block against the opening ceremony.

Which brothers directed the Emmy-winning pilot of Arrested Development?

Anthony and Joe Russo were asked to direct the pilot, by their own account because they were known as guerrilla filmmakers, and won the 2004 directing Emmy for it.

Which Arrested Development character tells a waitress, "I don't understand the question, and I won't respond to it"?

Lucille Bluth says it after ordering the tuna and being asked nothing more taxing than "Plate or platter?"

In Arrested Development, the "police" Michael hires to stage a fake drug bust on his son are really what?

Male strippers: at Michael's request Gob books a troupe called the Hot Cops to play the police, and the lesson unravels when they start dancing instead of making arrests.

In Arrested Development, which Iraq War-era slogan does Gob show off at a Bluth Company ribbon-cutting?

Mission Accomplished: Gob parades the banner at the ceremony, echoing President Bush's 2003 speech on the Iraq War, moments before his own project comes apart in front of the press.

Arrested Development's creator based the Bluths' frozen banana business on what from his own boyhood?

A cookie stand: at 12 he and his older brother opened the Chipyard, a chocolate-chip cookie business in a Balboa amusement zone, and it later became the model for the Bluths' stand.

In Arrested Development, how much does the out-of-touch Lucille guess that a single banana might cost?

Ten dollars is her guess for "one banana, Michael"; the line was written with no particular Bluth in mind and went to Lucille because it sounded most natural coming from her.

Which viral video does George Michael unwittingly recreate in 'The Immaculate Election'?

Star Wars Kid: George Michael films himself swinging a mock lightsaber in the garage, and the footage keeps resurfacing to embarrass him, starting with his run for class president.

Which lesser-known brother of a Hollywood star plays tree activist Johnny Bark in Arrested Development?

Clint Howard plays Johnny Bark in "Key Decisions"; Lindsay joins his protest and spends a night up the tree with him before it is cut down.

Which item of Tobias's wardrobe did the costume designer find in a women's department?

Cut-off shorts: costume designer Katie Sparks spotted the very short pair in the women's department at Neiman Marcus, and thought it only made them funnier that they were cut for women.

Which Mr. Show partner of David Cross appears as the couples therapist in 'Visiting Ours'?

Bob Odenkirk plays marriage counsellor Phil Gunty, who gets so absorbed in role-playing with Tobias that Lindsay is left sitting on the sidelines of her own therapy session.

In 'In God We Trust', George Sr. leaves prison for an afternoon to pose in a living version of which artwork?

The Creation of Adam: George Sr. plays Michelangelo's God at the Living Classics Pageant, and when Buster ducks out of playing Adam the part falls to George Michael, who hides inside a muscle suit.

Why does Buster ask George Michael to get him marijuana in 'Pier Pressure'?

To ease his girlfriend's vertigo: Buster wants the pot for her dizzy spells, but Michael assumes George Michael is the one using it and stages an elaborate scare to put him off drugs.

What is the credo of the prestigious Milford School in 'Public Relations'?

Children should be neither seen nor heard: founder Earl Milford's credo suits Lucille, who later packs Annyong off there to teach him a lesson she can no longer remember.

In 'Beef Consommé', Gob hunts for a rival for Marta known only by what Spanish word?

Hermano: Gob hunts his rival 'Hermano' until Buster tells him it is simply Spanish for 'brother'; the man Marta has fallen for is Michael himself.

Which actress plays Beth Baerly, the ethics teacher both Michael and his son fall for?

Heather Graham plays ethics teacher Beth Baerly in 'Shock and Aww', where Michael beats his own son to her; the episode also introduces Annyong.

In 'Staff Infection', Tobias joins George Sr.'s prison to research which movie role?

Frightened Inmate #2: Tobias has himself locked up in George Sr.'s prison to research the bit part, only for George Sr. to trade him to another inmate for a pack of cigarettes.

What is the name of Maeby's fictional terminally ill twin sister?

Surely is the wheelchair-using alter ego Maeby invents so she can pocket school fundraiser money for an imaginary illness called 'B.S.'; the name is the opposite of 'maybe'.

In 'Missing Kitty', Gob announces he will make what disappear in a magic act?

