It's been announced that the third and current season of Fox's Arrested Development will be shorter than normal, only 13 episodes instead of the standard 22. This, in turn, has fueles speculation that this will be the final season for the smart, critically loved but viewer-deprived show. And, as much as it pains me to say it, it might be time to let it go.
Full disclosure: I love the show. It's a single-camera sitcom with no laugh track, sharp writing and quick humor. I fell in love with another show with similar stylings a few years ago, Aaron Sorkin's Sports Night. That was the first show I ever really loved more than anyone should love a TV program, and it was canceled after two seasons. I've thought many times that I'd gladly give up an arm if only I could rewrite history and get just one more year with the cast and crew at CSC, the fictional sports network at the center of Sports Night, but the passage of time and the beginning of an understanding of the cruel reality of network TV have persuaded me that maybe, just maybe, things are okay this way.
Most shows that last for 6 years, or 7, or even 10, rarely maintain the level of quality with which they began. Notably, Sorkin's The West Wing faced a huge drop in quality when he left the show after its fourth season. Friends ran for 10 years, of which maybe 6 were worthwhile. It's a tough balancing act for programs: Live too long, and you jump the shark; die too soon, and you're missed all the more.
Sure, I'll miss Arrested Development, as will others of my generation. But look on the bright side: We got three (well, two and a half) perfect seasons. And I, for one, am thankful.