The family yacht: Gob makes it vanish by sinking it, then tells the family they can now collect the insurance; Kitty, who had sneaked aboard, survives.

Tobias wants to re-form a family band that once sang what kind of ads?

Pharmaceutical ads: the Fünkes' 1990s folk band sang jingles for drugs such as Teamocil, and its reunion in 'Best Man for the Gob' is not helped by George Michael's efforts to join in on woodblock.

In season one, Lindsay begins protesting the Iraq War for what reason?

Her stylist is deployed: Lindsay takes up anti-war protesting once her hairdresser is called up, and ends up penned with the other protesters in a fenced 'free speech' cage.

In 'Not Without My Daughter', what does Lindsay claim to be doing at a clothing store?

Shoplifting: Lindsay has secretly taken a job at the store and is too embarrassed to admit it, so she says she steals the clothes, which magician Gob takes as a personal challenge.

In 'Let 'Em Eat Cake', why is the Bluths' frozen banana business struggling?

The low-carb diet fad: the Atkins craze kills demand for frozen bananas in the season one finale, and the Bluths can hardly complain, since every one of them is on the diet too.

When Lindsay pitches a 'bead' venture, Gob mishears and vows to start his own venture in what?

Bees: Gob mishears Lindsay's bead business in the season one finale, vows to start a rival one, and is next seen bringing his bees along on a prison visit, to the guards' alarm.

In 'The One Where Michael Leaves', Tobias mistakes the Blue Man Group for what?

Depression therapy for men: Tobias takes a Blue Man Group flyer for a support group, is mesmerised by the show, and paints himself blue in the hope of auditioning as an understudy.

Who goads Lucille into signing Buster up for the Army in 'The One Where Michael Leaves'?

A documentary filmmaker, a spoof of Michael Moore, stops Lucille with a camera crew and asks whether she would enlist her own son; she signs Buster up to prove her patriotism.

What do the Bluths build to keep Gob's two-week model home promise?

A hollow fake house: Gob, president in name only, makes the promise to the board, and the empty shell the family throws up collapses the moment he cuts the ribbon.

Patty Jenkins directed a season two episode of Arrested Development before making which superhero film?

Wonder Woman: Patty Jenkins, then known for Monster, directed 'The One Where They Build a House', the episode in which Lindsay sets her heart on a face cream made of powdered diamonds.

Which quick-change private detective who makes Lucille squeal debuts in '¡Amigos!'?

Gene Parmesan, played by Martin Mull, is hired by Lucille to track down the fugitive George Sr.; a mediocre detective, he is a master of the quick-change disguise.

What piece of furniture in '¡Amigos!' foreshadowed Buster's later injury?

A hand-shaped chair: reunited with it, Buster says he never thought he would miss a hand so much, a line planted well before he loses one of his own later in season two.

Which cast member directed 'Afternoon Delight', his only episode as director?

Jason Bateman's one turn as director is the episode in which Michael and his niece Maeby launch into a karaoke duet of 'Afternoon Delight' before noticing what the lyrics are about.

In 'Afternoon Delight', what does Gob do after being roasted at the Christmas party?

Fires the entire staff: humiliated by the employees' roast at the office Christmas party, Gob sacks everyone, and Michael has to win them all back in 'Afternoon Delight'.

Which purchase does Tobias make with his unfrozen company shares?

A gay nightclub: Tobias buys it as soon as the family's stock is unfrozen, Michael buys himself a Corvette, and the sell-off leaves the Bluths short of a majority stake in their own company.

Which Curb Your Enthusiasm star plays Mort Meyers, Maeby's boss?

Jeff Garlin, Larry David's manager Jeff Greene on Curb Your Enthusiasm, plays Mort Meyers, who is married but keeps hitting on Maeby in the belief that she is far older than she is.

Which SCTV comedian plays 'Uncle' Jack, the aged fitness buff carried everywhere by Dragon?

Martin Short plays 'Uncle' Jack in 'Ready, Aim, Marry Me!': the gym-chain owner lost the use of his legs attempting a birthday squat at seventy, and has a hired man carry him ever since.

In 'Out on a Limb', why do Tobias and Lindsay break into Maggie Lizer's house?

To collect a urine sample: Michael does not trust the notoriously dishonest Maggie's word that she is pregnant, so Tobias and Lindsay hide in her bathroom to get proof.

In 'Hand to God', how does the doctor report the loss of Buster's left hand?

By saying 'he's all right': the show's literal-minded doctor means Buster now has only his right hand, but the family takes the line as reassurance in 'Hand to God'.

Which annual event has Lucille long attended with Buster, until his hook embarrasses her?

A mother-son dinner dance: it is called Motherboy, and Lucille, ashamed of Buster's new hook, drags George Michael to the thirtieth one in his place.

In 'The Immaculate Election', George Michael runs for class president against whom?

Steve Holt: George Michael's run against the popular jock is doomed, and it ends in disgrace when the campaign video Gob makes for him mocks Steve Holt for not knowing who his father is.

In 'Sword of Destiny', what diagnosis puts Michael in hospital?

Appendicitis is the diagnosis, but after operating the surgeon admits the appendix "wasn't so inflamed", and an infection from the surgery costs Michael a second operation.

In 'Spring Breakout', Lucille challenges Kitty to what, with George Sr. as the prize?

A drinking contest: Lucille, fresh from the rehab stay Michael arranged, out-drinks Kitty in a spring-break bar showdown to win back the kidnapped George Sr.

In Arrested Development's second-season finale, Tobias and Kitty head to which city together?

Las Vegas: Tobias quits the family firm and sets off for Las Vegas with his new girlfriend Kitty, chasing a Blue Man Group audition, just as the model home's living room caves in.

Which CNBC host first appears as himself in 'The Cabin Show', rating the family firm's stock?

Jim Cramer, host of Mad Money, upgrades the family firm from 'triple sell' to 'don't buy', which Michael greets as the first good news the business has ever had.

What did writer Chuck Tatham recall when the Bluths' new lawyer was dubbed Bob Loblaw?

A Canadian supermarket chain: Tatham grew up with Canada's Loblaws stores and a father who joked about a 'Bob Loblaw', which said fast sounds like 'blah blah blah'.

In 'Mr. F', Tobias mistakes a government spy for an agent from which talent agency?

CAA: Tobias hears 'CIA' as 'CAA', the Creative Artists Agency, and treats a spy as a talent agent; meanwhile Gob builds a 'Tiny Town' to fool the company's Japanese investors.

Which famous TV interviewer plays prison warden Stefan Gentles?

James Lipton, host of Inside the Actors Studio, plays Warden Stefan Gentles; in 'Prison Break-In' the warden dates Lucille and wires her penthouse with cameras.

In 'Prison Break-In', what does Buster name his new pet turtle?

Mother: Buster brings the turtle home in a misguided bid to make Lucille jealous, and keeps it in a box Oscar uses to store his marijuana.

What is the name of the fundraiser the family holds in the Arrested Development episode 'S.O.B.s'?

Save Our Bluths: the S.O.B.s fundraiser is meant to raise a $100,000 retainer for a new lawyer, while the narrator begs viewers to tell their friends about the show.

In 'Fakin' It', why does Buster pretend to be in a coma?

To avoid testifying: Buster passes out on Gob's 'forget-me-now' pills, then keeps the coma going so that he need not take the stand at George Sr.'s trial.

Which Family Ties star plays Nellie, Michael's possible long-lost sister?

Justine Bateman, Mallory on Family Ties, is the real-life sister of the actor who plays Michael, which is the joke behind the episode's title, 'Family Ties'.

Which Law & Order franchise detective makes a crossover cameo in 'Exit Strategy'?

John Munch (Richard Belzer): the detective has turned up in ten different series; here he fronts a scrapbooking class that is really a sting on Tobias, feeding fan theories of one shared TV universe.

In Arrested Development's fourth-season premiere, Michael moves into his son's dorm at which university?

UC Irvine: Michael squeezes into George Michael's dorm room there, until a roommates' vote on who should move out goes unanimously against him, his own son's ballot included.

How was season five released in 2018–19?

In two eight-episode halves: the first eight arrived on May 29, 2018 and the rest were held back for nearly ten months, until March 15, 2019; they turned out to be the show's last.

What was the name of Michael Bluth's late wife?

Tracey died about two years before the series begins, after months in a coma, leaving Michael to raise George Michael alone; the show hints at ovarian cancer without ever quite saying so.

Which 1980s rock anthem blares through Gob's pyrotechnic, wind-machine magic shows?

'The Final Countdown' by Europe is Gob's entrance music for every pyrotechnic, wind-machine illusion show, most of which go badly wrong.

From which secretive group was Gob blacklisted for revealing a secret in Arrested Development's pilot?

The Magicians' Alliance: Gob himself had just founded the Alliance of Magicians to blackball anyone who gives away a trick, only for the TV news to show how his Aztec Tomb works.

What is the name of the app George Michael develops in season four?

FakeBlock: George Michael's app is really just a wood-block sound simulator, but hype turns it into supposed anti-piracy privacy software that investors chase.

How do Maeby and George Michael end up legally married in season three?

A real priest's mock wedding: the cousins play bride and groom to entertain hospital patients, unaware that the man officiating this time is an actual priest.

What does Buster call Oscar once he suspects the truth about his parentage?

Uncle-Father Oscar: by 'Prison Break-In' Buster has grasped that George Sr.'s twin is really his father, and uses the name while offering his new turtle a box that Oscar left behind.

In season four, what job does the Army give the re-enlisted Buster?

A UAV drone pilot: Buster believes he is only playing a video game and becomes rather good at it, then panics when he learns that he has been hitting real targets.

Tobias lost his license for doing what?

Giving CPR to a man who was not in distress: the 'patient' was a sleeping tourist, and a newspaper shown in the pilot reports that the accidental rescue left him with a broken sternum.

In Arrested Development, Tobias, licensed as both an analyst and a therapist, called himself the first what?

'Analrapist' was the unfortunate portmanteau, which he later changed to 'theralyst'.

What is the title of Tobias's self-help book?

The Man Inside Me found no readers until the gay community took it up for reasons Tobias never intended; in the season one finale its royalties suddenly start rolling in.

What is the Torah video series George Sr. sells after converting to Judaism in prison?

'Caged Wisdom' is George Sr.'s prison-made Torah video series, sold after his jailhouse conversion to Judaism; it wins him an admirer in an undercover government agent.

How is Ann identified under her photo in the high school yearbook?

Not Pictured: the caption sits under Ann's own school photo, as Maeby gleefully points out; George Michael can only protest that a retraction was printed in the spring supplement.

What is the meaning of Annyong's real Korean name, Hel-loh?

One Day: his grandfather swore to get even 'one day' after the Bluths stole his idea for selling frozen bananas, and the season three finale reveals that the boy came to collect.

What is the name of Lucille's long-suffering housekeeper?

Lupe, played by B.W. Gonzalez, is fired in season two when Lucille finds her in bed comforting Buster, yet she is back at work in season three with no explanation at all.

Which fast-food mascot inspired the cartoon character Gob invents in season one?

The Hamburglar: Gob's Mr. Bananagrabber is a knock-off of McDonald's burger thief, and he signs the character's animation rights over to Michael for a single free banana, to his lasting regret.

Prosecutor Wayne Jarvis describes himself in what one word?

Professional: Wayne Jarvis, played by John Michael Higgins, first appears as a defence lawyer the Bluths try to hire, then returns as the prosecutor building the case against George Sr.

Which animated horse did Will Arnett go on to voice for six seasons?

BoJack Horseman: Arnett's horse is the washed-up star of a 1990s family sitcom, Horsin' Around, who spends the series plotting a comeback from his mansion in the Hollywood Hills.

On which HBO series did Tony Hale win two Emmys playing Gary Walsh?

Veep: Hale's Gary Walsh is the downtrodden personal aide who shadows Selina Meyer everywhere; the 2013 Emmy was his first major award, a decade after he first played Buster.

Which crime drama later starred Michael Bluth's actor as Marty Byrde?

Ozark: he plays Marty Byrde, a Chicago financial adviser who moves his family to the Lake of the Ozarks to launder money for a Mexican drug cartel, a role that lasted four seasons.

Which real Los Angeles news anchor plays himself as the Fox 6 newsman covering the Bluths' scandals?

John Beard really did anchor the news at KTTV, Los Angeles' Fox station; in season four his fictional self fronts To Entrap a Local Predator, a sting show that snares Tobias.

What job title does Gob give Starla after spotting her posing at a boat show?

Business model: Gob takes the phrase literally and hires Starla to stand at board meetings holding a 'Solid as a rock' sign, before she ends up as the company's hapless secretary.

Which Broadway legend plays Argyle, the flamboyant head of the Austerity rehab clinic?

Tommy Tune, the Broadway director-choreographer, plays Argyle, who runs the Austerity clinic; Tobias talks him into staging a Fantastic Four musical there to stay near his girlfriend DeBrie.

Activist Marky Bark, whom Lindsay runs off with in season four, suffers from what condition?

Face blindness: Marky Bark has prosopagnosia, so he can know Lindsay only by her voice, even after she runs off to join him on the ostrich farm he keeps with his mother.

Season four's congressional candidate Herbert Love, played by Terry Crews, parodies which politician?

Herman Cain, who sought the 2012 Republican presidential nomination, is the model for Herbert Love, the right-wing candidate George Sr. bribes to back a wall on the Mexican border.

What word is printed on the baseball cap worn by Larry Middleman, George Sr.'s hired eyes and ears?

Surrogate: the cap hides a camera and microphone that feed live sound and pictures to George Sr., so he can sit in on the family's business while confined under house arrest.

Which role in Much Ado About Nothing does the school jock land when Tobias directs the play?

Beatrice, the female lead, goes to the school jock when Tobias takes over the play, drawing a baffled 'Her?' from Michael, who sums the boy up as 'basically a young Gob'.

In season two, Lucille replaces her fired housekeeper with what?

A robotic vacuum cleaner: having fired her housekeeper for comforting Buster in bed, Lucille brings in a Roomba, and before long Buster is caught in bed with that as well.

Which personal vehicle does failed illusionist Gob Bluth glide around on throughout Arrested Development?

A Segway carries Gob through most of the series, and the family simply calls it his scooter. His cartoon creation Mr. Bananagrabber rides one too.

Which actor plays both jailed patriarch George Sr. and his freeloading brother Oscar in Arrested Development?

Jeffrey Tambor separates the lookalike brothers with hair: George Sr. is balding, while carefree Oscar wears a flowing mane put down to his stress-free life.

Which actress plays Lucille, the matriarch who adopts a son to teach Buster a lesson, in Arrested Development?

Jessica Walter later voiced Malory Archer, another icy, martini-fuelled parent, in the animated spy comedy Archer.

Which Ally McBeal alumna plays Lindsay, the Bluth daughter who champions fashionable causes, in Arrested Development?

Portia de Rossi found the set far looser than the heavily rehearsed Ally McBeal, and played Lindsay as someone clueless but good-hearted.

A blue-painted Tobias Fünke from Arrested Development appears as a captive specimen in which Marvel film?

Avengers: Infinity War hides Tobias in the Collector's museum as an in-joke by film-makers who had worked on the sitcom. David Cross was busy, so an extra wore the paint.

Until the original finale of Arrested Development, Michael and Lindsay Bluth believe they are related in which way?

As twins is how Lucille raised the pair, but the finale reveals Lindsay was adopted and is three years older than she thought.

In Arrested Development, the eldest son's nickname Gob comes from the initials of which full name?

George Oscar Bluth II is the oldest child of George Sr. and Lucille, a part-time magician who goes by his initials.

Which sugary drink turns the sheltered Buster Bluth hyperactive whenever he gets hold of it in Arrested Development?

Juice hits Buster like a stimulant because of its sugar, one of several childlike sensitivities. Cheese, by contrast, makes him irritable.

In Arrested Development, Buster Bluth unsettles people by greeting them with which uninvited physical gesture?

A shoulder massage is a habit Buster shares with Oscar Bluth, one of several quirks the two men have in common.

What affectionate nickname do grandchildren George Michael and Maeby use for Lucille Bluth in Arrested Development?

Gangie is what both grandchildren call Lucille, while their grandfather answers to Pop-Pop.

Which Arrested Development character is a Colombian soap star who dates Gob before falling for his brother Michael?

Marta Estrella stars in the telenovela El Amor Prohibido, and she walks away from both brothers after catching them fighting over her.

Which Arrested Development lawyer overbills the Bluths and is never seen without his own stenographer?

Bob Loblaw is the no-nonsense attorney who takes over the family's case in season three, promising to do all his predecessor did while appealing to a younger crowd.

Which Arrested Development bounty hunter, hired by Gob to tail Michael, is happier working as a party caterer?

Ice calls party planning his first love: after reporting the supposed death of George Sr., he caters the family's gathering and leaves a business card.

In Arrested Development, Tobias Fünke develops graft-versus-host disease after which needless cosmetic procedure?

Hair transplants he never needed left Tobias with the condition, handing his wife Lindsay one more fashionable cause to campaign about.

Which drink does Oscar Bluth sell to passing troops from his land beside Camp Pendleton in Arrested Development?

Lemonade comes from the 200 acres of citrus groves Oscar owns, land the military is entitled to drive its tanks across.

Which habit of speech makes Dr. Fishman, the Bluths' regular hospital doctor in Arrested Development, so alarming?

Being too literal makes his bulletins sound like the opposite of what he means, and Lucille claims the habit keeps him moving between hospitals.

Starla, the Bluth Company secretary in Arrested Development, boasts of a past affair with which record producer?

Quincy Jones's gold records hang on the walls of her house as proof, though his spokespeople dispute the claim.

Which relative of Rita Leeds, played by Dave Thomas, menaces Michael Bluth in season three of Arrested Development?

Her uncle Trevor helped raise Rita and swerves his Austin-Healey at Michael to warn him off, a threat Michael wrongly links to his father's legal case.

Which unflattering one-word nickname does Maeby Fünke give her cousin's girlfriend Ann Veal in Arrested Development?

Bland sums up how the family sees Ann: every Bluth except her boyfriend struggles to remember her name at all.

Which animal attacks Michael Bluth in his mother's trashed apartment in Arrested Development's fourth-season premiere?

An ostrich named Cindy is living there because Lindsay and her activist boyfriend, who keeps a farm of the birds, have moved into the empty flat.

Which bestselling memoir sends Lindsay and Tobias on separate trips to India in Arrested Development's fourth season?

Eat, Pray, Love inspires each of them in turn, and they end up on the same flight to the same city without ever noticing one another.

In Arrested Development's fourth season, the method acting class Tobias and Lindsay attend is really what kind of place?

A methadone clinic is where each of them meets a new partner, and Tobias goes on believing he is in an acting class.

Tobias Fünke stages an unlicensed musical about which comic-book superhero team in Arrested Development's fourth season?

Fantastic Four rights were refused, so Tobias lied to his cast that he had them. He had earlier tried street performing dressed as the Thing.

Kitty Sanchez resurfaces as a producer at which real Hollywood company in Arrested Development's fourth season?

Imagine Entertainment, co-founded by the show's own narrator, is where Michael is summoned to discuss a film about his family.

Whom does Gob Bluth hire to build the border wall in the fourth-season finale of Arrested Development?

A Mongolian horde is his choice of builder, but once the family admits it has no money to pay, the angry workforce goes on a rampage.

At which invented festival is politician Herbert Love knocked into a coma in Arrested Development's fourth season?

Cinco de Cuatro is the backdrop for the climax of most of the season's stories, including a bomb plot that ends up on the wrong boat.

In Arrested Development's fourth season, the Army's Cute Test checks Buster's control of his giant new hand using what?

A kitten is handed to Buster to see whether his oversized robotic hand can hold something delicate, and he is discharged from the Army soon afterwards.

Which practical problem led Arrested Development's fourth season to build each episode around a single character?

Clashing cast schedules meant the actors were rarely on set together, and one guest star recalled playing scenes opposite light stands marked with tape.

What kind of prize does Maeby Fünke collect at the Opie Awards in Arrested Development's fourth season?

Lifetime achievement sounds flattering until Maeby learns the honour goes only to people who are dead or whose careers are dying.

Which animal do Gob, Lucille and George Sr. each mimic with a different unscripted dance in Arrested Development?

A chicken is the target, and the actors got no directions for the scene: each invented a dance, with a tipsy Lucille simply flapping her arms.

The first three episodes of Arrested Development's second season have titles that reference which other sitcom?

Friends had ended six months earlier, and after two titles copying its naming style the third, ¡Amigos!, simply turns the name into Spanish.

Which comic strip is referenced throughout the Arrested Development episode where the Bluths hold a wake for George Sr.?

Peanuts gags run all through the episode, and the Charles M. Schulz estate gave the producers permission to make them.

What does Bluth family lawyer Barry Zuckerkorn hop over on a pier in the Arrested Development episode Motherboy XXX?

A shark is the obstacle, a wink at the phrase jumping the shark, which was coined after the same actor's character water-skied over one on Happy Days.

Which fast-food chain, a real sponsor of Arrested Development, gets a blatant plug in the episode Motherboy XXX?

Burger King paid for promotional consideration, so a scene set in one of its restaurants has the characters marvel at the free drink refills.

Tobias Fünke's vanity plate in Arrested Development's fourth season was meant to shorten which hopeful phrase?

A new start is what Tobias intended, but squeezed onto a licence plate the letters spell something far ruder, and the misreading follows him all season.

A recurring cutaway in Arrested Development shows which roadside spot where lawyer Barry Zuckerkorn spends his nights?

A rest stop appears in a quick cut whenever Barry blames his poor preparation on long meetings the night before.

In the Arrested Development episode title Motherboy XXX, what do the three Xs actually signify?

Its thirtieth year is written in Roman numerals, a wholesome detail that makes the annual contest sound far racier than it is.

Just before Buster Bluth loses his hand in Arrested Development, his body hides part of a bench advert so it reads what?

Arm Off is all that shows of an Army surplus advert, a visual gag the creator said could only be hidden in a show without a live studio audience.

Which animal call does kidnapped George Sr. answer, revealing his room, in Arrested Development's Spring Breakout?

A wolf howl is a habit father and son share: Gob lets one loose in the hallway out of excitement about spring break, and his captive father cannot help replying.

After losing his hand in Arrested Development's second season, Buster Bluth is first fitted with which prosthetic?

A metal hook comes home with him from the hospital and terrifies Gob, who turns up at the welcome party unaware of the accident.

In which country is fugitive George Sr. reported executed early in the second season of Arrested Development?

Mexico even stages a funeral for him while his relatives are in the country looking for him, but he is alive and soon hiding back at home.

What does Michael Bluth buy when the family company's stock is unfrozen in Arrested Development's second season?

A Corvette is his one selfish purchase, and the family's wider spending spree leaves the Bluths short of a controlling stake in their own firm.

In Arrested Development's Sword of Destiny, what does Gob lose when Buster swaps the prop blade for a real one?

His fingers are sliced off in front of the audience, during the very illusion Gob hoped would outshine a rival's act.

Which field is Buster Bluth supposedly expert in, despite badly misjudging distance in Arrested Development's ¡Amigos!?

Cartography ought to help, yet Buster hides in the family car and believes he has crossed a border when he has barely left home.

Which Scrubs star cameos in Arrested Development as Phillip Litt, creator of the Girls with Low Self-Esteem videos?

Zach Braff's video mogul is a parody of the man behind Girls Gone Wild, and he turns up once a failed magic act by Gob lands on one of the tapes.

Which Hemingway story is Maeby remaking on the docks in Arrested Development's Hand to God?

The Old Man and the Sea is shooting at the harbour when Gob arrives to rent a boat, and on its set he admits his part in Buster's accident.

Which Simpsons voice actor guest stars as Michael Bluth's doctor in Arrested Development's Sword of Destiny?

Dan Castellaneta, the voice of Homer Simpson, plays the doctor who keeps sending Michael back into surgery, first for an infection and then for a missing pair of scissors.

Which luxury does fugitive George Sr. install in his secret hideout during Arrested Development's second season?

A hot tub is one cure for his boredom in hiding; another is reading and annotating the film scripts that Maeby abandons.

Which Punisher actor plays himself in Arrested Development, so in character that Lindsay takes him for a homeless man?

Thomas Jane is researching a film part when Lindsay arranges a date with him, and Tobias spies on the pair.

Posing as attorney Chareth Cutestory in Arrested Development, Michael Bluth claims to practise which kind of law?

Maritime law is a nod to his only legal experience: playing a lawyer in a school musical about the trial of a famous pirate.